Unboxing: J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Official Merch

You didn't think I'd go see J-Hope on tour and not get merch, did you?

J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Zip-Up Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Zip-Up Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Brooklyn Acorn Keyring Charm
Yes, my friend Iris and I decided to get in line for merch at Barclays Center at 7:00AM. There were about 100 people in front of us when we got there which, compared to the last time I was in line for merch at the BTS Permission to Dance concert in Las Vegas a couple years ago, seemed quite reasonable. (I guess, to be fair, there were also about 5 times more people at that concert.) We waited for about 3.5 hours to get in (the merch booths opened at 10:00AM, so all things considered, we actually got in pretty fast), and both Iris and I managed to get everything we wanted. For me, that included the two US-exclusive hoodies (that, frankly, cost a small fortune with the atrocious USD to CAD exchange rate) and the Brooklyn-exclusive acorn keychain (SO CUTE — every city in the US leg of the tour gets a city-exclusive acorn keychain).

J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Blanket

Of course, when I got home, my Weverse Shop package from Korea also arrived with the general Hope on the Stage Tour merch I had ordered a few weeks ago — I picked the hoodie and the blanket. Yes, I, too, am wondering where the hell I'm going to fit three new hoodies in my already packed closet.

Now, did I get a cold when I got back from NYC from waiting in line for nearly four hours in 5°C weather on three hours of sleep? Yes, yes, I did. Was it worth it? Yes, yes, it was.

J-Hope — "Sweet Dreams" and "MONA LISA" Recording Film

"In this past, I used to show a more bright, cheerful side of myself through my solo songs. But I've never seriously tried out any sexy concepts, you know? And now, I kind of want to enjoy this new side of me."

"This is actually something that's been on my mind for a while. Of course, no artist would ever be unhappy to achieve a high chart ranking, right? But I used this kind of as a shield and to console myself. Like, I'd tell myself that I was just making music that I wanted to make without thinking about the charts but, in a way, that was just me trying to make myself feel better. Anyone would be overjoyed to see their music enter the charts. And now, I'm just going to actually say it: This time, I'm releasing music to achieve a certain goal. I know things still might not work out even after all these goals I've set, but I won't be disappointed. I'll just feel a little sad, that's all. And I can keep that sadness to myself. All that matters is that the people who love me, love my music."

All of J-Hope's work has achieved commercial and critical success, but he's never delved into true pop music. Like BTS did with "Dynamite" (and subsequently, "Butter" and "Permission to Dance") and Jungkook did with "Seven" (and subsequently, Golden), I think Hobi wants to dominate the American charts and radio on his own terms, which is fair — the American music industry is the biggest in the world. We as fans don't care because we'll always stream and buy albums no matter what, but I also understand needing the validation of your music charting high because that means the general public likes it, too. I have faith that J-Hope will reach these goals with these two tracks; they're exactly the type of songs that I would hear playing at the mall or a restaurant. He is such a globally successful artist — both as a member of BTS and on his own — but I think it's healthy for artists to constantly be striving for new goals, otherwise their work would be meaningless. 

J-Hope — "MONA LISA" Official MV

Definitely J-Hope's most superficial song to date, but it's also, like, the classiest, most non-offensive booty call song ever? With hype-as-fuck choreography? 

I like my girls pretty, so fine

One plus the nine

How you get me goin'

Might just blow it

I like my girls pretty in the face

Art piece to frame

Mona, Mona Lisa

Yeah, I need ya 

I like my girls

Lookin' just like a paintin'

Don't need no validation

Pretty, so fine

One plus the nine

How you get me goin'

Might just blow it

I like my girls (uh huh)

I like my girls (I like, I like)

I like my girls

Independent check (check)

Got her own cheque (cheque)

By the way you look

Yeah, you 'bout to cause a wreck

Yeah, she know I'm on the move

I can't stop, I'm up next

But she hold me down

She's so sexy, I'm obsessed, yeah

Toes all in the sand, come and walk with me (walk, walk)

Love the way you take the stress and Louis off me

'Cause she bad and she know it

Yeah, that's all I need

Earring with the diamond match her smile

Yeah, she sparklin'

Yeah, you got me all in

Bad, bad, bad

I know your exes callin'

The way you look, I understand the hype

You know you're just my type

Gotta, gotta, getcha

'Cause you know just what I like

I like my girls pretty, so fine

One plus the nine

How you get me goin'

Might just blow it

I like my girls pretty in the face

Art piece to frame

Mona, Mona Lisa

Yeah, I need ya 

I like my girls

Lookin' just like a paintin'

Don't need no validation

Pretty, so fine

One plus the nine

How you get me goin'

Might just blow it

I like my girls (oh, oh, oh, oh)

I like my girls (oh, oh, oh, oh)

I like my girls (uh huh)

I like my girls (I like, I like)

Damn, just his fit is a fucking flex. As I said, we have officially entered Hobi's sexy era.

