J-Hope's 'MONA LISA': A Charming Smile Added to Cho Yong-pil's Impassive Mona Lisa (2025 New Song Review)

j-hope's 'MONA LISA': A Charming Smile Added to Cho Yong-pil's Expressionless Mona Lisa (2025 New Song Review)
BTS's j-hope Returns with New Song 'MONA LISA'

On March 21, 2025, BTS's j-hope captivated fans with the release of his new song, **'MONA LISA'**. Released through Big Hit Music, the song uses Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, 'Mona Lisa,' as a metaphor for the excitement of being captivated by an attractive person. It's a piece filled with j-hope's unique wit and sensibility. In this post, we'll compare j-hope's 'MONA LISA' with Cho Yong-pil's 1988 hit song 'Mona Lisa,' analyzing the differences and charms of the two songs in an SEO-optimized format.

'MONA LISA' and 'Mona Lisa': A Reinterpretation of Sensibility Spanning 37 Years

Cho Yong-pil and j-hope, two artists representing their respective eras, both used 'Mona Lisa' as a theme, but their approaches show a stark contrast.

Cho Yong-pil's 'Mona Lisa' (1988): Expresses regret and self-deprecation towards an expressionless, tearless subject through intense rock sounds and powerful vocals.
j-hope's 'MONA LISA' (2025): Depicts the excitement of falling in love through a 'Mona Lisa' with a charming smile, using groovy hip-hop R&B.
j-hope transformed the expressionless image of Cho Yong-pil's 'Mona Lisa' into a sexy and attractive figure with a "smile that would suit diamond earrings." This is not a simple remake, but a reinterpretation from a new perspective.

j-hope's 'MONA LISA' Lyrics Analysis: A Blend of Wit and Emotion
'MONA LISA's lyrics wittily express the feeling of being in love by comparing the subject to a work of art.

Key Lyrics:

"Art piece to frame"
"Lookin' just like a paintin'"
"Love the way you take the 'stress' and 'Louis' off of me"
Specifically, "Louis" and "stress" evoke the historical context of the Louvre Museum (Louis XIV and the stress of managing masterpieces), adding depth to the lyrics. Also, lines like "She knows I'm movin', can't stop" uniquely portray the situation of crowds trying to see 'Mona Lisa' at the Louvre Museum as being pulled in by love.

Sound and Performance: j-hope's Unique Color

Sound: Unlike Cho Yong-pil's powerful rock, j-hope chose groovy hip-hop R&B, pouring out praise for his subject in a soft and sweet tone. "Gotta gotta getcha" expresses the pledge of courtship cheerfully.
Performance: A blend of hip vibes and a chill feel. The movements are like appreciating a masterpiece, and the ending pose of an artist holding a pencil before sketching visually completes the song's theme.
From 'Sweet Dreams' to 'MONA LISA': j-hope's Serenade Journey
On March 7, 2025, j-hope showed sweet love whispers in 'Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel)'. Having laid down harsh rap and perfected a delicate serenade in a husky tone, he moved on to a more active stage of courtship with 'MONA LISA', released just two weeks later. This shows just how broad j-hope's musical spectrum is.