BTS' J-Hope joins Taehyung as the only K-soloists to surpass 18 million followers on Spotify

On September 9, 2024, BTS' J-Hope became the second K-pop soloist to surpass 18 million followers on Spotify. His fellow group member Kim Taehyung, aka V, was the only person to hold this record up until this point.

In May 2024, rapper and composer Jung Ho-seok, known as J-Hope, achieved a new milestone as his song Chicken Noodle Soup's music video exceeded 400 million views on YouTube. The K-pop idol partnered with renowned singer and actress Becky G on this track.

The song premiered at 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019, accumulating 9.7 million streams, making J-Hope the first BTS member to achieve a solo entry on the chart.

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BTS' J-Hope has contributed to 144 songs throughout his career

The 30-year-old artist has written or contributed to about 144 songs throughout his career. He shares songwriting credits on some of his group's superhit songs like Boy with Luv, 134340, and Blood Sweat & Tears. BTS' J-Hope established more creative control over his writing with his 2018 mixtape Hope World and his 2022 solo album Jack in the Box. His solo discography has tracks such as Ego, Chicken Noodle Soup, Blue Side, and Equal Sign.

In a 2022 conversation with Variety, J-Hope spoke about the hard work he put into his first solo album, Jack in the Box, and said:

"I really poured everything into this album and conveyed the messages that I wanted to convey. So no matter what the feedback or the reaction is like, I have no regrets, and I’m willing to take any type of feedback as well. I’m open-minded to that."

Before joining BTS, J-Hope was a street dancer prominent in underground circles. He lacked any formal training in rap or music but honed his musical sensibilities once he began training under his agency BigHit Music.

On March 29, 2024, BTS' J-Hope released his latest EP, Hope On The Street Vol. 1. The EP is centered on his artistic origins in street dancing. In an interview with Variety, he spoke about how street dancing influences his music and said:

"Because my career first started based on street dance, I believe that the music that I used to dance to definitely laid the foundation for my music."

The six-track extended play (EP) includes several notable collaborators Korean hip-hop veteran Gaeko, American record producer Benny Blanco, and multiple Grammy winning musician Nile Rodgers. Hope on the Street Vol. 1 was accompanied by a six-part docuseries of the same title, which is available on Prime Video.

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BTS' J-Hope, who is presently doing his military duties, is set to receive a sculpture as a gift from Japanese fans. This sculpture will be established in his hometown, Gwangju. As reported by Herald Pop on July 12, Buk-gu officials have announced the completion of the layout design for the fan project and they will start construction by the end of 2024. This sculpture will be set up at a distance of five minutes from J-hope's alma mater Kookje High School. The rapper is expected to be discharged from the military on October 17, 2024.