BTS: J-Hope is Bending Gender Norms by Flaunting Bold Nail Polish and We're Here For It

BTS members have always tried to break the norm. They’ve strived towards making diverse people feel included in the fandom. This includes not shying away from collaborating with those identifying with the LGBTQ community, urging to approach BT21 toys in a non-binary gender way, and even sporting gender-neutral outfits at events and concerts. Now, J-Hope is adding yet another leaf to the inspiring file by stepping out in Chicago wearing nail polish.

The rapper was spotted sporting the coloured nails in the past on a few occasions but of late, it has become a staple part of his look. He was first spotted with painted nails in a post on Instagram in May, which is probably when he was shooting for the music videos of his new songs More and Arson. Both music videos show Jung Hoseok sporting painted nails. Hobi seems to be carrying the theme forward in real life, too.

The rapper is currently in Chicago where he will be headlining the international music event Lollapalooza. But days before his international gig, Hobi has been catching the attention of ARMYs for his dark nail polish. Several fans noticed that he had been proudly sporting nail paint recently. The paint became a little more evident when he was spotted at the Incheon International Airport in South Korea.

It was during his Live on Weverse that Hoseok gave a closer look at his coloured nails. Soon enough, this became a subject of discussion among ARMYs on the internet. During the live, Hobi revealed that he has painted his nails in shades of purple, most likely resonating with the love he has for the fandom.

While it might seem that it is a simple nail polish, the gesture encourages those who are trying to push their envelope much like Hobi has been trying to do in recent times — with his music and style. It is a great sign of how he is not limiting himself to gender norms and he is subtly yet powerfully pushing those who wish to experiment with gender-neutral style statements. He is a true icon of style!

A post shared by jhope (@uarmyhope)

Fans too have appreciated his style:

Although Hoseok is the first member to publicly sport nail polish, he isn’t the only one who has tried to bend gender norms. In the past, V aka Kim Taehyung and Jimin have made headlines for their gender-neutral outfits and accessories.

Besides the BTS members, K-pop stars such as BTOB’s Peniel, ATEEZ’s Hongjoong (who typically sports nail polish on just one finger), TXT’s Taehyun have sported nail polish during one of the brand promotions, Hyunjae and Juyeon from THE BOYZ painted their nails for a magazine interview, and SHINee’s Taemin have sported nail paints in the past.

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