J-Hope of BTS hinted at the end of his solo tour and a new beginning as a complete group during a special performance with his members.
The first day of J-Hope's world tour encore concert 'HOPE ON THE STAGE FANAL' took place at 7 p.m. on the 13th at the main stadium of Goyang gymnasium in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang City. The encore concert, held over two days on the 13th and 14th, welcomed a total of 54,000 spectators.
Beginning in February at the Seoul KSPO DOME, J-Hope connected with approximately 470,000 audience members across 31 performances in 15 cities in North America and Asia, wrapping up his first solo world tour with this Goyang concert. Tickets for the Goyang concert sold out immediately upon release, proving J-Hope's immense popularity. This encore concert is composed of five themes. J-Hope revisited his musical journey in line with the themes that closely relate to his musical narrative: 'Ambition', 'Dream', 'Expectation', 'Fantasy', and 'Wish'.
On that day, J-Hope opened the encore concert with the solo track 'What if…' from his first solo album 'Jack In The Box'. Later, amidst the fans chanting his name, he performed 'Pandora’s Box', 'Arson', 'STOP (There are no bad people in the world)', and 'MORE', heating up the atmosphere.
Amid the enthusiastic cheers, J-Hope remarked, "Today feels special. This is finally the final concert. I can't believe it myself. The tour started at the end of February in Seoul and has been ongoing for three months, and this concert has finally reached the final stage. It’s drizzling a bit, but it seems like the performance will be even more enjoyable. It's so much fun that you can't tell if what you are sweating or the rain. But first and foremost, safety is the priority," he admonished.
He stated, "I am honored to hold the final concert on such a meaningful day, June 13th. Thank you for taking the time to be here today, and since it’s the final concert on the 13th, let’s have an amazing time together! I prepared for the final concert with great ambition. Today, my significant single is being released, and you will see that performance as well. There is so much I will show you in the future, and the more you see, the more you will want to see more and want to continue together," he expressed with confidence.
In the following 'Dream' section, J-Hope filled the stage with tracks from the special album 'HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1', including 'on the street', 'lock / unlock', 'i don’t know', and 'i wonder…'. Notably, during the performance of 'i wonder…', member Jungkook, who recently completed his military service, made a surprise appearance as a guest and shared the stage with him.
As soon as Jungkook appeared, the audience's enthusiastic cheers filled the concert hall, and amidst the explosive cheers, Jungkook greeted the fans with a salute. He said, "I really missed you so much," to which J-Hope replied, "I was so moved when Jungkook expressed his desire to join this concert. Thank you so much, it's an honor." Jungkook, showing signs of nervousness, commented, "It feels refreshing and new, but it also feels very new," revealing his delighted impressions.
Immediately after his military discharge, Jungkook added a special touch by performing his first solo single 'seven'. He remarked, "The voices of the ARMY are so loud, it feels like they're going to tear through the air. I just want to say again how much I missed you. I'm so happy that I get to perform on stage in front of you after such a long time. I watched J-Hope and he looked amazing. There's definitely a different vibe, isn't there?" J-Hope responded with a featuring performance of 'seven', further raising expectations for the complete group.
J-Hope, who decorated the stage with the solo song 'Trivia 起 : Just Dance' from BTS's repackaged album 'LOVE YOURSELF 結 Answer', unveiled the first performance of his third solo single project song 'Killin’ It Girl', marking the beginning of the 'Expectation' section. Additionally, he passionately performed the previously released project songs 'MONA LISA' and 'Sweet Dreams', introducing 'Killin’ It Girl' as "a song that doesn't need grand explanations; it's a piece where you can see J-Hope's sexy side and performance."
He remarked, "From 'Sweet Dreams' to 'MONA LISA' and 'Killin’ It Girl', I released three singles this year, each approached in my own way with the overarching theme of 'love' that makes it easy to listen to. I wanted to give it some structure and flow. In 'Killin’ It Girl', I prepared a song that shows everything in a strong and powerful manner. Since it’s released today, I ask for your love and attention. I'm really honored and amazed that this song is coming out on such a meaningful day, June 13th. I appreciate it if you enjoy it well," he conveyed.
Meanwhile, J-Hope performed a medley of BTS's songs including 'MIC DROP', 'BAEPSAE', 'Disease', and 'Outro: Ego' to add significance to the anniversary of their debut. Fans eagerly cheered, creating even more excitement. Following this, J-Hope presented the title track 'Daydream' from his first mixtape and 'Chicken Noodle Soup', which marked BTS’s entry on the Billboard Hot 100. In his concluding remarks, he expressed, "The tour we have run together is truly approaching its end. Firstly, I want to sincerely thank you for taking the time during this harsh weather to enjoy today with us. The cheers and support from you despite the rain really surprised me."
Notably, he revealed, "Other members are also here today," which drew cheers from the audience. The big screen displayed V, RM, and Jimin, who recently completed their military service, along with Suga, who is currently serving as a social service worker. They sent big hearts toward the camera, and J-Hope reciprocated the gesture, saying, "I love you!", creating an emotional moment. The fans responded with chants of "BTS." J-Hope added, "This is a special day for everyone. It’s the time when all the members are returning home after completing their military service. I believe there will be so much to show you. I will prepare diligently and to the best of my ability, so please look forward to it," he hinted, building anticipation.
Wrapping up the fourth 'Fantasy' section with 'Hope World', J-Hope disappeared from the stage. As fans called for encore, the concert resumed, and during the first encore song 'Spring Day', BTS’s eldest member Jin made a surprise appearance, evoking cheers. Jin shared, "It's been so long since I've been on such a big stage, and I feel so nervous standing in front of the fans once again." He then performed his solo stage with the title track 'Don't Say You Love Me' from his mini album 'Echo'. He explained, "Since it’s June 13th, which is our debut date, I felt I needed to be on stage and directly asked J-Hope to let me perform."
Soon after, Jungkook reappeared and performed the unit song 'Jamais Vu' that featured all three members from the mini album 'MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA'. J-Hope expressed, "It’s a refreshing feeling to be together. Since the three of us are here, we presented 'Jamais Vu'. Thank you so much," he conveyed. As the meaningful performance came to an end, the concert approached its finale, and amidst fans' sadness, J-Hope passionately sang '=(equal sign)', 'Future', and 'NEURON', concluding the first day of the final concert.
[Photo] Big Hit Music
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