#i mean how hard is it

[theonetruebangtan]

Its been 1 year of Jack in the Box and I am not okay

Cannot believe its been a whole year since J-Hope released his official debut album Jack in the Box. I remember leading up to the release of the More mv I was telling my friend that I thought we were going to go through a Rocktan renaissance. And then Hobi gave us an album that just spoke grunge and old school hip hop. When I tell you those teaser images came out and I was like oh okay, this this is speaking to my angsty childhood. 

I sadly didn’t get to appreciate this album as much as I wanted to because on July 11th we had to put down my cat of 15 yrs. But I tried to be tuned in for streaming and votes, and I was more with it by Hobipalooza.

So today we revisit J-Hope, sorry Jay’s, debut album 😂

First order of business, I’m glad that the promotion and release cycle went the way Hobi wanted it to. But I will forever be wanting a cd cover with that KAWS artwork, its just so good! 

BTS Episode: Album Cover Shoot Sketch

Standout tracks from this album for me were:

More, = (Equal Sign), What If… and Safety Zone

The Singles

The first introduction we had to Jack in the Box was through the release of the More mv on July 1, 2022. And the concept was definitely expressed. Hobi talked a lot throughout the promos about wanting to remove himself from the box of J-Hope, and see if he could still make music that would draw in people (paraphrasing), and for me he definitely succeeded. 

BTS Episode: More MV Sketch

The Arson mv released on July 15, 2022, along with the album. It was a good title track to choose because it really speaks to the old - school hip hop with the kick snare beat. 

Both of the mvs for this album really invoked to me at least, mvs of the late 90s early 00s.  Lots of muted dark colour palettes, close shots and enclosed spaces. For More specifically he’s always surrounded by stuff and contained within 4 walls, illustrating the claustrophobia of being contained. In More he’s still trapped in the box looking for more; whereas in Arson Jack has escaped and has burnt it all. 

The choices for the two singles could not have been picked better. They bookend the album thematically and literally. Opening with More showcases the rock elements Hobi will be using, and ending with Arson calls back to his hip hop roots.

Just recently for festa we were treated to an Arson rock version, and oh boy does it slap. It’s less kick snare, more drum fills and guitar riffs. So if you’re not super into hip hop but love rock definitely check it out!

Bangtan Bomb: JITB Listening Party

lol does anyone remember when we started seeing all the celeb stories about this party? what a time 😂

Hobipalooza

“You can call me Jay”

J-Hope headlined Chicago’s Lollapalooza on Sunday, July 31, 2022. He made history as the first Korean artist to headline a major U.S. festival. He drew a crowd of 100k to his 70 minute set at Bud Light Seltzer stage. He was A M A Z I N G!

I tuned in on weverse to watch his set and from the moment he popped out of the box he owned that stage. I’ve rewatched it a couple times since and every time its just as good. Highly highly recommend.

BTS Episode: j-hope @ Lollapalooza

J - Hope in the Box

(Can be found on Disney+ for streaming or can be purchased on Weverse.)

I’ve always loved documentaries and behind the scenes looks at creation of art. Watching the inception of JITB and the triumphant conclusion with Lollaplooza, showcased how dedicated J - Hope is to his craft. The contrast between the quiet montage of Hobi staring at his computer in the studio to the boisterous prep meetings and rehearsals demonstrates how his art is not made in a vacuum. It may begin as introspection but it eventually has to be shared and he can not control the reception of others. I really loved the ending where there’s a final ITM of J - Hope in a park on a sunny day in Chicago, having finished his set the night before. He speaks on his thoughts about how JITB rollout went and how it felt to finally perform as a solo act. If you haven’t already seen it you should, BH has always been good at delivering behind the scenes content and the editing on this doc was some of their best. 

For the first official solo debut of a BTS I couldn’t have asked for anything better. J - Hope gave us an album that demonstrated a new side to him as an artist. For those who already loved his music, you received more amazing music. And for those who were new to him, you were introduced to a musician who loves to try new things and push the boundaries of his talent when he is already at the top.

Here’s to 1 year of Jack in the Box, and here’s to J - Hope! 

If you’re interested in behind the scenes production looks etc. I’ve also linked the relevant Bangtan Bombs/Episodes.

[inkskinned]

she's singing in another room and my dog is asleep at my feet. my grandma asked me why i haven't found a man yet and i laughed. oh, you know. i like my house clean.

my girlfriend is also my man is also "my partner" if i'm in a professional setting. yesterday we went to a ren faire and a man mimed at me - you're together? and at my delighted nod, his baffled, you're gay? made me laugh. a woman with rainbow hair said i love the two of you together. you're both so beautiful it's absurd.

my dad introduced my partner as my "..... friend. or whatever" the other day. he knows we're dating. in the same way, i was never able to get my sister's husband to stop saying that's gay like it's 2008. he still uses the word fa***t, and my sister's defense of him has always been well, he's just kidding.

my lover and i dance to old music in a tiny kitchen. we judge new music together and take food critique very seriously. we watch love is blind before we fall asleep and agree that if they had a queer season, it would be bloody but also make for excellent tv. of fucking course queer people would know someone for only 2 weeks and agree to get married. what are you saying.

