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When j-hope was announced as headliner at Lollapalooza 2022, one of the biggest US musical festivals, he wanted to be able to showcase his music to an audience beyond his fans. In his appearance on IU's Palette, the Base Line rapper said of his appearance at the festival,
“I wanted to introduce my music to the crowds who were not interested in me, and receive their feedback.”
Performing on July 31 at Lollapalooza's Bud Light Seltzer Stage, the BTS dance leader pulled out a killer set from his hat, playing a large portion of his solo discography, along with a rendition of the South Korean septet's Dynamite. By becoming the artist to sell the highest number of tickets ever, j-hope created history of unparalleled proportions. Not only that, j-hope is the first Korean artist to headline a major U.S. music festival.
5 iconic moments from j-hope's US festival debut at Lollapalooza
Apart from the large and animated crowd at the venue in Chicago, the Weverse livestream ended with more than 14.9 million views, not counting the viewers living in the United States who watched the concert on Hulu.
The Hangsang rapper's 70-minute long setlist featured many memorable moments that will stay with virtual and live viewers of the performance for a long time. Here are five of the best moments from j-hope's debut US festival performance at Lollapalooza.
1) j-hope commencing the performance with an entrance to remember
As someone known for his incredible showmanship, one would expect the 27 year-old rapper to begin his performance with a bang and he did not disappoint. Staying true to the name of his album, Jack in the Box, j-hope jumped out of a large box-like structure, rocking an all-black grunge look, complete with long hair to boot. The crowd loved his swag and the screaming only became more enthusiastic.
Kicking off the show with an energetic rendition of MORE, BTS' main dancer set the stage for a performance that promised to blow the roof off of Lollapalooza. The box reappeared in the second half, with the Korean rapper reappearing onstage in white clothes, creating a storyline that neatly tied the showcase together.
2) The Chicago air making j-hope a swearing monster
There's something about the American air that makes BTS members lose all sense of propriety and curse their hearts out. RM might have kicked off the tradition during the Permission to Dance concerts in 2021, but it was a revelation to see the sweet rapper calling the audience, "f*cking crazy" and telling the organizers to "play that sh*t."
Imbibing the music festival spirit completely, the Daydream singer also left in unfiltered expletives that were part of his songs, giving fans another reason to fall for him. The vibe created by this version of the rapper was unprecedented and stunning, leaving one amazed at his magnetism and ability to sway the crowd.
3) The first ever live performance of Chicken Noodle Soup with Becky G
Becky G and j-hope collaborated on Chicken Noodle Soup in 2018, but did not get a chance to perform it together before Lollapalooza. The duo showed off their amazing chemistry, complete with the iconic choreography the song is known for. Dressed in matching white clothes and surrounded by members of The Lab dance crew, the pair were a revelation, matching each other's energy perfectly.
The Airplane rapper also thanked the original creators of the song that he sampled from, DJ Webster and Young B (Bianca Bonnie). The latter posted her appreciation for Becky G and BTS on her Instagram stories, calling them "cute" with the hashtag #LegendsNeverdie.
The Chicken Noodle Soup performance was like rain after a long drought for fans who loved the chemistry between the two singers in the music video and wished to see them perform together.
4) A dynamic new choreography for Dynamite (Tropical Remix)
Released in 2020, Dynamite is BTS' first-ever English single, first number one on the Billboard Hot 100, first Grammy-nominated song, and their most-streamed song on Spotify. Knowing this, j-hope had to include this history-making song in his setlist on August 1.
Instead of simply performing the song on stage like he would with the rest of BTS, the Arson rapper devised a brand new choreography and performed it on stage surrounded by his dance troupe from The Lab. The fresh dance moves drew boisterous applause from the crowd who were already singing along to the track.
5) The deafening cheers for j-hope during his Just Dance performance
One of the defining moments of BTS' performance at London's Wembley Stadium during their Love Yourself tour was the crowd screaming "j-hope" while he was performing his solo song. The cheers caused the rapper to burst into a smile and take out his in-ear inserts to hear the army of people better.
During the 27 year-old rapper's set at Lollapalooza, the crowd decided to recreate the moment and make sure that BTS' main dancer knew how much they loved and appreciated him. He seemed to take in the boisterous lauding for a moment before thanking his fans for supporting him warmly. Truly a wholesome moment to look back on.
The 1994-born rapper rapped his verse in BTS' Cypher Pt.1, while giving a shoutout to the "OG ARMYs" who have stood by the band since the beginning. He appeared to be extremely touched when the audience completed his lines in Daydream and also gave his ending in Korean, staying true to his roots despite performing at an American music festival.
There was no dearth of memorable moments in j-hope's debut solo performance at Lollapalooza, christened HOBIPALOOZA because of the impact created by the rapper during his time at the festival. The BTS rapper's performance was also attended by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Chicago.
j-hope's influence on pop culture, music festivals, and performances has been cemented since his appearance at Lollapalooza. Millions of people around the world will await whatever direction he decides to take in his music, both in his solo journey and with BTS.
