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BTS member J-Hope’s latest single “On the Street” is an ode to his artistic roots, linking hip-hop with street dancing, according to HYBE. However, it was only fitting that he enlisted J. Cole, one of the greats of the genre, to help take the record to new heights.
The new track opens with dreamy beats as J-Hope’s smooth vocals blend seamlessly from the chorus into J Cole’s verse. “Every time I work / Every time I run / Every time I move / Like always, to us,” J-Hope sings as he moves along the cityscape in the music video, which was released along with the new song.
The camera quickly pans to J. Cole, who delivers a thought-provoking verse following his journey as an artist and the evolution of his craft. “I’m thinking if I should wait for the crown to be delivered / And stay a little longer / I get a weird kind of hunger / The more I eat the stronger I get,” Rap said.
“The main idea of the track comes from the word ‘street’ which can be interpreted as a place where the daily lives of many people pass – a metaphor for life,” HYBE said in a statement. “It comes from ‘street dance’, a genre that represents J-Hope’s roots as an artist, and also symbolizes the path he will continue to follow with his fans around the world.”
Over the past few years, J-Hope has shared dance videos as part of a series titled “Hope On the Street” welcoming guests such as bandmates Jimin, Jung Kook, and V. Prior to his appointment to BTS a decade ago, J-Hope performed as part of the group Neuron Dance in Gwangju.
“On The Street,” right down to the appearance of J. Cole, who J-Hope has expressed a crush on in the past, marks a complete moment for the musician. It also arrives a few days after it was announced that the BTS member will soon begin the enlistment process to complete his mandatory military service in South Korea.
Big Hit Entertainment said in a statement, “We would like to inform our fans that J-Hope has begun the military enlistment process by applying to end his draft deferment.”
“We will inform you of further updates in due course. We ask that you continue your love and support for J-Hope until he completes his military service and returns safely,” the South Korean music label added. “Our company will spare no effort in providing support to our artist.”
BTS is currently on hiatus which is set to end in 2025. Jin is already enlisted.