{"id":62678,"date":"2026-04-17T11:05:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T11:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/17\/arirang-finding-hope-writing-about-romance\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T11:05:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T11:05:38","slug":"arirang-finding-hope-writing-about-romance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/17\/arirang-finding-hope-writing-about-romance\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Arirang,’ Finding Hope, Writing About Romance"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\t\t<\/span>-Hope<\/a> is \u201csoftly spoken and kind of elegant,\u201d says one of his Arirang<\/a><\/em> collaborators, songwriter James Essien. \u201cAnd then when he raps, it\u2019s like DMX just comes in! It\u2019s like, \u2018What the hell?\u2019 You never see it coming.\u201d As he made clear on his sonically diverse but relentlessly hard-hitting solo debut, 2022\u2019s Jack in the Box<\/em> (which followed his 2018 mixtape Hope World<\/em>), Jeong Hoseok never runs out of surprises, and his smiley public persona is just one side of his reality. He came to BigHit (later Hybe) as a street dancer, and only learned to rap after joining BTS<\/a>. He\u2019s quick to fill silences in group interviews, always aware when a room needs energy or his friends need help. \u201cI do what I can for the other members,\u201d he says, in an interview conducted in mid-February at Hybe headquarters in Seoul, South Korea.<\/p>\n

\n\tHow does it feel to be back in the reunited group?\u00a0<\/strong>
So, after finishing my military service, I performed as a solo artist for a time before reuniting with the group. And during that time, I was already feeling how different those experiences are. Now that we\u2019re back together, the other members are filling in any gaps that I feel in my expression, in my performance.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn a lot of ways, I realized that this is why there are seven of us: Each person was doing their job spectacularly well, and that was something to cherish. But my favorite part is that the fans will be happy that we\u2019re back together. I\u2019m so happy about that as well.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tRolling Stone\u2019s May issue features the most ambitious cover-story package in the magazine\u2019s nearly 60-year history: eight different print covers in all. In addition to the group cover and story, we\u2019re rolling out the seven solo covers \u2014 each with a video and solo Q&A \u2014 through Monday, April 20. Click here<\/strong><\/a> for continuing coverage, and click here<\/strong><\/a> to buy a box set of all eight covers.\t<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\t\tRolling Stone\u2019s May issue features the most ambitious cover-story package in the magazine\u2019s nearly 60-year history: eight different print covers in all. In addition to the group cover and story, we\u2019re rolling out the seven solo covers \u2014 each with a video and solo Q&A \u2014 through Monday, April 20. Click here<\/strong><\/a> for continuing coverage, and click here<\/strong><\/a> to buy a box set of all eight covers.\t<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tVery important lyric on your solo track \u201cArson\u201d: \u201cDo I put out the fire, or burn even brighter?\u201d This seems like a huge question that applies to your career and to BTS\u2019 career. And it seems related to RM saying he thought about disbanding BTS, but ultimately decided to push forward. How connected is that lyric and that sentiment?<\/strong>
When I was writing that song in 2022, I poured in all of my emotions I was feeling at the time.\u00a0 Back then, I was worried. I thought: Is getting all this love and attention actually a good thing? Maybe while everyone is clapping and cheering for me, I should just turn it all off. And I wondered whether I wanted this. But I think I\u2019ve changed a lot since then. Because all of this is just a part of me. And through it all, whether working with the group or in my personal career, I\u2019m experiencing a lot of life and learning from everything.<\/p>\n

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\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n

\n\tThere are things that you can only feel at a particular time in your life. That\u2019s how you live, and grow, and become an adult, after all. I think I felt a lot of that while making music during that time and ever since.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tWatch the video interview below\t<\/h2>\n
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