J Hope honours BTS with heartfelt tribute during first solo tour

K-pop idol J Hope turned his first solo tour into a BTS love fest with a powerful three-word tribute for the groundbreaking boy band.

Despite being the centre of attention at a sold-out Allstate Arena during his U.S. tour, J Hope, whose real name is Jung Seok, remained true to his roots.

Rocking a red leather jacket and shining in rhinestones, standing alone in front of a matching mic and facing a sea of fans, the BTS rapper introduces himself as "j-hope of BTS" and showers love on nearly 18,000 fans in attendance each night by addressing them as "Army," the group's fandom name.

In addition, Fans' favourite Hobi kicked off the live performances with a rendition of tracks from his first official solo album, Jack in the Box, released in 2022, his 2018 mixtape Hope World, and Hope on the Street Vol. 1, released during his enlistment in 2024.

During the energy-packed show, J Hope excited his fans with a medley of BTS songs, including Ego, MIC Drop, Trivia: Just Dance, and Silver Spoon.

The electrifying gig proceeds, with the crowd effortlessly singing along to his latest fully English release, Sweet Dreams with Miguel and Mona Lisa.

J-Hope's stop in Illinois during his Hope on the Stage tour is being hailed as a major milestone, as he took the stage solo to connect with fans while his fellow BTS members—Jimin, Jungkook, RM, Suga, and V—are still serving in the military. 

Jin was the first member to complete his mandatory duties.

It is pertinent to note that J Hope, 31, is the second member of the globally loved septet to perform in the middle of a sold-out arena tour in the U.S. after his bandmate Suga did it in 2023.