Even though he has never necessarily been one of the faces or most popular members of the group, Suga has been a driving force behind BTS for the duration of their existence. While members like Jimin or Jungkook usually get most of the spotlight, Suga has been in the background helping create BTS’s music and making them a worldwide force. Suga has written and produced many songs for BTS over the years, and he has also written and produced a bunch of songs for other popular K-Pop artists. He has been integral in the development of K-Pop over the years into what it is today. In 2016, Suga decided to start make side projects as a solo artist under the moniker Agust D. His first project was a self-titled mixtape he released for free on August 15 of that year; this project mixtape was critically acclaimed and was considered a top Hip Hop project from that year. He reissued this mixtape in February of 2018 on streaming platforms. Agust D released his second mixtape, D-2, on May 22, 2020. This album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest charting project by a Korean solo artist at the time. Similar to Agust D’s first project, D-2 was lauded by music fans and critics alike, and was once again considered to be one of best Hip Hop projects of the year that it came out. After producing and featuring in a couple songs with other big artists like Psy and Juice WRLD over the last few years, Agust D has returned with debut studio record D-DAY. This record was highly anticipated, and ended up debuting at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100; along with fellow BTS member Jimin, he is the only Korean solo artist to have a record debut this high on that list. With all of that being said, here is how i feel about Agust D’s new album D-DAY. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from this record, and also comment on how you feel about the record as a whole.
Agust D starts the record off in an exciting way with the title track, ‘D-Day.’ This song has a large, triumphant sounding Trap instrumental that reminds me of some of the Hip Hop and Electronic Trap music that was popular in the late 2000s and early 2010s. This instrumental sort of sounds like a fusion between Trap music by artists like Rick Ross or DJ Khaled from that time and Melodic Electro-House and Dubstep from that time. The melody is driven by distorted and heavy synths with a Horn sound to them and a rigorous Trap beat that fits the energy of the synths perfectly. Agust D raps with a raspy, fast, in your face flow on this song that fits well on the instrumental. His flow and vocal style add to the overall power of the track On ‘D-Day,’ Agust D is rapping about believing in self and being confident that the future will be okay. ‘Haegum’ is one of the songs from this record that was put out as a single; upon its release, it immediately started to go viral. It is easy for me to see why this song got so popular, as it is probably one of my favorite Hip Hop singles of the year so far. This is a brash and dystopian Trap banger with such an ultramodern element to it. The melody has such a foreboding feeling to it, sounding like something that would play in a battle scene of a movie. The melody sounds like it is provided by a Haegum, which is an ancient Korean string instrumental. This track has a bold and fierce beat with enormous bass; the melody and beat paired together make the song feel so harsh and chilling. Agust D’s rapping style on this song once again pairs nicely with the style of instrumental. He raps with a powerful and aggressive vocal tone and flow, which help give the song the larger than life feel. On ‘Haegum,’ Agust D is rapping about expressing yourself and not letting yourself get held back by the shackles that society tries to put on you. It plays on the second meaning of the word “Haegum” in Korean is a term meant to describe lifting a ban on formerly forbidden. ‘HUH?!,’ which features fellow BTS member j-hope, is a song with another super modern Trap feeling to it. This track feels heavily inspired by the NY Drill music that was made popular by artists like Pop Smoke and 42 Dugg. This song is driven by a menacing melody that is mainly provided by what sounds like an out-of-tune piano and various deep and light synths that give it a ton of depth. The beat for this track has a heavy and savage-sounding Bassline which will shake the room when played loud enough. I love the beat of this song, as it is so brutal and dynamic. Agust D raps with a fast, ferocious flow and potent vocal tone that sounds like he is shouting at times. j-hope, on the other hand, raps with a calmer and more subdued vocal style that contrasts Agust D’s well and provides texture to the song. On ‘HUH?!,’ Agust D and j-hope are rapping about about how people obsess over them and hate on their success as a way to cope with their own boring lives.
