Another member of Grammy-nominated K-pop group BTS is about to make history. J-Hope, one of the group’s three rappers, will be the first Korean act to take the main stage at a major American festival. He will headline the last day of the festival. Lollapalooza and J-Hope made the announcement Tuesday, June 7. In the Instagram post’s comments, the reactions were overwhelmingly positive. This is partially due to BTS’ large fan base, also known as ARMY. Some social media users, however, weren’t so keen on the news. “This is just horrid,” one of them said. Despite some negative comments, ARMY is likely to follow J-Hope wherever he goes, proving the rapper deserves his spot on the Lollapalooza stage.
View this post on Instagram
J-Hope, affectionately called Hobi by fans, made his own short but sweet Instagram post about the upcoming festival. “It’s a thrilling new challenge that I think will become a really memorable chapter in my musical history!” it reads. “I’m gonna give you guys a great show. Get ready to get crazyyyyyy!”
J-Hope’s Long Journey to Center Stage
J-Hope, who is from Kwangju, South Korea and whose real name is Jung Hoseok, has come a long way to international fame. He started out in a hip-hop dance crew, then debuted as a rapper and dancer with BTS in 2013. In addition to being part of a group that speaks at the United Nations and the White House, Hobi has quite a few accomplishments under his belt as a solo artist. According to Music Chart Archives, the rapper’s first mixtape Hope World peaked at no. 38 on the Billboard 200 in 2018. Six of the songs reached the World’s Digital Songs Chart, with “Daydream” debuting at no. 1. The following year, he became the first member of BTS to enter The Hot 100 after collaborating with Becky G on “Chicken Noodle Soup.” Hobi is also a philanthropist, donating to causes that help children affected economically by COVID-19 in South Korea and children facing violence in Tanzania. He’s also donated to Korean charities to help children with visual and hearing disabilities as well as low-income families.
Hobi’s HYBE labelmates Tomorrow x Together will make their US debut at Lollapalooza as well. Tickets for the festival are on sale now. The festival takes place from July 28 to July 31 at Grant Park in Chicago, IL.