Birthday B-sides: DT SUGA
On March 9, Min Yoongi celebrated a major life milestone: his thirtieth birthday. In just six weeks, on April 26, he’ll celebrate yet another milestone as he embarks on his very first solo world tour. He will take the stage as both Agust D and SUGA of BTS, with performances across the U.S. and Asia. In honor of this exciting new chapter, I’d like to dedicate this week’s B-sides to my ultimate bias. However you know him best—Yoongi, Agust D, SUGA—what unites us all is his music.
“The Last” - Agust D
“The Last” is the seventh track from Agust D’s self-titled debut mixtape. It was released in August 2016 via SoundCloud, with eight of ten tracks eventually being rereleased for digital purchase and official streaming. The mixtape is a far cry from K-Pop, showing off a rougher side of the soft-spoken idol. At the time, Yoongi faced immense criticism for leaving the underground scene to make a name for himself in the industry. What many people fail to recognize is that the group’s music is deeply rooted in hip-hop. Yoongi’s first mixtape, Agust D, is proof of his humble upbringing, underground influences, and hardworking nature.
“The Last” is one of my favorite Agust D tracks due to its brutally honest lyrics and emotional delivery. The beat kicks in alongside heavy exhales. The way the rap builds and drops mimics a high-speed roller coaster, where you can’t catch your breath until the very end. Agust D falls into his raspy lower register, giving the song an overall desperate, crazed feel that aligns well with the lyrics. The content is dark. It deals with the pitfalls of overwhelming fame: depression, anxiety, greed, criticism, and pride. Despite this, the end shows a glimmer of hope. Agust D accepts his reality and embraces the “idol” label with the lyrics:
“I denied my essence multiple times
My address is idol, I don’t deny it
[…]
My pride that I thought I had sold now becomes my self-respect
My fans, keep your head up proudly
Who else would do as much as I do?”
“Trivia 轉: Seesaw” - Love Yourself 結 ‘Answer’
BTS released the final addition to the Love Yourself series in August 2018 with the repackaged album, Love Yourself 結 ‘Answer’. All seven members have a solo song on the album, but SUGA’s solo is perhaps the most surprising of the bunch. “Trivia 轉: Seesaw” is the most “K-Pop” of all his solo music, complete with full choreography, colorful outfits, and swoon-worthy fan cams. The reason behind the drastic change is fairly simple. During a V LIVE, SUGA shared that “Seesaw” was initially meant to be a group track: “The song ended up in a different arrangement, but it was meant to be a dance number.” When the company suggested it become his solo track instead, SUGA embraced the concept fully. “As an idol singer, I wanted to do something really idol-esque,” he added in regard to the choreography.
“Seesaw” is an upbeat mix of funk and pop with laid-back rap verses and a vocal-heavy chorus. The lyrics contrast the track’s carefree vibe, with SUGA using a seesaw as an extended metaphor for a dying relationship. He describes the two people as constantly being off balance, never quite able to achieve equilibrium no matter how hard they try. However, neither party is willing to be the first to get off and end the “repetitive seesaw game.” It’s the kind of track many people can relate to. Whether it’s fizzling friendship or hopeless romance, it’s hard to be the first one to walk away. He expresses his desire to protect the other person’s feelings, and in the end, SUGA is the last man standing:
“Someone has to get off this seesaw
Though I can’t
(Hol’ up Hol’ up) I walk on this seesaw that you aren’t on”
“Honsool” - D-2
Four years after the release of his debut mixtape, Agust D made his long-awaited comeback with D-2. There are distinct differences in the overall sound that are evidence of self-growth and years of experience. D-2 has a more matured and settled feel than Agust D’s unrestrained tone. It contains a broader range of genres and even makes use of traditional Korean elements in the title track. Agust D seems to hold a lot of anger, whereas D-2 is riddled with acceptance.
“Honsool” is the eighth track from the mixtape. The content holds similarities to “The Last,” with lyrics about depression and anxiety as a side effect of fame. However, the delivery is almost the polar opposite.
The title, “Honsool,” is a Korean abbreviation for drinking alone. It starts out with a slowed refrain before moving into precise, yet relaxed, rap verses. The final piece is the repeated vocal line, “Now I feel like I’m flyin',” which mimics the floaty headspace of being drunk. Whereas “The Last” takes us on a long-winded journey that ends in a glimmer of hope, “Honsool” simply accepts these feelings from the get-go:
“Tomorrow will come and go again
I, who’s like this, and you, who’s like that,
we just endure through the day, I guess”
It’s not exactly a hopeful message, but it’s honest. These feelings come and go; sometimes the best we can do is bear the weight and move forward.
Happy belated birthday to Min Yoongi: a man known by many names, with a deep passion for music at his core. I’m sure we can expect another great album in the future, but for now, get ready for his first world tour by checking out these B-sides and many more. Songs by both SUGA and Agust D are available for streaming now on all platforms.
*Lyric translations from https://doolsetbangtan.wordpress.com/
Edited by Cara Musashi