‘AMYGDALA’ is the biggest song from this album to this point that was not released as a single(surprisingly bigger than the one with j-hope). This one has a completely different sound than the first three tracks of the album. It has a softer and more emotional style that shows off a completely different side to Agust D. ‘AMYGDALA’ is a cloudy Emo-Trap track that has a melody that is mainly driven by a somber guitar riff. There are some synths that come in and out that build up the melody and make it sound so full. As cool as the instrumental is, the thing that really stands out about this song to me is the vocal performance. In addition to rapping with multiple addicting flows, Suga shows off his vocal range on this track. He proves that as well as being a great rapper, he can sing as well as anyone. I love seeing this side from Suga, as it shows a side to his artistry that does not always come out. On ‘AMYGDALA,’ Suga is talking about how he has become devoid of emotion because of all the hardships he has gone through in his personal life(especially in regards to his family). He is doing everything he can to learn how to feel emotion again so he can process all of these issues in his life. ‘SDL’ is another song with a totally different style and sound that anything that precedes it on the record. This song has a smooth, sultry R&B Trap that has summer bop written all over it. This would be the perfect song to play at a kickback on a hot summer night. It has the kind of sound that will put anyone in a good mood when they hear it. I love how sweet the instrumental on this track is. The melody, which is driven by a guitar riff and is complemented by various synths and sound effects, has such a cozy and inviting sound. Like the song that precedes it, Suga shows how his singing chops on this track. His voice is so warm and luscious on this track, and it gives the song such an all-encompassing and engrossing feeling. On ‘SDL,’ Suga is reminiscing over his great times with a former significant other and is wondering if they still miss him like he misses them. ‘People Pt. 2,’ which features IU, is the other song that was released as a single from this record. This is another track where Suga shows off his affinity for R&B music. This song has a lot more of an old school feeling than any of the first five songs. This song has a serene, classic sound that reminds me of some of the R&B from the 1990s. When I first this one, it immediately made me thing of artists like TLC or Aaliyah. I love the funky and smooth guitar riff that drives this melody, and the drum beat has a peaceful and classic tempo that is relaxing to listen to. Suga’s vocal performance on this song is great and his easy-going flow fits the song nicely, but IU is the one that steals the show on this track. She shows off her wide range and sings with a rich, alluring tone that sounds so great on this instrumental. On ‘People Pt 2,’ Suga and IU are rapping and singing about being reluctant to fall in love because of how much they have been hurt in the past. ‘Polar Night’ keeps the 90s feeling that the last song had, but pivots to underground Hip Hop from that era instead of R&B. This song is very reminiscent of a lot of the Alternative Indie Rap music that was emerging at the turn of the century. Specifically, this track makes me think of artists like Atmosphere, Murs, or Brother Ali. This instrumental, which is very simple, is driven by a slow, funky bassline and a downtrodden piano melody that are put over some sparse drums with a retro Hip Hop sound. Because of the simplicity of the instrumental, the focus of the song is on Suga’s rap performance, which is excellent. Along with rapping with multiple interesting and addicting flows, he increases and lowers the intensity in his voice for emphasis; this is an exhibition in superb rapping by someone who is obviously super skilled at his craft. On ‘Polar Night,’ Agust D is rapping about how it is tough to seek the truth in our society when those who are lying are so loud and boisterous.
Agust D flexes his producing and technical abilities on the track ‘Interlude : Dawn.” This is a brief instrumental with and intense and uneasy sound that sounds like something that would play during the sad climax of a Thriller movie. The instrumental is driven by a funky electric guitar riff(which I am assuming is played by Agust D himself) which is complemented by many string instruments. ‘Interlude : Dawn’ gets bigger and bolder as the piece goes on, with more string instruments and drums coming in as it progresses. ‘Interlude : Dawn’ is a cool instrumental piece that shows how intricate Agust D is in his artistry. ‘Snooze,’ which features Ryuichi Sakamoto,’ has a similar melody to the instrumental piece that precedes it. This melody is driven by a piano riff instead of an electric guitar, but it does have a very comparable tone to that track. This instrumental has more of a Pop-Rock feeling than a Hip Hop feeling. The aforementioned piano riff is accompanied by a bass guitar, eclectic guitar, and synths, and the drum beat has a 2000s Soft Rock tempo. Agust D raps with an austere flow and vocal tone that fits the instrumental. Agust D’s rap performance is solid, but Ruichi Sakamoto steals the show on this track. His powerful vocals add so much prominence; it is easy to hear the pain in his voice. On ‘Snooze,’ Agust D and Ryuichi Sakamoto are talking about how their significant other helps them get over the hardships they have gone through that still affect them. Agust D closes out this record with the song ‘Life Goes On.’ This track has a light and hopeful tone that brings the listener back in after the dark sound that the last two tracks had. It is driven by a breezy and pleasant piano riff that is added to by synths and sound effects that have a friendly tone. The drum beat for this song has a relaxed tempo that reminds me a lot of early 2000s R&B music. Agust D raps with flow and tone that fits the instrumental superbly; his rapping style on this song complements the instrumental’s hopeful tone. On ‘Life Goes On,’ Agust D is telling a former significant other to not forget about them and to remember the good times they had when they need something to cheer them up. This this optimistic and uplifting track is a powerful and important way to close out this record.
With the amount of acclaim his last two records received and with how important a lot of music fans think Agust D is to K-Pop(and music in general), I had high expectations when going into this record. I am happy to say that Agust D met and even surpassed all of those expectations with D-DAY. This album is a masterclass in producing and rapping; Agust D shows how talented he is in many ways on the record. The instrumentals on this record are intricate and eclectic and show off Agust D’s wide range of influences. He demonstrates so many different rapping styles on this record, and his range of flows and vocal tones seem to be endless. The lyricism on this album is awesome as well. Agust D shows how deep of a thinker he is on D-DAY giving his thoughts on the world as a whole as well as letting listeners hear about his deepest problems and insecurities. On D-DAY, Agust D proves why he is one of the most acclaimed artists in K-Pop today. D-DAY is a great album that I know I will be coming back to again and again, and it makes me very excited to see what Agust D does next.
EAST SIDE VIBES 