Suga or Agust D: Our Favorite Collaborations from BTS Suga
Continuing our celebration of BTS’s 10th debut anniversary, today we’re putting the spotlight on arguably one of the best rapper-producer-songwriters out there, Daegu’s very own - Min Yoon-gi (민윤기), more popularly known as Suga, stylized as SUGA, but also going by Agust D and less commonly Gloss.
We’re celebrating BTS’s 10th anniversary with three events, including a BTS merch mystery box, 10% OFF on all BTS merch in the Daebak shop with code BTSY10 and cashback on our Daebak Boxes with code CSHBCK!
BTS SUGA's MUSICAL BEGINNINGS
Yoongi’s journey in releasing music started at thirteen when he started writing lyrics and learning about MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). By the age of seventeen, he worked part-time in a recording studio and began rapping, performing, composing, and arranging music. It was during this time, before joining Big Hit Entertainment, that he was active in the underground hip-hop scene going by the name Gloss.
Agust D vs BTS SUGA
Being the very definition of versatility, Suga’s involved in writing, composing, mixing, arranging, and mastering music. Suga has over a hundred songs credited to him by the Korea Music Copyright Association. He has cited Epik High as a significant musical inspiration, particularly their reggae-hip-hop hybrid album Ragga Muffin (2005), for drawing his attention to the genre.
He released music under the monikers of BTS SUGA and Agust D. His better-known stage name, SUGA, comes from the basketball term ‘shooting guard,’ the position he played as a student. August D is the combination of SUGA and the initials of his hometown - Daegu Town, spelled backward.
Suga has often said that under either name, he tries to make music without thinking of charts and critics but rather with his fans and love for music in mind. There remain differences in the songs he releases under his different monikers since, understandably, when he produces under BTS SUGA’s name, he must consider his other members and the artists he works with.
Speaking on IU’s Pallete about why he created the alter ego Agust D, he said,
“... at first, I was so fed up back then ‘why would people look down on me? Because I'm an idol?’ When normally as an idol, there are a lot of things I can't say out loud. I needed a means to let my feelings out. I created another self called Agust D.”
In a recent interview with Billboard he said about the music he releases under the two names,
“... they’re all music made by the person called Min Yoongi. So, I don’t actually have a very different mindset for each moniker — but I would say that the purposes could be somewhat different.”
As he notes in his interview with Spotify, under his persona of Agust D, he can create more personal music that focuses more on his personal stories. The lyrics, which deal with his emotions, experiences, and trauma, are raw, uncensored, aim straight for the heart, and seldom, if ever, miss.
Promoting his documentary Road to D-DAY you can catch Agust D and BTS SUGA interview each other.
Watch the recap of BTS SUGA vs August D’s secret playlist interview with Spotify.
THE SONGS
1. “So Far Away” Agust D feat. Suran
From his very first self-titled mixtape released in 2016, this song is what I listen to on days when I need that extra push to keep going. The lyrics are beautiful. They aren’t mindlessly optimistic but encouraging because they acknowledge rather dark, often shunned, and hushed-up truths. The contrast between Suran’s soothing vocals and Agust D’s strong rap comes harmoniously together in this R&B track.
2. “Burn It” Agust D feat. MAX
Appearing on Agust D’s second mixtape, D-2, the track features English and Korean lyrics that speak of facing one’s demons and burning the past and one’s past self to move on and toward the future. The song also features what is personally a significant line in Yoongi’s Korean rap verses -
“과감한 포기 또한 용기임을 잊지 말기를”
"(I hope you don’t forget that giving up decisively also counts as courage)"
3. "Strange" (이상하지 않은가) Agust D feat. RM
Featuring fellow bandmate, close friend, and BTS leader RM, the track is another heavy one (lyric-wise at least) laying forth their observations of all that’s wrong with modern work-life and slavery. You don’t need to go down the rabbit hole of philosophizing about the meaning of what you’re doing in life to enjoy this rap track, and you can sit back and lean into the ebbs and flows of this masterpiece by one of K-pop’s greatest rapper-producer duos.
