What I'm Listening To: On The Street by J-Hope featuring J.Cole

     

    When I opened Twitter this past week, I was shocked when I saw all the buzz about BTS's J-Hope latest release. Since their hiatus announcement last year, the members of BTS have each dived into their own solo projects. J-Hope released his second mini album last summer, "Jack in the Box", which was well-loved by fans old and new. 

    J-Hope was the first K-Pop artist to headline the popular music festival, Lollapalooza, just after his release. Although I wasn't able to get tickets to see him at Lolla, I was there the day prior when another K-Pop group, Tomorrow X Together, was performing. The energy was insane for them, and most attendees were also planning on coming again to see J-Hope.

    That being said, since then, I have been following J-Hope more and more. What shocked me wasn't the release of a new song, it was who he collaborated with, American rapper, J.Cole. Variety describes the song as "A lo-fi hip-hop tune guided by a mesmerizing whistle melody performed by j-hope himself,” and "is a reflection of j-hope’s career and life thus far, looking towards the future while recalling the path he walked to get there, emphasizing his history as a street dancer prior to becoming a member of BTS." 

    This song reminded me of an early 2000s/late 2010s hip-hop song that would be a hit on the radio. I enjoyed listening to it, I think the only thing I'd mention is the fact that it just felt too repetitive. Don't get me wrong, I think songs can be repetitive in a catchy way, I just didn't get that from this song.