K-Pop, in short for Korean Pop, is one of the many sub-genres within the music industry. Many groups and artists are labeled under South Korean music agencies. One example is BTS. After BTS officially announced their hiatus during their Festa in 2022, J-Hope was the first member to announce and release his solo mixtape. The album title is "Jack In The. Box". J-Hope is frequently seen as a bright, energetic, and positive member of BTS, as well as a solo artist himself. His previous album "Hope World" and his collaboration with Becky G on the single "Chicken Noodle Soup" featured vibrant and colorful concepts. However, Jack In The Box features a darker and more emotional concept than usual. On a daily basis, humans tend to assign meanings to other people or objects, then act in accordance with the meaning that they give. Releasing an album which features musical genres and concepts that are different from the usual could also lead to a change of perception from the public. Using George Herbert Mead's Symbolic Interactionism theory, the 3 elements of Mind, Self, and Society will be the research’s basis to analyze the public perception towards J-Hope's album release. As a result, the public continues to perceive J-Hope as the same individual that they have been for years, despite the change of his aesthetics and demeanor. In addition, this research could also add relevance to the implications of Symbolic Interactionism that is found to be applied on a daily basis.

Keywords: K-Pop, J-Hope, Album Release, Symbolic Interactionism theory, George Herbert Mead, Public Perception