4. "Snooze" Agust D feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto & WOOSUNG
Appearing in his official debut solo album, D-Day, this tour de force is a collaboration with The Rose’s Woosung and the late Japanese composer, record producer, and actor Ryuichi Sakamoto. In his Weverse D-DAY live, Suga states that his initial intention with the song was for it to
“...exude the scent of music that comforted me when I was young”
and goes on to wonder
“if it would have been less painful if somebody told me these things and that’s what I had in mind as I worked on this.”
While this song is longer, coming in at around four minutes and thirty seconds, I have this loop for the "nice emotions" (Suga's words) it invokes - something nostalgic yet energizing and comforting.
You can find SUGA aka Agust D’s D-Day album in the Daebak shop. Use code BTSY10 for 10% OFF.
5. “People Pt. 2” (사람 Pt.2) Agust D feat. IU
This pop-focused song is another one from the recent D-Day album, marking the duo’s second collaboration after their chart-topping venture titled “Eight” back in 2020, and is, in a way, an extension of the song “People” from his second mixtape D-2.
Fun fact, this song was initially titled “Sara (사라),” a play on the words “saram (사람),” meaning people, and “Sarang (사랑),” meaning love in Korean, depending on which consonant was placed at the end. The title was finalized to be “People/ Saram (사람)” because apparently, his initial listeners heard it as “sal-ah (살아),” which means “live,” and that didn’t fit his vision for the track.
6. “Wine” (오늘 취하면) Suran feat. Changmo & prod. by BTS SUGA
Though not his first collab with Suran, the song was SUGA's first project as a producer for an artist other than BTS. The track combines R&B, hip-hop, and electro-pop notes as Suran's vocals and Changmo's rap serenade us with their drunken reminisces of bygone romances. The way has a refreshingly mellow yet sprightly overall vibe, so you won't bawl over 'the one who got away.'
7. “Song Request” (신청곡) Lee Sora feat. BTS SUGA
This track is one of those that one feels has to be good, given the brains and talent behind it. In this case, Epik High’s Tablo composed and co-wrote it with SUGA, whose soft raps punctuate Lee Sora’s serene, almost lulling vocals. This sentimental track is what I think is the musical representation of a reflective but not quite depressing rainy day, whether you’re curling up with your tenth steaming cup of coffee or driving off into the horizon with the radio on full blast.
8. “Lilith (Diablo IV Anthem)” Halsey, BTS SUGA
Released earlier this week on June 5th and marking their third collab, Halsey and SUGA released this single for Blizzard Entertainment’s new open-world role-playing video game - Diablo IV. While his part is relatively short in this track, his voice singing in English adds an undeniable charm to the song.
9. “Blueberry Eyes” MAX feat. BTS SUGA
From Max Schneider’s third studio album - Colour Vision - this pop music collab comes after “Burn it” and also features both English and Korean lyrics (the latter are lip-synced in the music video by Max and his wife, much to many fans’ delight). The lyrics express the singers’ love - Max for his wife and SUGA for ARMY.
10. “Stay Alive” Jungkook prod. by BTS SUGA
Co-written and produced by SUGA, “Stay Alive” is sung by fellow bandmate and close friend Jungkook. This hit single was recorded as the soundtrack for 7Fates: Chakho, a webtoon born of a collaboration between Naver Webtoon and Hybe. Jungkook’s mesmerizing vocals, seamlessly blending with the gently dramatic slow-tempo melodies, never fail to trap me in a trance which is why what was meant to be a two to three-and-a-half minute song ends up being nearer to an hour long for me.
Here’s our Spotify playlist with all these songs and more by BTS SUGA & Agust D because who could stop listening to just 10 of his songs, given the man’s talent and repertoire?
Check out more SUGA BTS merch in the Daebak shop and don’t forget to use the code BTSY10 for 10% OFF on all BTS merch and code CSHBCK for cashback on our Daebak Box subscriptions!
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