at a bar with friends, a man puts his hand on my wrist. got a boyfriend? and yes, i do have a boyfriend, she's amazing. i am texting her while i wander around a gas station named after geese. i am visiting a swing state for a wedding. in the candy aisle i overhear: she's actually like a lesbian it's disgusting. two teenage girls with packaged sandwiches in their hands, giggling. no literally, like. i'm not, like. okay with her being there while we're all, like, naked and changing.

my girlfriend and i tailgate, drink gin and cider out of cups. from the frat group beside us, a man corrects himself with one of his friends: bro, i mean, nonbinary entity, and it makes everyone around him laugh, myself included. he razzes his friend the same way i would have killed for at 19 years old - like nothing happened, he continues: you apply sunscreen like an alien. he does a little sassy (and fairly accurate) dance interpretation of the motion. his friend is laughing so hard they're crying.

i am lucky, i live in a safe neighborhood in a safe state. my masc passenger princess comes up from DC. i drive her for an hour to where all the leaves are a violent arrangement of color. we walk along the trails, letting autumn into our blood. in this part of the state, there's a lot of pickup trucks and trump signs. when we chastely kiss before getting into the car, i accidentally make eye contact with a woman holding her child's wrist. she looks disgusted. she looks fucking pissed.

two hours later my girl and i are eating dinner on a patio, soaking in the last warmth of new england sun before the chill of winter sets in. we are giggling and trying to talk through plastic vampire teeth. at another table, i see a young woman sit up straighter. i watch her watch us. she blushes and takes her partner's hand from across the table. shy, like the taste of evening has just become something deeper.

it's worth it for this moment, i think. my lover is still humming the same song she's been singing for four days straight and i don't want to kill her for it. her guitar is beside my bed. her toothbrush is in my bathroom. in a few moments i will make us lunch. we are lucky enough to have found each other. it is lucky enough to be in love.

[andstuffsketches]

girl who lives in a cave

[albinogel]

[saltpepperbeard]

going fucking bonkers going bananas going INSANE [x]

[chalkrub]

reminiscing about childhood books after that ask - all due respect to cool sleek movie toothless....but to me, he will always be a mean little gremlin

[fictionadventurer]

How did Treasure Planet manage to come up with the greatest aesthetic in all human history? Victorian elegance plus space-age flair, with just enough dirt and grime and wear and tear to make it feel real? A combination of traditional and computer animation that perfectly embodies the movie's blend of old and futuristic? How does it get any better than that?

[hinamie]

sidelong

[puppyeared]

basement guys

[starry-bi-sky]

on a completely separate note; shizun luo binghe with a disciple shen yuan who fell into the abyss??? *thinks about LBH canonically stealing SQQ's corpse for 5 years* he'd hallucinate i think. like, like visual and audial hallucinations.

Keeps thinking he's seeing SQQ in the corner of his eyes, or wandering between the trees, amongst a group of disciples. Thinks he hears him calling for him, but its just the wind or another disciple.

Gets Xiu Ya reforged but patently fucking refuses to make a sword mound. Because his disciple Is Not Dead :))) There was No Body. He's Not Dead. And If You keep Insisting That He Is, He's Gonna Skewer You :). He's holding onto Xiu Ya so he can return his most favored disciple's sword when he returns. It's on his hip right next to Zheng Yang where it's supposed to be.

Also this motherfucker?? does not sleep btw. He has the image of SQQ, wide eyed and hysterical and standing at the mouth of the abyss burned into his fucking eyelids. Can't use the dreamscape to escape it either because he keeps trying to save him and either he does and it's an incredibly cruel trick to wake up to, or he doesn't and he gets his heart broken in several different pieces again.

There is no convincing this man that Shen Qingqiu is dead. Absolutely nothing at all. He is buried so deep in denial that moles would be jealous of how deep he is. He keeps making tea for two in the bamboo house only to remember that it's just him. SQQ's fans are hiding everywhere, little reminders of his presence. He goes to wake up SQQ on the mornings he sleeps in-- only to find the room empty.

[hitwiththetmnt]

Sad Robot P1 | P2

[cozylittleartblog]

Columbo and the Knight (1984)

put me in the universe where Columbo ran through the 1980s and had a crossover episode with Knight Rider. I think they deserved it, and I am not just saying that because they're my two favorite Old Shows. @telebeast wrote a little fanfic blurb about it and I HAD to visualize it into a comic (which is also the longest comic I have finished thus far at five pages...), so writing credit goes to them.

Autism W!

[pimsri]

Happy Valentine's <3

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

In the world of heavy metals, love is denser than hate!

[jangmi-latte]

wait if he was a first year here and vil said he bulked up/grew bigger during the latest beanfest then...then what is this. is this not bulky enough what h..how big did he grow now that he's a third year..h-he grew bigger???? h-he gained more muscle now that he's older??? a-and he's still working out???? w-what do you mean wha..what i..i like...like he GREW BIGGER????????

BIGGER!??!??!??!?!!?!!??

[beif0ngs]