BTS’s J-Hope Opens Up to Zane Lowe on Military Life, Pharrell Collaboration, and the Future of BTS
On the Future of BTS and Reuniting After Solo Projects:
Zane Lowe: So much has happened since the early days of BTS—you’ve completed military service, built your solo career, headlined Lollapalooza, and worked with your musical heroes. As the group looks ahead, what do you hope to do differently when you all come back together?
J-Hope: I’ve always believed there’s something truly special about the music we create as BTS. But once we began exploring our solo projects, we started to discover other stories we wanted to tell, other sounds we wanted to explore. That process helped each of us grow and define our individual identities.
Now, when we reunite, I think we’ll bring that growth with us—and that’s going to create something powerful. There’s a deeper synergy that will come from us each having taken the time to find our own voice. We’ve talked about it a lot as a group: how much we’ve evolved through our solo journeys.
So when we come back together, I’m really curious—and excited—to see how those identities blend once again as BTS. I’m especially looking forward to June, when all the members will have completed their service. We’ll sit down, talk about our future, and I believe the energy we create together will be massive. And from what I’ve seen on this tour, I know the response when BTS reunites is going to be incredible.
On Collaborating With Pharrell Williams:
Zane Lowe: You’ve got Pharrell on a track! Do you and the guys tease each other when you land a big feature like that?
J-Hope: Absolutely! Pharrell has been a huge influence on me since I was a kid. I used to listen to Drop It Like It’s Hot and N.E.R.D. all the time—they were game changers for me. So getting the chance to work with him was really special.
The other members were just as excited as I was. They kept asking, “What was it like? That must’ve been amazing.” Working with Pharrell was such a meaningful experience, and I think it adds a special chapter to my musical journey.
On Balancing Military Service With His Musical Identity:
Zane Lowe: You entered military service following a period of huge success. How did you balance that transition—being present in that role while still holding onto your identity as J-Hope?
J-Hope: In South Korea, military service is something most young men go through. For me, it was an important step in my life—not just as J-Hope, but as Jung Ho-seok, a citizen of this country that I love deeply.
I thought a lot about what it would mean to me, and I embraced it as a chance to experience something new. I met people from all walks of life and gained so much positive energy from them. It truly was a different kind of life—one that made me reflect deeply.
A year and a half isn’t a short time. Being away from music gave me a renewed appreciation for it. I realized just how meaningful my work is. Even while serving, I never really let go of that passion. There was always a part of me still connected to music. That love never left.
