Entertainment
j-hope of BTS on his Billboard success and becoming the first solo Korean artist to headline BMO Stadium
You would think most people would need a break after spending 18 months in the military. But most people aren’t international pop stars such as Jung Ho-seok, better known as j-hope of BTS. It seemed like the international pop icon had barely changed out of his uniform in October of last year before he was boarding a plane to Los Angeles, ready to work on new material. It would be his first release since his critically acclaimed 2022 grunge-rock-meets boom bap hip-hop debut album “Jack in the Box.”
Although “Jack in the Box” was his first official album, his solo discography goes back further to “1 Verse,” his 2015 SoundCloud release which sampled The Game and Skrillex’s “El Chapo” released that same year.
The 2016 BTS album “Wings” was the first to feature solo works from all seven members. Up until then, the focus had been on j-hope’s swaggy, growling, rap delivery (he is undeniably BTS’s swagmaster) and dance ability rooted in his early days as a member of the Gwangju, South Korea-based Neuron dance crew.
With “MAMA” his solo effort contribution to Wings, he stretched himself as a vocalist leveraging the soulful qualities of his voice in a tribute to his mother.
BTS member j-Hope poses for a portrait ahead of one of his L.A. shows.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
2018 marked another turning point when he released “Hope World,” a six-track mix-tape. The following year, j-hope released “Chicken Noodle Soup.” Although the bouncy hip-hop track sampled a 2006 song by New York artists DJ Webstar and Young B, it featured Inglewood-raised vocalist Becky G and lyrics in Korean, English and Spanish. So it seemed fitting when he took a trip to L.A. to film its music video, with members of the L.A. dance community, performing its choreography in front of local joint Chicken Shack’s signature yellow car.
Since his group announced a temporary hiatus in 2022 to focus on solo work — based on the Western idea of boy bands this worried fans that they were breaking up (they’re not) — all of the members have released albums, to individual success, and even pre-recorded projects to be released during their departure.
While still in service, j-hope released “Hope on the Street: Vol. 1,” a soundtrack to his documentary series of the same name in which he explored street dance in different cities across the world. On that album, he worked with L.A.-based Benny Blanco and Blake Slatkin, two producers he turned to once again for his latest releases “Sweet Dreams” (featuring Miguel) and his latest, the catchy, viral dance-inducing hit “Mona Lisa.”
In January, j-hope announced his Hope On The Stage tour, his first as a soloist with North American dates in Brooklyn, Chicago, Mexico City, San Antonio and Oakland. The tour is divided into sections spanning the narrative of his career. The production includes a live band, and uses 28 moving lifts that reconfigure depending on the stage.
Both “Sweet Dreams” and “Mona Lisa” were surprisingly played on tour, and a third single is planned for the Asian leg, which kicks off in the Phillipines on April 12.
Each stop has included tailored engagement with “ARMY,” BTS’s famously diverse and passionate fandom. The experiences span regional food, site specific merchandise, some designed with input by the famously fashion-forward artist, and dance challenges. Fans also had the option to purchase a package where they could “send off” j-hope.
As the tour has gone along, Instagram’s “For You” pages have steadily yielded selfies with the famously upbeat star and cute interactions. With each successive city he seems to up the ante: dancing in cowboy hats and boots in San Antonio, speaking full sentences in Spanish in Mexico, even getting close enough at points to exchange hugs and hold hands.
Ahead of the last stops of the tour’s North American dates, Friday and Sunday at BMO Stadium, The Times caught up with the global star nearby the stadium downtown. In an intimate post-photo shoot conversation squeezed in between his promotional events on Thursday (he popped up at that night’s Lakers game shortly after), we talked about his relationship with the city, his artistry, love for ARMY and future ambitions.
“I’ve come to realize how many people are loving and connecting with my music, and at the same time, that pushes me to think about what kind of music I should create next as an artist,” j-hope said.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Congratulations—”Mona Lisa” is in the Billboard Hot 100 as of this week and it’s your seventh song as a solo artist to reach that milestone.
Wow.
You’re tied with Jung Kook.
[laughs] It’s such an honor to have so many of my songs on the chart, and I’m incredibly grateful in so many ways. I’ve come to realize how many people are loving and connecting with my music, and at the same time, that pushes me to think about what kind of music I should create next as an artist. I feel that my life at the moment is filled with greater anticipation and excitement for what’s to come.
