Agust D Explained

Agust D
Type:mixtape
Artist:Agust D
Cover:Agust D COVER.JPG
Border:yes
Recorded:2011–2016
Genre:Hip hop
Length:28:13
Language:Korean
Label:Big Hit
Producer:Agust D
Next Title:D-2
Next Year:2020

Agust D is the debut mixtape by the South Korean rapper of the same name, better known as Suga of BTS. It was released on August 15, 2016 by Big Hit Entertainment on SoundCloud.

Background and development

Prior to launching his career as the rapper Suga of South Korean boy band BTS, Agust D began writing music lyrics and working with MIDI at age 13 and held a part-time job composing and arranging music at a recording studio at age 17.[1] Active under the name "Gloss" as an underground rapper,[2] Agust D originally entered Big Hit Entertainment as a producer in 2010[3] and trained under Big Hit Entertainment for three years alongside members J-Hope and RM before making his debut as a member of BTS in 2013.[4] In the initial years of his career in BTS, both he and his fellow group member RM faced criticism from the South Korean underground hip hop scene for "selling out" and becoming K-pop idols.[5] [6]

Between his commitments as a member of BTS, Agust D took advantage of time on the plane and in hotel rooms after concerts to continuously produce and compose music.[7] In an interview for Grazia Korea, Agust D expressed a desire to release the music he wanted to do without having to consider popular appeal or music ranking. He intended to release his music for free in the form of a mixtape to avoid such considerations, commenting that an album "has a feeling of being trapped in some sort of framework" due to the need for company involvement in promotion and advertising. Developing Agust D musically on the base of hip hop, much of Agust D's inspiration for the lyrics came from his own stories of dream, youth, and reality.[1]

In order to differentiate his work from that of his work as Suga, he developed the alter ego "Agust D", which is derived from the initials DT, short for his birthplace, Daegu Town, and "Suga" spelled backwards. Steadily accumulating songs in his career, Agust D utilized a number of songs composed as early as 2011 to as late as a month before release to create his mixtape.[8] The release of Agust D followed RM's self-titled mixtape RM (2015) and the success of BTS' first compilation album (2016) and The Most Beautiful Moment in Life On Stage: Epilogue Tour.

Music and lyrics

The final cut of Agust D comprises ten tracks on SoundCloud and eight tracks on streaming and download services. Critics viewed Agust D as a major departure from his previous catalog as a member of BTS with a hardcore rap style highlighting his underground influences.[9] [10] Billboard and Fuse complimented the album's divergence from his contemporaries in K-pop with its vulnerability and Agust D's self-production.[11]

In Agust D, Agust D exposed his inner thoughts on his beginnings to his rise to stardom. "Intro ; Dt sugA", showcasing the style of classic turntablism hip hop, preceded the self-introduction track "Agust D" which utilized fast and precise rap techniques over "deep and intense bass" to underscore his confidence and self-identity. "Give It to Me" launched into "full-on disses" towards his detractors and the subsequent "Skit" explored the duality of Agust D and Suga "as a human being and as a musician". While "724148" reflected on the meaning of "success" and Agust D's beginnings in his hometown of Daegu, the track "140503 at Dawn", composed of minimal beats, reflected on his underlying vulnerability in the early morning before transitioning into the track "The Last" which utilized dramatic beats and rap techniques to portray his soul consumed by depression, obsession, and self-hatred following the pursuit of his dream in Seoul. In "Tony Montana", Agust D took on the character of Tony Montana from the 1983 film Scarface to ruminate on the nature of success, ambition, and envy. The lyrics of "Interlude: Dream, Reality" consisted of only the word "dream", leading into the final track "So Far Away" which reflected on the essence of the word "dream" while urging his listeners to continue dreaming.

Release

On July 29, 2016, Agust Ds release date was confirmed to be in August.[12] On August 15, it was released on SoundCloud and for free download via links on Twitter[13] in conjunction with a music video for "Agust D".[14] On August 18, Agust D released a follow-up music video for "Give It to Me".[15] Aside from interviewing for Grazia Korea and Marie Claire Korea, Agust D did not further promote the mixtape. Fuse later ranked it at #16 on their list of the 20 best mixtapes of 2016.[11]

In February 2018, the mixtape was rereleased for digital purchase and streaming sans its first two tracks, "Intro: DT sugA" and "Agust D".[16] Both tracks became available on download and streaming platforms worldwide in April 2023, after finally receiving clearance for the sample of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" used in them. The mixtape itself was also released on South Korean music platforms for the first time; it was previously only available domestically through Spotify.[17]

