The clamor for the return of Grammy-nominated K-pop icon BTS to the Philippines and music world was palpable at member J-Hope’s solo concert.
J-Hope (제이홉) held his sold-out “Hope on the Stage” tour in Manila at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on April 12 and 13.
For BTS ARMY (fans), J-Hope’s concert in Manila marked several firsts.
This was J-Hope’s return to the Philippines after eight years. The last time J-Hope was in the country was in May 2017 when BTS held “The Wings Tour” at the same venue.
Manila was also the first stop in Asia for J-Hope’s solo tour. This was also J-Hope’s first tour since he was discharged from his mandatory service last October.
BTS' J-Hope at his "Hope on the Stage" concert in Manila on April 12 and 13 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena (Photos from BTS' X account, Live Nation Philippines)
Before embarking on the Asia tour, J-Hope performed in front of about 178,000 fans in his North American tour, spanning 12 shows in six cities, including Brooklyn, Chicago, Mexico City, San Antonio, Oakland, and Los Angeles.
At his Manila concert, J-Hope not only performed his songs but showed his passion for dancing.
Last year, Prime Video launched J-Hope’s “Hope on the Street” docuseries, which highlighted his story and his return to street dance roots as he traveled to Osaka, Seoul, Paris, New York, and Gwangju.
Amid the thunderous cheers from the crowd, J-Hope emerged on stage and performed “What if…,” “Pandora’s Box,” “Arson” “Stop” and “More,” all tracks in his “Jack in the Box” album released in July 2022.
Watching J-Hope’s solo concert was a visual feast. The stage showcased moving blocks that changed heights every time. Several times during the show, J-Hope performed on top of a block several feet above the stage.
“What’s up, Manila? Kamusta kayo tonight? (How are you tonight?),” said J-Hope. As he welcomed the loud cheers from the audience, he said, “Everybody, maingay,” urging everyone to make some noise.
He also performed “On the street,” “Lock/Unlock,” “I Don’t Know,” “I wonder…,” “Trivia: Just Dance,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Mona Lisa.”
“Sweet Dreams” is J-Hope’s 2025 song that featured American singer Miguel.
“First of all, probably you already knew that was ‘Sweet Dreams.’ Did you like it? Amazing artist. Miguel! How are you guys liking ‘Mona Lisa’?” he asked the crowd, which responded with approval.
In addition, J-Hope sang “1 Verse,” “Base Line,” “Hangsang,” “Airplane,” “Airplane pt. 2,” “MIC Drop,” “Baepsae,” “Dis-ease,” “Outro: Ego,” “Daydream,” “Chicken Noodle Soup” and “Hope World.”
For the encore performance, he sang “=” (“Equal Sign”),” “Future” and “Neuron.”
“Manila ARMY, you know how to party,” J-Hope said as fans shouted “J-Hope!” throughout the show and cheered on his every performance.
He said, “This is the beginning of the Asia tour. That’s why this concert and the moment are very precious. Thank you very much for enjoying tonight. Of course, I will come back,” J-Hope promised.
In addition to the fans, Korean actor and “Squid Game” season 2 star Im Siwan also watched the concert in Manila. J-Hope uploaded a photo with Siwan on his Instagram account.
BTS' J-Hope with Korean actor Im Siwan in Manila (Photo from J-Hope's Instagram account)
Fans started chanting “BTS! BTS!” while others held up signs with the number “70,” referring to the number of days left before the last member of BTS is discharged from their mandatory service to their country.
By June this year, all the remaining five members of BTS would complete their duties that would allow them to regroup.
Fans are looking forward to the time when BTS will make their comeback to the entertainment industry and resume their career as a whole group.
“There are certainly things we need to do as BTS. When we’re all back together as a group, it’s going to have a huge impact, and everybody’s going to be watching,” said J-Hope in an interview with Weverse magazine last December.
BTS at their “The Wings Tour” in Manila in May 2017 (Photo from BTS' X account)
He said, “I’m excited to see what it’ll feel like when we perform together again. I want to come back in style and say, “This is us. This is BTS.” I can’t speak for everyone, but I can tell you the other members feel the same way. What hasn’t changed is that I really, really love to do it. Even now. I’m here because of the group.”
“And working with the others is still so fun and fulfilling and makes me so, so happy. And most importantly of all, we made it here with ARMY at the heart of it all, and that’s something we must never forget or be lost on us as we continue moving forward. It’s incredible. They’re the whole reason I made it through. They’re always there waiting, watching, supporting, and acknowledging. ARMY is the reason I can keep moving forward. They’re like the gas to my car, or… just my core?” he said.
HYBE and Big Hit Music have not announced plans yet for any BTS comeback but the completion of their mandatory service in June signals their return as a whole group to their fans.
BTS topped the brand reputation index for K-pop boy bands in March and April this year, according to the Korea Corporate Research Institute. The rankings were based on consumer participation, media exposure, and communication and community indices.
As he bid goodbye to the audience, J-Hope said, “Manila, mahal ko kayo (I love you).”
After the show, J-Hope held a live broadcast on the global fan community platform Weverse, showing his dinner consisting of crispy pata, garlic rice, crispy sisig, sinigang na baboy and halo-halo (“My favorite dessert,” he said).
From Manila, J-Hope will hold the tour in Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Macau, Taiwan and the finale in Osaka, Japan.
J-Hope’s “Hope on the Stage” tour in Manila was presented by Live Nation Philippines, supported by Smart and Viu.
BTS' J-Hope at his "Hope on the Stage" concert in Manila on April 12 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena (Photos from J-Hope's Instagram account)
J-Hope loves halo-halo, a Filipino dessert similar to Korea's bingsu (Photo from J-Hope's Instagram account)
Hobi peso (Photo from SM Mall of Asia Arena's X account)
BTS' J-Hope at his "Hope on the Stage" concert in Manila on April 13 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena (Photos from J-Hope's Instagram account)
In dreams and purple skies, ARMY look forward to BTS’ reunion concert after J-Hope’s solo show at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on April 12