With “Jack in the Box” you weren’t necessarily concerned about charting, but you seem more ambitious with these releases. Is that true?
Yes, you’re very on point. I feel like this was a challenge that I needed to take on after my military service. And up until now, I focused on what I liked, but this time, I wanted to collaborate with great producers who have a deeper understanding of the culture. I was curious about their take on j-hope as an artist. Once I took that step forward, I felt it would open up new opportunities for me to experiment and take my music to the next level. I truly feel this is a great time for me.
“Jack in the Box” was incredible but “Sweet Dreams” and “Mona Lisa” have a different kind of sexy vibe and the ARMY is loving it. Have you been enjoying the response?
Well, you know I didn’t have too much of this on my mind when I was making these songs but I wanted to make a song that kind of expressed my maturity after the military service. So, it kind of came naturally. So, I wanted to show another visual side of me as j-hope and I want to show something new, a new facet of me for my fans.
Can we talk about Jay?
Jay? [laughs] Yes, ARMY calls.
It’s been kind of a fun thing between you and U.S. ARMY that you kind of turn into “Jay” when you land in the U.S. How would you describe him?
You know, I find it very funny too. I love the vibe in the U.S. I’m enjoying myself and having fun, and because of that, it allows me to show a more genuine side. Fans really seem to like it too and so I feel great about what I’ve been able to share here in the States.
“Of course I could not have imagined back then that I would have this kind of life and I really appreciate what I have currently,” j-hope said. “As time passes by, I’m really grateful to see more and more people listening to and enjoying my music.”
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
You seem to be having the time of your life on this tour. You’re interacting with the fans a lot more on a personal level, going out into the audience when you perform “=Equal Sign” picking someone [to interact with]. Has one of those moments stood out to you?
I think you know me inside out by now and I really appreciate that. I wanted to show something great for the fans who’ve been waiting for such a long time and I wanted to connect at a very personal level through these concerts and performances. There’s a song called “=Equal Sign.” and its first lyric is about how we view each other as equals — “There is no one above us/There is no one under us.” Staying true to that message, instead of me being on stage on a higher level with the audience below, I wanted to truly connect with my fans by engaging with them directly and seeing them eye-to-eye. This connection with my fans has been incredibly meaningful.
With these upcoming performances you become the first solo Korean artist to headline BMO Stadium (he is also the first Korean male artist to headline a stadium show in North America). Do you think the Jung Ho–seok of 2013 who seemed surprised to even receive a packet of fan mail could have envisioned this?
Of course I could not have imagined back then that I would have this kind of life and I really appreciate what I have currently. As time passes by, I’m really grateful to see more and more people listening to and enjoying my music. I feel like it’s their support and passion that allow me to be the artist I am today.
“Hope on the Stage” in part, is a tribute to your origins as a street dancer but you also do a lot of singing [in the show] with a live band. You’ve downplayed your vocal ability a little bit, but you have a great voice that’s really flexible. When did you first realize that you can sing? Was it a natural extension of rapping?
It’s an interesting question. As I pursue music, I think I’ve developed a style that embraces versatility. Throughout this process, I tried to explore and experiment with my voice in various ways and I believe that’s reflected in my vocals nowadays. I try to deliver my vocals in a natural way without forcing anything and it seems like the audience appreciates that. Are my vocals perfect? That’s something I need to think about, but I’m committed and striving to make it better. It’s a bit hard to pinpoint a specific moment. Before my debut, I had vocal lessons and as I started recording, my vocal style naturally began to develop. It’s difficult to say exactly when the shift occurred, but it was a gradual process.
While working here you went to In-N-Out, and had all the “L.A.” experiences. In the early days of BTS you filmed a reality show where you were mentored by Warren G and Coolio — they even took you to Long Beach’s VIP Records…
You watched this — wow [laughs].
Yeah…[laughs] American Hustle Life. Is there something you learned about hip-hop from that experience that you keep with you today?
It was more than just a musical influence. I was very young at that time, and if I had the chance to go back now, I think I could understand and take in a lot more. At the time, though, it was a process to adapt to a new culture, different from the one I grew up in. And I believe that those moments were crucial for my growth and shaped who I am today. That’s the most important lesson I took from that experience.
Rest in peace, Coolio.
Joshua Jackson says he knows he was “really just a footnote” in James Van Der Beek’s life, despite the “amazing” time they spent together as stars of the series “Dawson’s Creek.”
