After straight up denying a release of Agust D’s second mixtape any time soon just a week ago on VLIVE, the sequel to the mixtape that we’ve all been waiting for since 2016 is finally within our grasp. Yoongi is known for being very raw and unfiltered and that certainly reigns true through the entirety of D-2. 

Title Track “대취타”

Did you have expectations for this track? Well, we promise that they will be smashed. For those unfamiliar, daechwita is a form of traditional Korean music that was often used while marching or as an introduction for the king in ancient times. The track begins simply with this type of music with no other modern fluff added. It’s a direct contrast to what we got with the first Agust D title and it’s so unexpected that it’s almost jaw dropping. The modern musical influence doesn’t appear until Yoongi begins his first verse, which is naturally an intense hip-hop beat accompanied by his flawless flow. He switches from single to double time in his raps multiple times throughout the track, placing stronger emphasis on certain syllables and lyrics for a higher impact which is particularly notable when he declares “flexing, I got none, I don’t need one.

Speaking of the lyrics, there’s nothing in this world that will prepare you with how fire they truly are. Though Yoongi doesn’t directly diss one particular person, he does allude to a faction that has long made a mockery of BTS’s and his own success. On top of that, he discusses his rise within the industry through hard work and uses particularly colorful language that we can’t repeat to drive his points home. One of the more impactful lines involves the action of spitting at the camera, which is sure to send everyone’s head spinning from the absolutely powerful gesture and meaning. From the heavy hip-hop influences to the fierce lyrics and powerful flow, this is a quintessential Agust D release that will surely captivate all listeners. 

The video itself depicts two sides to Yoongi’s personality, one a ruthless king and the other his modern self. His king personality is in stark contrast to his normal attire, with long flowing blonde hair and sword wielding skills, complete with a sword dance shot toward the end of the music video. The historical setting has contradicting elements, most notably the shot of Yoongi in a car in the courtyard. Yoongi also sports an intense scar down his right eye, adding a grittiness to his entire persona. As the video continues, the modern Yoongi is shown tied up and blindfolded, brought before his king persona to face beheading, a practice that was often used in ancient Korea. At the very end we see modern Yoongi get up from the floor and receive a gun from the executioner, then walk forward and shoot his king self with no explanation before the video cuts off. This sends a strong message that he feels the need to reign in a certain part of his personality that has likely grown from his personal success. The video is a perfect compliment to the song and expresses the intended message very well. On an opposite note, band members Jin and Jungkook make a particularly hilarious cameo that we won’t spoil, find them in there for yourself!

The Album

If the first mixtape release was lacking anything, it was completely covered in this latest release. The album begins with “Moonlight,” a ‘90s hip-hop influenced track that elicits a feeling of nostalgia for those of us who lived in that time. Fans may also recognize a familiar line from his intro “Never Mind” as well. In addition to the main rap line, Yoongi also adds in his singing voice for this track, something he has not done before. His signature personal experiences are sprinkled into the lyrics, along with his honest self-doubt at his current standing, showing his humanity.

The title track is next, then followed by “What Do You Think?,” a fierce rap track littered with expletives that takes another shot at his haters while directly addressing criticisms both he and his group have faced with their fame.This track is perfect if you’re feeling vengeful, as it’s full of intense anger that is cathartic to express. We slow down with the next song, “Strange” featuring bandmate RM. This chill, slower tempo hip-hop track laments on the dualities of life, asking important questions about the hypocrisy of humanity. It has a bit of a melancholy tone, expected based on the lyrics. 

Diving into the fifth track, “28” featuring NiiHWA maintains the somber atmosphere both in a soft melody and dismal lyrics. Yoongi grieves the dark side of growing up, with dreams fading as adulthood blooms. He’s also showing the shadow side of his success and the fears that still exist despite that. “Burn It” featuring MAX has an eerie melody accompanied by a slow tempo that elicits a feeling of mourning within the listener as Yoongi raps of burning the past. MAX’s vocals and English lines are a fresh addition to the album and help to emphasize the meaning of the song for English speakers.

“People” shifts the tone to a lighter feeling where Yoongi reflects on the importance of moving on and maintaining hope in life. If you listen closely to this track, you can hear the influence of BigHit’s producer ADORA in the backing vocals, her softer and higher voice complementing Yoongi’s deeper voice. “Hansool” slows down even more, Yoongi’s sharp rapping flow contrasting the somber melody. Highlighting the difficulty of his life these days, Yoongi exposes the darker side of his work and the difficulty it presents. He also lends his voice to the melody at the chorus, the half step drop in each note highlighting the grief behind the lyrics. 

As with the last mixtape, the ninth track is saved for the interlude. “Set me free” begins with a completely contrasting sound, the chirping of birds on an early morning along with a higher toned melody that eventually has Yoongi interjecting in his singing voice. While the melody may portray a freer sentiment, the lyrics present a more somber feeling in his contradictory feelings at his current situation. A rock-infused melodic line is added halfway into the song, giving a more intense feeling that rings somewhat sinister. The album finally concludes with “Dear my friend” featuring Kim Jonghwan of NELL, an ode clearly written to a specific friend from his youth who seems to have gone down a wrong path. The soft piano melody betrays the true sadness within the lyrics, which draw out a feeling of true regret, especially for anyone who can relate to the loss of a very close friend. 

D-2 has an amazing spectrum of emotion that seems to perfectly express the turbulence not only within Yoongi himself, but within all of us. Agust D’s releases are always filled with passion and honesty, in a way that we don’t often see from many artists who are afraid of showing their true feelings while in the spotlight. D-2 only builds on the excellence of the first mixtape, filling in the musical gaps that had been present before. It may be a biased opinion (given my personal bias for the artist), but D-2 has very little, if anything, to complain about musically. Fans of hip-hop will certainly find a favorite within the album given how versatile the melodies are and the true emotion behind every track is so genuine that it’s difficult not to feel everything he’s attempting to express. Agust D is truly an artist of our generation, one of the great talents that will be remembered for a lifetime.

“대취타” Title Score: 10/10

Music Video Score: 9.5/10

D-2 Album Score: 10/10

Final Score: 9.8/10

Lyric translations from @STUDIO_0613 on Twitter