In 2020’s “People,” Agust D asked, “Why so serious? Why so serious?” The line comes from BTS’ now beloved SUGA mixtape, who records and performs music as an alter ego known as Agust D when he’s off duty from the band’s responsibilities. The question was immediately followed up with an acknowledgment that serves as a key to the rapper, producer, and songwriter’s solo work: “I’m so serious. I’m so serious.”
SUGA introduced the world to Agust D for the first time in 2016 with their mixtape of the same name. The EP, which was initially only released for Soundcloud, is full of rage and offers a marked contrast to the music BTS was releasing at the time as a group. In 2016, the barrier was in the midst of working on a promotion The most beautiful moment in life: forever young, a soft capsule and nostalgic coming-of-age. In 2020, the second installment of SUGA’s solo series arrives in the form of D-2, a lyrically dense and deeply introspective 10-track collection featuring the aforementioned “People” and the earth-shaking “Daechwita”. BTS at the time was on the rise rapidly; This version was a predecessor to Dynamite, but only with a hair.
SUGA has shared in the past that the Agust D series was designed as a place where he could make the kind of music he was most interested in without the constraints or expectations of a traditional album structure. Today, April 21st, the trilogy ends with day by daythe first full official project in the series, and Journey is the kind of farewell the character of Agust D.
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SUGA has never been one to hold back from sharing what he believes in. “I’ve got some real karma coming back to me,” he shouts in the album’s energetic opener, also titled “D-Day.” He follows this up with “Haegeum,” which sounds like a companion piece to Daechwita’s fiery 2020 song — “What is it, exactly, that’s been tying us up?/Maybe we do it ourselves,” he muses. “Slaves to capitalism, slaves to money, slaves to hate and prejudice.”
Arguably the album’s signature song is “AMYGDALA” whose name is a reference to Sohn Won-Pyung’s 2017 novel almonds. The central character of the book was born with an underdeveloped amygdala, the part of the brain that processes fear and memory. The guitar-laden, harmony-rich song is truly some of SUGA’s best work, and certainly his best work from a sonic perspective. Known for his expert flow as a rapper, SUGA leans into the singer’s style with “AMYGDALA,” which is also one of his most personal songs to date. He shares family stories that even the most dedicated fans could never have accessed before – he discusses his mother having heart surgery, the hospital visit right after he was born, his father being diagnosed with liver cancer, and the accident he couldn’t. we talk about. “Those things I never asked for / Those things that got out of my hands / Emma gave them back,” he sings.
Other notable performances include “Snooze,” which features the late Academy Award-winning composer and producer Ryuichi Sakamoto, one of SUGA’s musical heroes, and also joins WOOSUNG from Korean rock band The Rose for vocal contributions. Here, once again, SUGA offers a window into the more difficult aspects of his story thus far: “It may seem like it was all flowers, but everywhere, there are enemies.” Even on the most memorable parts of the album – “SDL” and the pre-release single “People Pt.2” feat. IU doesn’t stick as much as others in the grand scheme of the record – the connecting thread is the idea of moving forward through difficult moments.
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