The star of “The Affair” is reflecting publicly for the first time about his former castmate, who died Feb. 11 at age 48 after a battle with colorectal cancer.
The time they shared on set was “formational” for them, Jackson said on “Today.” When the “Dawson’s Creek” pilot aired in January 1998, he was 19 and Van Der Beek was almost 21, playing characters who were 15.
“I know both of us look back on that time with great fondness, but I will also say that I know that I’m really just a footnote in what he actually accomplished in his life.”
Jackson spoke with great respect for his friend, who he said “became what we used to just call a good man, a man of the kind of belief, the kind of faith that allowed him to face the impossible with grace, an unbelievable partner and husband, just a real man who showed up for his family and a beautiful, kind, curious, interested, dedicated father.”
On the one hand, the 47-year-old said, “that’s beautiful.” On the other, “The tragedy of that loss for his family is enormous.”
Since Jackson and Van Der Beek played Pacey Witter and Dawson Leery three decades ago, both men had kids of their own — a 5-year-old daughter for Jackson, born during the pandemic with ex-wife Jodie Turner-Smith, and six kids for Van Der Beek with second wife Kimberly Brook. The latter couple’s children — two boys and four girls, ranging in age from 4 to 15 — were what Van Der Beek said changed everything for him.
“Your life becomes shared, and your joys become shared joys in a really beautiful way that expands your level of circuitry out to other people instead of just keeping it all for your own gratification,” the actor told “Good Morning America” in May 2023. “And the lessons, they keep on coming. It’s the craziest, craziest thing I’ve ever done, and it’s the thing that’s made me happiest.”
Knowing his colleague’s love for his family, Jackson said on “Today” that “for me as a father now, I think the enormity of that tragedy hits me in a very different way than just as a colleague, so I think the processing [of Van Der Beek’s death] is ongoing.”
The “Little Fires Everywhere” actor was on the morning show Tuesday to bring attention to colorectal cancer screenings.
Van Der Beek’s diagnosis, which went public in November 2024, was among the factors prompting Jackson to get involved with drugmaker AstraZeneca’s “Get Body Checked Against Cancer” campaign, which takes a lighter approach to a serious subject — cancer screening — through a partnership with Jackson, the National Hockey League and the Philadelphia Flyers’ furry orange mascot, Gritty.
“It is … true, the earlier you find something,” said “The Mighty Ducks” actor, “the better your possible outcomes are.”
DAN WEBSTER:
It may now seem like ancient history, especially to younger listeners, but it was only 26 years ago when the streets of Seattle were filled with protesters, police and—ultimately—scenes of what ended up looking like pure chaos.
It is those scenes—put together to form a portrait of what would become known as the “Battle of Seattle” —that documentary filmmaker Ian Bell captures in his powerful documentary feature WTO/99.
We’ve seen any number of documentaries over the decades that report on every kind of social and cultural event from rock concerts to war. And the majority of them follow a typical format: archival footage blended with interviews, both with participants and with experts who provide an informational, often intellectual, perspective.
WTO/99 is something different. Like The Perfect Neighbor, a 2026 Oscar-nominated documentary feature, Bell’s film consists of what could be called found footage. What he has done is amass a series of news reports and personal video recordings into an hour-and-42-minute collection of individual scenes, mostly focused on a several-block area of downtown Seattle.
That is where a meeting of the WTO, the World Trade Organization, was set to be held between Nov. 30 and Dec. 3, 1999. Delegates from around the world planned to negotiate trade agreements (what else?) at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.
Months before the meeting, however, a loose coalition of groups—including NGOs, labor unions, student organizations and various others—began their own series of meetings. Their objective was to form ways to protest not just the WTO but, to some of them, the whole idea of a world order they saw as a threat to the economic independence of individual countries.
Bell’s film doesn’t provide much context for all this. What we mostly see are individuals arguing their points of view as they prepare to stop the delegates from even entering the convention center. Meanwhile, Seattle authorities such as then-Mayor Paul Schell and then-Police Chief Norm Stamper—with brief appearances by Gov. Gary Locke and King County Executive Ron Sims—discuss counter measures, with Schell eventually imposing a curfew.
That decision comes, though, after what Bell’s film shows is a peaceful protest evolving into a street fight between people parading and chanting, others chained together and splinter groups intent on smashing the storefronts of businesses owned by what they see as corporate criminals. One intense scene involves a young woman begging those breaking windows to stop and asking them why they’re resorting to violence. In response a lone voice yells their reasoning: “Self-defense.”
