A world-famous artist going solo has just given a fast food giant an accidental nod.
South Korean rapper and BTS member J-Hope, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok, is releasing his first solo album ever on July 15, "Jack in the Box," making his the initial release in a bounty of new solo albums to come from each member of the seven-strong pop group who has gone on hiatus.
Inadvertently, J-Hope gave fast-food chain Jack in the Box free marketing with the name of his new album, a move that Jack in the Box itself said they had no advance knowledge of. The correlation hasn’t gone unnoticed by BTS Army or the rest of the internet at large as the announcement was made by label BigHit. Fans, as well as the fast-food chain itself, wasted no time making comments and suggestions on social media.
“Jack in the box should do a meal for hobi in honor of his album coming out,” tweeted one fan.
“I WILL BE A GLUTTON AND GORGE ON #JackInTheBox,” said another Twitter user about J-Hope’s track list, although that quote could also double as a tribute to the fast-food chain.
Jack in the Box itself jumped in on the fun, tweeting “can’t believe he wrote an album in my honor” from its official Twitter account.
The chain also shared a dual Spider-Man meme making light of the unexpected twinning of a fast-food brand and global music icon.
Additionally, the official Twitter account for BTS ended up liking both tweets from Jack in the Box, which sent fans of both J-Hope and Jack’s onion rings into a further fast-food frenzy. We reached out to Jack in the Box and reps for J-Hope about a possible partnership made in heaven but have yet to hear back.
This isn't the first time that BTS has intersected with the fast-food world: In 2021, the group partnered with McDonald's to release the BTS meal: a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, with Sweet Chili and Cajun dipping sauces inspired by McDonald’s South Korea, as well as a medium fries and medium drink.
The album announcement heard round the world’s drive-thrus comes nearly two weeks before J-Hope headlines Lollapalooza. Along with BTS labelmate TOMORROW X TOGETHER, they will become the first South Korean artists to ever headline the Chicago-area festival. No word on whether the star plans on visiting one of Jack in the Box’s nine Illinois locations before his set, but there’s always J-Hope! (I’m so sorry.)
When J-Hope takes the stage to perform his first single, however, he likely won’t be rapping about Sourdough Jack sandwiches or Popcorn Chicken. Still, “More,” the single’s actual name, dropped on July 1, so fans of the pop superstar can already stream the surefire hit as they joyride to their local Jack in the Box to score some thematic grub as they jam out.
