Here’s Why BTS’s J-Hope Actually Picked The Name “Jack In The Box” For His Solo Album

BTS‘s J-Hope recently explained the true origins of the name of his solo album Jack in the Box and fans might never guess who originally came up with the phrase!

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The name Jack in the Box actually came into existence from the origin story of his own stage name, J-Hope. Many fans already know how J-Hope went about selecting his name with the help of RM and Bang PD-nim.

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The term “Hope” was selected since he believed it lined up with his values and his plans for his life and career.

I felt like it was a great word that went well with my positive vibe at the time and what I was aiming for in my life’s trajectory.

— J-Hope

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Like he’s told fans before, the meanings were assigned afterwards. However, it was Bang PD-nim who attached the Greek mythology story of Pandora’s Box to J-Hope’s name.

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Additionally, Bang PD-nim coined the term “Jack in the box” as something for J-Hope to say during his rap.

So he said, ‘When you’re making music or doing anything else, just say ‘jack-in-the-box’ in the intro shout-out!’

— J-Hope

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Both concepts of Pandora’s Box and jack-in-the-box connected to each other because once Pandora finds “hope” left in the box, it would jump out — or in this case, J-Hope would appear — much like a jack-in-the-box.

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While all of this had taken place before BTS’s debut, J-Hope kept the idea in mind and decided to use it for his solo album since it was important to the origin of his name.

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He began to create a storyline out of the name and use the box as a symbol for his growth as an artist. Leaving the box, he’s able to create more mature music.

That’s the origin of my name and I wanted to reflect that in my music. In a way, I tried to create story arch out of it. The music I’ve made like ‘Hope World,’ ‘Chicken Noodle Soup,’ ‘Blue Side,’ the different mixtape tracks, if those were all songs inside a box, it’s time to leave the box.

— J-Hope 

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Leaving the box, J-Hope breaks the mold as only a member of BTS and becomes a solo artist. Additionally, he shares a more complex side of himself through deeper musical themes.

My album Jack In The Box is about my aspiration to break the mold and grow further. The two main tracks “MORE” and “ARSON” represent my stories inside and outside the box, respectfully. I try to express my own musical personality as an artist and show a new different side in this album.

— J-Hope/88Rising Radio

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