Run Jin: Episode 26 — The Scorching Gourmet

"KAWAII DESU NE!"

I don't think I have actually laughed out loud this hard with any other episode. I had never heard of Matsushige Yutaka nor Kangnam before, but they're fucking hilarious and this random group has amazing chemistry, teamwork, and comedic timing. (A highlight was definitely Kangnam rehashing conversations with his wife out loud by himself to remember the name for banana milk and dalgona.) They just worked together effortlessly, unlike Jin's team on the Squid-Jin Game episodes. Definitely could've watched at least another two episodes with this trio.

BANGTAN BOMB: J-Hope's "Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel)" Challenge Sketch

Aside from this being a really cute and easygoing dance challenge with other K-pop artists, I really love that they're normalizing inter-label collaborations when there was so much rivalry between them previously. I also love that this shows how much other artists genuinely love and respect J-Hope.

J-Hope — "MONA LISA" Concept Photos

(Image source: BTS Weverse)
(Image source: BTS Weverse)
(Image source: BTS Weverse)
(Image source: BTS Weverse)
(Image source: BTS Weverse)
(Image source: BTS Weverse)
Y'all, if you've seen the choreography for this song... we have officially entered Hobi's sexy era.

J-Hope — "MONA LISA" Release

(Image source: BTS Weverse)

"'MONA LISA' is a hip-hop and R&B track that celebrates a captivating person by playfully comparing them to the iconic masterpiece Mona Lisa, which has charmed the world for centuries. Through this song, j-hope conveys that true allure lies not in one’s external beauty but in the unique qualities that make the person special. This digital single is a heartfelt surprise gift from j-hope to his fans in appreciation of their unwavering love and support."

I had the absolute pleasure of seeing the world premiere of this song (and performance with full choreography!) at his concert in Brooklyn last night and it is a BANGER. (You can see the reel of the performance I posted on IG here — it's INCREDIBLE.) One more week until I can add this one to my daily playlist. 

J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn at Barclays Center — Day 1

J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn — Day 1

Yesterday was the first date of the North American leg of J-Hope's Hope on the Stage Tour in Brooklyn (sadly, the only day of the tour that I got tickets to). It was a flawless concert with an absolutely loaded set list that included old classics ("1 VERSE"), new favourites (the world premiere of his unreleased new single, "Mona Lisa"), songs across his entire solo discography, and a select few BTS bangers: 

1. What If…
2. Pandora's Box
3. Arson
4. STOP
5. MORE
6. On the Street
7. Lock / Unlock
8. I Don't Know
9. I Wonder…
10. Trivia: Just Dance
11. Sweet Dreams
12. MONA LISA (World Premiere)
13. 1 VERSE
14. Base Line
15. HANGSANG
16. Airplane
17. Airplane, Pt. 2
18. MIC Drop
19. Silver Spoon (Baepsae)
20. Dis-ease
21. Outro: Ego
22. Daydream
23. Chicken Noodle Soup
24. Hope World
25. = (Equal Sign)
26. Future
27. NEURON

Tens of thousands of ARMYs from all over showed up (let's not talk about the insane line-ups) and proved why we are still the biggest and baddest fandom in the world. The crowd was electric, just pure energy. I am so, so, so glad I got tickets to this concert (and lower bowl seats, at that!). It was entirely worth flying to NYC for only one day. 

(I've uploaded about one minute-long reels of almost every performance from this concert on my Instagram, in case you're interested. And so I can re-live this show until the next OT7 concert.)

New York City 2025 Travel Log: Shack Stack, Fries, and Strawberry Milkshake from Shake Shack

Shack Stack

The perfect post-concert meal: A Shack Stack with fries from Shake Shack. (And a strawberry milkshake on the side. You know, to help soothe your throat after 2 hours of screaming.) 

