J-Hope‘s performance at Lollapalooza on Sunday (July 31) made history, as he was the first ever South Korean artist to headline a main stage at a major American music festival. The BTS member took to stage solo without group members Jin, Suga, RM, Jimin, V or Jung Kook by his side, but made a major splash as night fell onto the festival and he performed his set, which clocked in at more than an hour.
The rapper played to a crowd of 100,000 attendees and delivered high-energy performances of songs from his new Jack in the Box album, which was released on July 15. (The set debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 chart dated July 30.)
The 18-song set contained a mix of songs spanning from Hope’s extensive catalogue, including “More,” “Arson,” “HANGSANG” and “P.O.P. (Peace of Piece)” from the newly released LP; tracks from his debut mixtape Hope World, such as Becky G collab “Chicken Noodle Soup,” with a cameo from the “Mamiii” singer; and remixed versions of BTS hits “Dynamite” and “BTS Cypher Pt. 1.”
Just before beginning his set, he humbly introduced himself to the audience by sharing that he is indeed a member of BTS, “but you can call me J,” the rapper smiled as the crowd exploded in cheers.
The crowd was locked in throughout Hope’s performance, which artfully blended elements of hip-hop with pop, rock and R&B. “You guys are f—ing crazy,” he told the ARMY members in attendance. “A lot of you may be seeing me for the first time today … it’s great to be here.”
See the photos from J-Hope’s Lollapalooza debut below.