8 Masterpieces By j-hope, Including His ‘MONA LISA!’

j-hope’s hot streak just keeps going! We’re on cloud nine with everything that our favorite sunshine from BTS has been releasing for us, and if that wasn’t enough, we added a new single to our Hobi collection! We’ve been completely obsessed with ‘MONA LISA!’ Hobi’s latest track is all about feeling confident and celebrating your own beauty. Our creative genius has tied the title of the iconic work of art to being in love with someone and admiring their uniqueness. We absolutely love this theme, the beat, and the catchy rhymes that come with it! We have been singing it 24/7. If there’s something that Hobi will do, it is to deliver verses that will stick with us forever!

“I like my girls

Pretty in the face

Art piece to frame

Mona, Mona Lisa,

Yeah, I need ya“

Lyrics of ‘MONA LISA’ by j-hope

With a song as great as this single, ‘MONA LISA’ has quickly become a staple at the HOPE ON THE STAGE Tour! From premiering it for the first time in New York before its official release to having ARMYs feel special during this performance every night, Hobi knows how much of a superstar he is! Not only do we love to see him having fun on stage with this song, but he is also honoring the fanbase through his social media pages with the track. BTS has never been afraid to express their love and admiration for ARMYs, and we love how Hobi is sharing his spotlight and confidence with the fandom! 💜

With ‘MONA LISA’ on repeat and seeing Hobi shine so much on stage, it’s inevitable to go through his impeccable solo discography and revisit our favorite tracks by him. We honestly can’t describe it with any other words! He is one of the most complete artists we know, with songs exploring so many different fun, explosive, and iconic moments in his musical trajectory and his growth as a human being. We are so fond of his lyricism, so we’ve decided to craft this list. If you’re just like us, you also think these eight masterpieces deserve a score of “one plus the nine!“

‘Pandora’s Box’

There’s nothing like opening your first Chapter 2 project with a banger. That’s precisely what j-hope did with ‘Pandora’s Box.’ No matter how often we listen to this track, we always get goosebumps! Jack In The Box showed us the many styles and lyrical motifs that Hobi expresses with his music and explored his sides: colorful and bright, but also locked in and powerful. ‘Pandora’s Box’ was a great introduction to this album’s theme. It references many songs by him, such as ‘Hope World’ and ‘P.O.P (Piece Of Peace) Pt.1,’ and has many verses we blast through our speakers every day! How can we forget this iconic bridge when talking about Hobi’s discography? It’s a must!

“J to the hope

Jung to the hope

Jack in the box

Pandora’s hand

The only thing remaining, hope“

Lyrics of ‘Pandora’s Box’ by j-hope, translated by Doolset Bangtan

‘Safety Zone’

Hobi also wants to find his safe space, just like we find it in his music and his upbeat personality. His desire to fit into comfort shines through the lyrics of ‘Safety Zone.’ We love this track because we feel like it’s such a good contrast in its existence itself. The instrumental is very laid back, with light beats and vocals, but the lyrics are so deep, giving the song an incredible double meaning. The world changes so fast, especially if you’re a member of the most famous boy band. There are different and intense layers of loneliness, and that’s what Hobi expresses through this track. As his verse mentions, he wants to chase that ray of light to relieve him in the darkness. We love and admire how much Hobi opens up about his personal thoughts on his projects!

‘Future’

We sometimes associate tracks with one another, and that’s the case for ‘Safety Zone’ and ‘Future.’ In our head, it makes sense to pair them together and listen to them in this order (not only because that’s how Hobi listed them in this tracklist, but because they make sense sonically). This song never gets old for us! If we press play on ‘Future,’ you know we’re up for a good time! Hobi’s vibe throughout it is so cool and peak sunshine, just like what we call him on a daily basis! He’s our happy pill and the artist who can always give us courage and faith. If we have j-hope by our side, everything will be alright! We’re so grateful for this song and for the inspiration that it gives us to move forward!

