“Kinda sad that he had to spell it out” — Fans react as BTS’ j-hope gets real about chart success and facing possible disappointment

On March 21, 2025, BTS' j-hope released Sweet Dreams & MONA LISA Recording Film on the BANGTANTV YouTube channel. In the video, he opened up about the complexities of chart success and the accompanying pressures.

The 31-year-old rapper and producer reflected on the group's monumental achievements and the sense of responsibility that follows. He mentioned that although he creates music for his fans, whether or not his songs rank in the music charts does affect him.

j-hope got candid and revealed that he uses the "shield" of consoling himself that he makes music because he loves it whenever he sees that his songs didn't rank well on the chart.

"This is something that has been on my mind for a while. Of course, no artist would ever be unhappy to achieve a high chart ranking right? But I used this kind of as a shield and to console myself. Like I'd tell myself I was just making music that I wanted to make without thinking about the charts. But in a way that was just me trying to make myself feel better."

The BTS idol continued that any artist would be thrilled to see their song enter global music charts as they put a lot of hard work and effort behind it. The rapper asserted that this time he has a "goal" chalked out for himself.

"Anyone would be overjoyed to see their music enter the charts. And this time I'm going to actually say it, this time I'm releasing music to achieve a certain goal. I know things might not work out even after all these goals I've set but I won't be disappointed. I'll just feel a little bit sad and I can keep that sadness to myself."

This introspection resonated profoundly with fans worldwide. Many took to social media platforms to express their admiration for j-hope's humility and authenticity. They discussed how the chart rankings affect every artist and make them doubt their own talents even though they are some of the best musicians. One fan commented,

"Kinda sad that he had to spell it out for many of y'all to understand that an artist still needs support no matter how successful they seem, getting into any art industry is HARSH work y'all, maintaining it is even harsher..."

Discussions emphasized the importance of acknowledging an artist's work and the pressures artists face to continually exceed their fans' expectations.

"I mean isn't that obvious? If I study day and night I'll obviously want the first position in class. Same way, J-hope works so hard on his music and performances so it's obvious he had high goals. The fandom can no longer use the "BTS dgaf about charts" everytime they fail him," a fan wrote.

"Hobi works extremely hard in his music, and he DOES CARE to see if his music does well, any artist would be so happy knowing their songs did well on the charts, so streaming is one of the greatest ways of supporting him, so do it for him," another fan said.

"This takes so much courage to say considering how many times they’ve been negatively accused of creating music in pure attempt to chart/perform well, when in reality, there’s nothing wrong or nonsensical with having that goal in mind ???" another fan added.

Several fans noted that even as human beings if their siblings did well while they continuously fell behind, it would affect anyone.

"And those certain people will still twist his words and say “he doesn’t care about chart” every artists want the songs they worked hard on to do well on charts , please stream MONALISA," a fan remarked.

"You'll should appreciate this man, he is literally a complete artist, he deserves more," another fan said.

"I feel so sad bcoz this fandom has been saying the same thing like they've different goals, not all members can be successful and what not to cope while he kept the sadness to himself. As a human if only my siblings do well not I fall behind I'd feel so disappointed," another fan added.

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BTS’ j-hope releases Sweet Dreams and Mona Lisa amidst solo world tour

On March 7, 2025, j-hope teamed up with Grammy-winning R&B artist Miguel to release the song, Sweet Dreams. The single speaks on desire and love and the singer's wish to be together with his beloved for the rest of their lives.

Following Sweet Dreams, the BTS rapper released the song Mona Lisa on March 21, 2025. This hip-hop R&B jam draws a playful comparison between an enticing love interest and the painting Monalisa by Leonardo da Vinci. Additionally, it is co-produced by Blake Slatkin, Cashmere Cat, and Misogi.

Concurrent with these releases, j-hope embarked on his HOPE ON THE STAGE world tour, marking his first solo concert series. The tour commenced on February 28, 2025, at the KSPO Dome in Seoul and is set to conclude on June 1, 2025, in Osaka, Japan.

Spanning 31 shows across 15 cities, the tour includes performances in North America and Asia, reflecting j-hope's expansive global appeal. On March 22 and 23, 2025, j-hope held his two shows at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico.

Here is the list of upcoming shows from j-hope's HOPE ON THE STAGE 2025 world tour:

San Antonio, Texas, USA:

• March 26, 2025 – Frost Bank Center
• March 27, 2025 – Frost Bank Center

Oakland, California, USA:

• March 31, 2025 – Oakland Arena
• April 1, 2025 – Oakland Arena

Los Angeles, California, USA:

• April 4, 2025 – BMO Stadium
• April 6, 2025 – BMO Stadium

Manila, Philippines:

• April 12, 2025 – Mall of Asia Arena
• April 13, 2025 – Mall of Asia Arena

Saitama, Japan:

• April 19, 2025 – Saitama Super Arena
• April 20, 2025 – Saitama Super Arena

Kallang, Singapore:

• April 26, 2025 – Singapore Indoor Stadium
• April 27, 2025 – Singapore Indoor Stadium

Jakarta, Indonesia:

• May 3, 2025 – Indonesia Arena, GBK
• May 4, 2025 – Indonesia Arena, GBK

Bangkok, Thailand:

• May 10, 2025 – Impact Arena
• May 11, 2025 – Impact Arena

Macau, China:

• May 17, 2025 – Galaxy Arena
• May 18, 2025 – Galaxy Arena

Taipei, Taiwan:

• May 24, 2025 – NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena)
• May 25, 2025 – NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena)

Osaka, Japan:

• May 31, 2025 – Kyocera Dome, Japan
• June 1, 2025 – Kyocera Dome, Japan

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In other news, j-hope completed his mandatory military service in the Republic of Korea Army on October 17, 2024.