Underneath the glowing red lights, the stage visuals pulsed in sync with the inhales and exhales of BTS’s J-Hope’s “Music Box: Reflection.” As the introductory song closed, the man of the hour onstage. Fans of BTS, famously known as ARMY, unleashed passionate screams that echoed through the venue. This tour was a particularly special one for fans, as it was J-Hope’s first solo world tour and it came after the rapper completed his 18-month military service. Despite having stepped away from the music scene for over a year and a half, J-Hope proved that he still has got it and more, thoroughly entertaining the Day 2 Oakland Arena crowd with his powerful stage presence and infectious energy.
Although he appeared onstage alone, J-Hope was not small at all; his strong aura enough to fill the expansive stage. Dressed in red from head to toe, the rapper’s striking outfit and flashy accessories captured the crowd’s attention. During “What If…” his charismatic presence was so commanding that the audience couldn’t tear their eyes away. The minimal stage effects put J-Hope’s talent front and center. All the while, he enticed the crowd with beckoning hand motions. As he rapped one of the final lines, “What if I have nothing,” the lights dimmed and J-Hope was lowered from view, leaving the audience hounding for more.
The concert moved into J-Hope’s more powerful and edgy rap songs. Flames burst from the stage, as the rapper put on a dynamic performance of “Arson,” building intensity up to each powerful chorus. In the chorus of “MORE”, he added texture with vocal hollers and growls during the lines “shout out, I say ‘more’.” Afterwards, he got a well deserved break and took some time to speak with the crowd. Sauntering across the stage, he reveled in the crowd’s continuous screams, knowing he had the audience’s full attention. In well practiced English, he hyped up the crowd and officially introduced himself as “J-Hope of BTS”.
After a brief VCR break, J-Hope showcased another one of his key strengths: his dancing. While he did include some dance moves during his rap tracks, the performer made a grand entrance with a solo performance to an extended intro of “on the street.” Every move was smooth, purposeful, and more energized as the song went on. Even when he ambled around the stage, he was grooving with the beat. There was a constant feedback loop between the audience’s waves of roars and J-Hope’s every movement, especially during the most recently released “Mona Lisa” in which body rolls and hip thrusts were plentiful. He was in his element and was clearly enjoying himself on stage, truly embodying one of his nicknames, “Sunshine”.
Throughout the entire concert, the set enhanced each performance. The floor was composed of multiple rectangular digital boxes. Each segment could rise and fall on its own, creating a plethora of stage formations that changed with each song. One moment, it created a staircase structure for the dancers to climb and descend for “MORE”. During “Airplane pt.2,” the center boxes elevated to emulate a train driving through the mountains. For “on the street”, a catwalk formed for J-Hope to dance along while the jumbo screens featured the streets of New York City. The bold visuals created clear and engaging transitions between songs.
Taking another moment to speak to fans, J-Hope melted away the intense energy from his previous performances to give way to a more relaxed vibe as he chatted and expressed his love for ARMY. He laughed while interacting with the crowd, and his habit of producing random sound effects were sprinkled throughout conversation. The show segued into a throwback section with quintessential songs like “Outro: Ego” and “Hope World,” and BTS ones like “MIC Drop” and “Silver Spoon.” The mini BTS medley gave ARMY a sneak peek into what they can look forward to once all the members reunite after fulfilling their military service.
At the end of the Oakland Day 2 concert, he shared that he was “in his best condition, and you guys were with me as I was performing my best.” The entire experience was a true representation of J-Hope the performer, the artist, the rapper, the dancer, and the ball of sunshine.
Contributed by Christine Shih
