On March 2, BTS’ j-hope released his first solo mixtape Hope World and dropped the music video for its title track “Daydream.”
To be completely honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect for Hope World because I kept seeing j-hope stans on Twitter threatening other fans to support his mixtape when it dropped, which implies they were afraid it wouldn’t do well. But I was pleasantly surprised by “Daydream”. It took some time for the song to grow on me, but it has a laid-back, chill vibe that suits j-hope well and I really like the deep house and trip hop influences he used in the track.
The Man Behind the Mask
“Daydream” explores the contrast between j-hope’s public persona as a living ball of sunshine and how he really is in private. The lyrics address his suppressed desires and emotions, the things he can’t express due to the unrealistic ideals K-pop idols are expected to adhere to:
“My character’s like half and half, who knows?
A public figure’s striving life, who knows?
Abstaining from large cravings, who knows?
Always out of breath for daydreaming, who knows?
Wanna cry in peace, I know
Wanna party like crazy, I know
Wanna be fluttered with love, I know
Yeh, I know, I know, I know, ’cause me
Y’all must’ve been caught like fish
In a net called ‘desire’ with thirst in life
Common psychological escape
Even I can’t swim out of it…”
“Let’s just feel the youth
Young, wild, and free, wild and free
Let me give it a try
No eggshell walking, errday
I do what I want with my feelings, errday
A love-expert sniping the heart when you fall in it, errday
Work out on my desire without a formula, errday
Ignore my character, errday
Wanna cry with no shame, errday
Dream list, the first priority
With no concerns on money (deep sleep)”
This theme comes to life in the music video, where scenes of j-hope confined in his bedroom are juxtaposed with him floating through surreal, trippy sets that feel like a lucid dream. While it might sound depressing, the song itself is actually pretty optimistic. It carries an undercurrent of hope that one day, j-hope will find a way to indulge in those personal desires in the real world.
Final Thoughts
Hope World as a whole is more of a grower, with the second half of the mixtape being a little underwhelming. But this is j-hope’s first mixtape, so it’s not supposed to be a flawless masterpiece. But it’s fun to listen to and shows j-hope has potential as a soloist.
📌 Changelog
- May 11, 2025: Rewrote some sections to improve flow and readability.
- March 3, 2018: Date the original article was published.