Even more intense, though, are the actions of the Seattle police. We see officers using pepper spray, tear gas, flash grenades and other “non-lethal” means such as firing rubber pellets into the crowd. In one scene, a uniformed guy—not identified as a police officer but definitely part of the security crowd, which included National Guardsmen—is shown kicking a guy in the crotch.
The media, too, can’t avoid criticism. Though we see broadcast reporters trying to capture what was happening—with some affected like everybody else by the tear gas that filled the streets like a winter fog—the reports they air seem sketchy, as if they’re doctors trying to diagnose a serious illness by focusing on individual cells. And the images they capture tend to highlight the violence over the well-meaning actions of the vast majority of protesters.
Reactions to what Bell has put on the screen are bound to vary, based on each viewer’s personal politics. Bell revels his own stance by choosing selectively from among thousands of hours of video coverage to form the narrative he feels best captures what happened those two decades-and-change ago.
If nothing else, WTO/99 does reveal a more comprehensive picture of what happened than we got at the time. And, too, it should prepare us for the future. The way this country is going, we’re bound to see a lot more of the same.
Call it the “Battle for America.”
For Spokane Public Radio, I’m Dan Webster.
——
Movies 101 host Dan Webster is the senior film critic for Spokane Public Radio.
Tommy DeCarlo, a longtime fan of Boston who became the classic rock band’s lead singer in the late 2000s, has died. He was 60.
DeCarlo died Monday following a battle with brain cancer, his family announced on Facebook.
“[H]e fought with incredible strength and courage right up until the very end,” the family’s statement said. “During this difficult time, we kindly ask that friends and fans respect our family’s privacy as we grieve and support one another.”
Born April 23, 1965, in Utica, N.Y., DeCarlo said he first started listening to Boston — the 1970s rock band known for its instrumental overtures and hits including “More Than a Feeling,” “Don’t Look Back” and “Peace of Mind” — as a young teenager, according to the group’s website. The vocalist credited his love for Boston’s original frontman Brad Delp and his desire to sing along with him on the radio for helping to develop his own singing voice.
After Delp’s death in 2007, DeCarlo, then a manager at a Home Depot, sent a link to his MySpace page filled with Boston covers as well as an original song in tribute to Delp to the Boston camp, hoping for a chance to participate in a tribute show for the singer. They kindly turned down his offer.
But eventually, Boston founder and lead songwriter Tom Scholz heard DeCarlo’s cover of “Don’t Look Back” and invited the singer to perform a few songs with the band at the tribute. That tribute show would be DeCarlo’s first time ever performing with any band in front of a crowd, but it wouldn’t be his last. He continued to perform with the band at live shows for years, and even joined them on some tracks for their 2013 album, “Life, Love & Hope.”
DeCarlo also formed the band Decarlo with his son, guitarist Tommy DeCarlo Jr. In October, the singer announced he was stepping away from performing due to “unexpected health issues.”
“[P]erforming and sharing music with all of you around the world has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” DeCarlo wrote in his Facebook post. “I can’t thank you all enough for the incredible love, support, and understanding you’ve shown me and my family during this time. It truly means the world to us.”
‘American Classic’ is a hidden gem that gets even better as it goes
Slay the Spire II is even better with a friend
Cuban activist to Trump: ‘Make Cuba great again’ by ending communist rule
Trump stirs GOP primary drama with visit to Massie’s Kentucky home turf
Key fitness measure is strong predictor of longevity after certain age, study finds
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Trump stirs GOP primary drama with visit to Massie’s Kentucky home turf
Israeli air strike targets building in south Lebanon
Ed Martin, outspoken Justice Department lawyer, is formally accused of ethical violations | CNN Politics
Trump reveals top issues GOP should focus on to secure midterms victory: ‘I’ve never been more confident’
NATO intercepts another Iranian missile in Turkish airspace
-
Wisconsin1 week agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Maryland1 week agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Pennsylvania5 days agoPa. man found guilty of raping teen girl who he took to Mexico
-
Florida1 week agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Sports6 days agoKeith Olbermann under fire for calling Lou Holtz a ‘scumbag’ after legendary coach’s death
-
Virginia6 days agoGiants will hold 2026 training camp in West Virginia
-
Politics1 week agoMamdani’s response to Trump’s Iran strike sparks conservative backlash: ‘Rooting for the ayatollah’