From disrespecting BTS J-Hope to later calling him 'King of K-pop', ARMY point out Paris gala's hypocrisy
The Le Gala des Pi¨¨ces Jaunes in Paris featured K-pop icons like BTS' J-Hope, BIGBANG's G-Dragon, and BLACKPINK¡¯s Ros¨¦. After J-Hope's powerful performance, fans called out organizers for disrespecting him, only for them to later dub him "King of K-pop."
The Le Gala des Pi¨¨ces Jaunes, held on January 23, featured several K-Pop icons, including BTS¡¯s J-Hope, BIGBANG's G-Dragon and Taeyang, and BLACKPINK¡¯s Ros¨¦, captivating audiences in Paris. The charity concert, hosted by France's First Lady Brigitte Macron and her Op¨¦ration Pi¨¨ces Jaunes foundation, aimed to raise funds to support hospitalized children and youth.
However, days later, on January 28, 2025, France TV posted on their X (formerly Twitter) account: "Tonight is THE night! Join us for the Gala des Pi¨¨ces Jaunes 2025! Who's in?" Fans who had missed the live event were eager to tune in.
Paris Gala's hypocrisy?
J-Hope, personally invited by France's First Lady to open the show, delivered a high-energy solo performance, thrilling the audience with hits like "MIC Drop" and "On The Street". What surprised both the organizers and attendees was the overwhelming support for the BTS rapper. The arena was filled with ARMY, who managed to secure tickets and light up the venue in purple using their official fandom light sticks.
j-hope (de @bts_bighit) retourne le public du #GalaDesPiecesJaunes avec Mic Drop ? pic.twitter.com/PdB05RXP9r
¡ª France tv (@FranceTV) January 28, 2025
Fans even sang the Korean lyrics word for word, which astonished many¡ªeven in South Korea.
K-netz' reactions being surprised by the mass sing-along at J-Hope's performance.
¡ª aespann jeans (@AespannJeans) January 29, 2025
---
1. "Wow, this is really on another level. I¡¯d believe it if you told me it was a full-on Korean concert, lol."
2. "What is this, a fan concert? The energy here is wild."
3. "How did they¡ pic.twitter.com/oLeJGozWb9
However, one thing that ARMY did not appreciate was the way the event's organizers treated J-Hope. Fans noticed that his name was excluded from the performers' list multiple times, a move that many found disrespectful.
Several attendees pointed out that the organizers failed to give J-Hope the credit he deserved, sparking a major controversy. Sudden change in tone
Facing backlash, the event team appeared to make changes to their official videos. In a surprising turn, they referred to J-Hope as "King of K-Pop, J-Hope of BTS", leaving ARMY stunned at the sudden shift in narrative.
ARMY reacts
Once the duality of the Paris event organizers was exposed, fans were quick to call them out. Many pointed out that the organizers likely realized how bad they looked after initially disregarding one of the biggest global acts. Some, however, stated that's how J-Hope should be called "King of K-Pop".
One said, "they went from barely announcing him properly before or during the show to his name and photo being first on every new social post. never EVER stop being loud for bangtan".
they went from barely announcing him properly before or during the show to his name and photo being first on every new social post. never EVER stop being loud for bangtan. pic.twitter.com/oBXUDKSbWK
¡ª bts ? (@glorikoo) January 28, 2025
Another added, "The way before his performance at the Gala des Pi¨¨ces Jaunes Hobi was introduced as the king of Kpop".
The way before his performance at the Gala des Pi¨¨ces Jaunes Hobi was introduced as the king of Kpop:
¡ª Carolyne???? (@mhereonlyforbts) January 28, 2025
? other surprise, like the comeback of the King of K-pop J-Hope of the group BTS"
LOUDER??pic.twitter.com/AsPMrrHjCU
Yeah those flops are definitely the main event when the crowd was literally screaming during Jhope's performance, not to mention that his videos got the most engagement in the Paris La D¨¦fense Arena official account, yeah he's definitely irrelevant, whatever you guys say https://t.co/shxWQVWxfK pic.twitter.com/ddoNSX1sLy
¡ª kail? ? HOPE ON THE STAGE (@sapph4min) January 24, 2025
¡°King of kpop, J-Hope of BTS¡±
¡ª Liv has 4 ults ?? (@Livheartt) January 28, 2025
The introduction they gave our hobi. As they should! ?????? https://t.co/P2ppGRI3k9
More of J-Hope in Paris
J-Hope's performance and the overwhelming engagement he received from ARMY were at their peak during the event. Even the individual videos shared by France TV saw his clips garner the highest likes and retweets on X (formerly Twitter).
Following this gala, J-Hope is set to embark on his solo endeavors, with his HOPE ON THE STAGE world tour kicking off in Seoul. The Seoul leg of the tour will take place on February 28, March 1, and March 2 at the KSPO Dome, with tickets selling out within an hour of presale.
The North American leg of the tour experienced similar success, with tickets for venues such as Brooklyn¡¯s Barclays Center and Los Angeles's Kia Forum selling out in under an hour. The tour, which runs from March 13 to April 6, marks J-Hope¡¯s highly anticipated solo journey.
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Karen Noronha is a versatile journalist with a passion for sports and K-pop. With over 7 years of experience at publications like IBTimes UK, DNA, and OTTPlay/DesiMartini, she seamlessly transitions between covering global athletic events and the dynamic world of K-pop.
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