‘Blue Side’

This is what we mean when we say that j-hope can truly create a gorgeous track in every genre. In the midst of energetic songs across his discography, we stumble upon a very special gift: the complete version of ‘Blue Side.’ Every ARMY has a bond with this track. It’s the perfect beat to close your eyes and really take it all in! Hobi explained to us how finishing this song made him feel nostalgic for the feelings, thoughts, and dreams that he had while creating Hope World. He wanted to showcase how much he had grown by giving us this finished product, and although the song is now four years old, Hobi’s aspiration to keep challenging himself musically and show us a more mature version of j-hope is still prominent in his mission as an artist! Hobi will always aim higher and higher!

‘on the street (with J. Cole)’

As we’ve learned after supporting him for many years, there’s nothing that Hobi can’t achieve, and ‘on the street’ is a prime example of that. He got to collaborate with J. Cole, one of the most renowned rappers in the industry, and his biggest muse. J. Cole has heavily inspired Hobi and the rest of BTS since the very beginning of their career, so this single is incredibly special in so many ways to our favorite sunshine and to us. ‘on the street’ is a breath of fresh air after a hard day. It always makes us smile because it reminds us of how Hobi gifted it to us as a “goodbye, see you soon” track, and it features his dancing roots from before his debut. The lyrics are so Hobi, too! And J. Cole fits right in with the song’s style and his pen, which also never disappoints. We still can’t believe Hope and Cole World have come together to deliver us this unforgettable track!

“Every time I walk

Every time I run

Every time I move

As always, for us“

Lyrics of ‘on the street (with. J. Cole)’ by j-hope

‘i don’t know (with HUH YUNJIN of LE SSERAFIM)’

Just like j-hope is a successful music enjoyer, YUNJIN of LE SSERAFIM is the most successful fangirl we know! The member of one of our favorite girl groups has been an ARMY forever, so getting her on an incredible track in HOPE ON THE STREET VOL. 1 is really a full circle moment for her. ‘i don’t know’ is such a dreamy song that we believe fits right in with Hobi’s exploration in this project. If we’re being honest, this is one of our favorite j-hope tracks ever! Everything about it makes it a hit: YUNJIN’s intro in French and her voice combining so well with Hobi’s, the sick beat and production, and the boppy chorus! We will keep manifesting a joint performance of this song; we need it! 🙏

‘NEURON (with Gaeko & YOON MIRAE)’

We can talk about HOPE ON THE STREET VOL. 1 forever, and to do that, we have to mention its great title track! ‘NEURON’ makes us dance the moment we press play on it! Everything that Hobi crafts for his albums is tied together, and we feel like this is a signature track that showcases his adoration for dance, how important it is for him, and how it all ties to this artistic expression. Hobi will always be the best dancer we know, and this project is so fun to look at from his perspective. ‘NEURON’ gives us that motivation to get up and keep moving, as well as to flow with Gaeko and YOON MIRAE! Their styles match perfectly, and we couldn’t have asked for a better collab to close this album!

“I’ll tell you again

We’ll never ever give up, forever

I’ll say it again

We’ll always be alive to move us“

Lyrics of ‘NEURON (with Gaeko & YOON MIRAE)’ by j-hope

‘HUH?! (feat. j-hope)’

We might have left the best plate for last! We are definitely counting this as an addition to j-hope’s solo discography because he collaborated with one of our other favorite soloists of all time, Agust D. There is nothing like a collab between the BTS rapline members; they drop the most incredible verses ever! Enjoying their artistry is our favorite thing ever, so you could guess we lost our minds when we first saw “j-hope” in the D-DAY tracklist. Obviously, this was a very valid reaction because this song is insanely good! ‘HUH?!’ is Yoongi and Hobi’s fists on the table. Both verses are a statement to those who keep discrediting their success. It’s so important to look very closely at these lyrics and tie them to their hard work and tireless efforts to become the best artists they can be. It’s not only a lyrical masterpiece but also living proof that these two rappers can match each other’s vibes in any song. A complete 10/10!

“Even when I’m just minding my own business, even when I’m just walking my own way,

I make headlines, so I bring another fire to a comeback“

j-hope’s lyrics in ‘HUH?! (feat. j-hope)’ by Agust D, translated by Doolset Bangtan

What’s your favorite thing from ‘Mona Lisa?’ Have we missed any masterpiece by j-hope that you think should be highlighted? Let us know in the comments below, or tell us over on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Need more BTS in your life? ARMYs, we got you!

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