In 2020, BTS’ lead rapper Suga – Min Yoongi – made headlines when he returned as his rap alter-ego Agust D with Daechwita. More recently, the music video for the high-energy track hit 400 million views on YouTube, making the artist one of few to reach the milestone. Here’s all about it.
BTS’ Suga’s first solo project saw him picking up from his self-titled 2016 mixtape to create 10 honest, raw tracks that spotlighted his inner demons. Titled D-2, the compilation featured collaborations with rapper and fellow member RM as well as South Korean R&B artist NiiHWa, alt-rock singer Kim Jongwan, and American Songwriter MAX. The title track, Daechwita treated fans to an exciting music video that fused modern with traditional, with heart-thumping beats and unapologetic lyrics to complement the visuals. Recently, the video made history by propelling Yoongi (Suga’s real name) to the history books as the second Korean male soloist to hit 400 million views with a non-OST feature – right behind PSY of the Gangnam Style fame.
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Suga’s Daechwita features cameos by BTS Jin and Jungkook
The video – which dropped on May 22, 2020 – took a little over two years to achieve this feat. The song draws inspiration from the eponymous traditional Korean military marching music, interspersing a real ceremony with trap beats. True to this duality, the music video is set in a royal palace – following Agust D’s punchy rap through the kingdom while clad in a hanbok and Air Jordans. Yoongi also takes on two opposing characters – the modern and the traditional, both fusing seamlessly. In a behind-the-scenes video, the Daegu rapper explained, “Four years ago, Agust D became king. Now another Agust D is confronting him.”
He further added that the track had more to do with the acoustics rather than the lyrics themselves. “So I’d say you should focus more on the visual and auditory layers. I chose this as the title track because I thought it would be fun.” True to this, the visuals, which largely remain gritty, are engaging and exciting. A short comedic break comes in by the way of fellow BTS members Jungkook and Jin who, clad in traditional Korean wear, engage in a quarrel as Suga continues rapping. This treat for the fans adds to the symbolism of the song – which the artist explained entailed him and BTS being kings and the fans their army.
As per a report by SPOTV, this video also marked Suga’s position as the first Korean solo artist to enter the US Billboard’s main single as well as album chart. He also ranked at number 76 on the Hot 100, and 11 on the Billboard 200. Not to mention, number 7 on UK’s Official Album Chart Top 100. Other songs on the mixtape feature various musical styles and have been hailed by critics and fans alike for its versatility and treatment of realism.
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All images: Courtesy BTS Suga
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India