Shake Shack (Flatbush-Barclays Center)

170 Flatbush Ave.

Brooklyn, NY 11217

(347) 442-7711

New York City 2025 Travel Log: Margherita Pizza, Fried Calamari, and Fried Mozzarella-Stuffed Mushrooms at Patsy's Pizzeria

On this trip to NYC, I really wanted to get some New York-style pizza. Of course, there are hundreds of pizzerias in Brooklyn alone and New Yorkers have very extreme opinions on which one is the best, but I am neither a New Yorker nor a pizza snob, so after nearly four hours of waiting to get J-Hope merch in the cold, we decided to go to the historic Patsy's Pizzeria, which is very conveniently across the street from Barclays Center.

Margherita pizza
Fried calamari with shrimp
Fried mozzarella-stuffed mushrooms

We were quite ambitious and ordered the Margherita pie, the fried calamari, and the fried mozzarella-stuffed mushrooms. My food baby was definitely substantial afterwards, but my god, this lunch was spectacular. Not a crumb was left. (Well, Iris did leave a bit of crust left, but she did her best!) Not sure how Patsy's now ranks among New York pizzerias, but there's a reason why they've been around for nearly 100 years (and has 12 locations across NYC for your pizza-eating pleasure).

Patsy's Pizzeria

450 Dean St.

Brooklyn, NY 11217

(718) 622-2268

New York City 2025 Travel Log: Patty Melt with Fries and Passion Fruit Tajin Icebox Pie at Kellogg's Diner

As I knew we would be arriving in Brooklyn near midnight after a full day of work and not enough time to eat dinner before flying (and not wanting to eat at the airport), I did some research into eateries that would be open late. Our top contender was Kellogg's Diner, a classic 24-hour American diner in Williamsburg that's been open since 1928. 

Patty melt with fries and a pickle
Passion fruit Tajin icebox pie

I decided on the patty melt, which I had never tried before, but it seemed like the most quintessential American diner dish I could get (you know, based on whatever American TV shows and movies I've ever watched). It's basically a hamburger-grilled cheese hybrid with caramelized onions and MY GOD, IT WAS INCREDIBLE. I don't know how I have lived up until now without ever having tried one, but needless to say, I will now obviously be on the hunt for patty melts in Toronto. For dessert, we shared the passion fruit Tajin icebox pie — imagine a lemon meringue pie with the graham crust of key lime pie, but then take out the lemon curd and replace it with passion fruit curd instead — which hit all the spots. It was sweet, tart, and tangy, with just a hint of salt in the the crust, and it was the perfect ending to our meal. Chill, relaxed ambience and outstanding service, too.

Apparently, this place had gone really downhill over the years but is now having quite the comeback after ownership changes and a major revamp. If the sheer amount of filled tables at 1:00AM on a Thursday is any indication, this place really is definitely worth visiting — at least for late night eats.

Kellogg's Diner

518 Metropolitan Ave.

Brooklyn, NY 11211

(718) 782-4505

Run Jin: Episode 25 — Squid-Jin Game 2

As expected, the Dongpyo kid did not get any less annoying and, if anything, further proved that he is still deadweight in these games. And pushing the whole "cutie patootie" thing did not make me sympathize or warm up to him in the least and actually irked me even more. Honestly, never have I disliked a guest more. Can't wait for the next episode.

J-Hope on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Interview and "Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel)" Live Performance

God, this song sounds so fucking amazing live. Miguel's vocals are incredible and I'm so glad he was able to perform live with J-Hope, especially for the television debut of this song! (Also, love to see bunny slippers and robes as parts of official stage outfits. This is the very definition of "pajama chic.") 

TWO MORE DAYS UNTIL I SEE HIM IN PERSON!

HAPPY SUGA DAY 2025! 🐱

(Photo source: BTS Weverse)
(Photo source: BTS Weverse)
(Photo source: BTS Weverse)
(Photo source: BTS Weverse)
(Photo source: BTS Weverse)
To ARMY's Lil' Meow Meow, Bangtan's most savage rapper, one of the music industry's most talented producers, and my bias wrecker, happy 32nd birthday! Thank you for your words of comfort and wisdom, for always standing up for your rights, for always voicing your opinions, for speaking up on global issues and mental health, for your adorable gummy smiles, for being the ultimate softie even though you don't like showing it, and for writing some of my favourite songs of all time. Happy birthday, Min Yoongi a.k.a. Suga a.k.a. Agust D a.k.a. Min Suga Genius Jjang Jjang Man Boong Boong. I can't wait to see you again. 💜

J-Hope — "Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel)" MV Shoot Sketch

Okay, that explains the meaning behind the flying house, but what about those sinister drinks? WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND THOSE, HUH?