Commercial performance

The 2018 reissue of Agust D reached number three on Billboards World Albums Chart,[18] number five on the Heatseekers Albums chart,[19] and number 74 on the Top Album Sales chart.[20] Agust D entered the Emerging Artists chart for the first time, on the issue for the week of March 3, at number 46.[21]

The mixtape entered the Oricon Digital Albums Chart in Japan for the first time in April 2023, at number five, selling 1,443 copies during the period dated April 3–9.[22] It sold an additional 147 copies the following week.[23]

Track listing

Sample credits

Personnel

The following people are credited on the album:[26]

Musicians

Technical and production

Charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[27] 5
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[28] 8

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatLabel
VariousAugust 15, 2016Big Hit Entertainment[29]

Notes and References

  1. Park. Han-bit. ko:방탄소년단의 슈가, 민윤기, 혹은 Agust D. http://www.smlounge.co.kr/grazia/article/32067. Grazia Korea. Seoul Media Group. January 19, 2018. ko. October 7, 2016. January 24, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180124042142/http://www.smlounge.co.kr/grazia/article/32067. dead.
  2. Web site: Park. Su-jeong. ko:기다렸다, 방탄소년단① 정규 1집이 되기까지 일곱 소년의 성장기 –데뷔 전. http://tenasia.hankyung.com/archives/298078. 10asia. Korea Entertainment Media. January 19, 2018. ko. August 19, 2014. May 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180509104631/http://tenasia.hankyung.com/archives/298078. live.
  3. Jun 3, 2018. 방탄소년단(BTS) "팬들이 함께 노래부르는 모습, 최고의 행복" (풀영상) / SBS. News. KO. Jun 3, 2018. video. 7:30. YouTube. SBS News. March 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200301051804/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKImwhn3c_E. live.
  4. Web site: How BTS is changing K-pop for the better. Bennett. Colette. dailydot. May 12, 2016. January 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180102131505/https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/bts-kpop-korean-boy-band/. January 2, 2018. dead.
  5. Book: Kim, Youngdae. BTS - The Review: A Comprehensive Look at the Music of BTS. RH Korea. 2019. 9788925565828. Review 09.
  6. News: Rapper rueful about past careless remarks about BTS. Jung. Hae-myoung. July 17, 2019. The Korea Times. August 7, 2019. August 7, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190807230919/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2019/07/682_272317.html. live.
  7. August 27, 2016. 꿈꾸는 슈가. Marie Claire Korea. ko. 2016-08-17. 2020-10-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20201001084917/http://www.marieclairekorea.com/2016/08/celebrity/%EA%BF%88%EA%BE%B8%EB%8A%94-%EC%8A%88%EA%B0%80/. live.
  8. Web site: "My name is, AgustD"... 'SUGA' to rap about the real Min Yoon-ki. Kim. Ji Ho. August 17, 2016. Starcast. August 16, 2016. August 8, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200808011703/https://m.star.naver.com/bts/news/end?id=8096001&langCode=en. live.
  9. Web site: Suga takes the spotliht with 'Agust D' mixtape: why you should know the BTS rapper's alter ego. Benjamin. Jeff. August 16, 2016. Fuse. August 7, 2019. March 8, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180308124626/https://www.fuse.tv/2016/08/bts-suga-agust-d-mixtape-why-you-should-listen. live.
  10. BTS' Suga Addresses Depression & Cost of Fame on 'Agust D' Mixtape. Herman. Tamar. August 16, 2016. Billboard. August 7, 2019. January 1, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180101063227/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/7476080/bts-suga-agust-d-mixtape. live.
  11. Web site: The 20 Best Mixtapes of 2016: #16 Agust D, 'Agust D'. Benjamin. Jeff. December 16, 2016. Fuse. August 7, 2019. August 7, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190807233746/https://fuse.tv/2016/12/best-mixtapes-of-2016-hip-hop. live.
  12. Web site: [단독] 방탄소년단 슈가, 데뷔 3년만에 첫 솔로 믹스테이프 발표]. Jeong. Jee won. July 20, 2016. Xportsnews. August 7, 2019. November 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201118061927/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=311&aid=0000631231. live.
  13. Web site: Agust D - 'Agust D' Full Mixtape Download. August 15, 2016. Twitter. August 7, 2019. October 5, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201005142818/https://twitter.com/bts_bighit/status/765202983810248705?lang=en. live.
  14. News: [뮤직와치]방탄소년단 탈피한 슈가, 아이돌 편견에 가두기 아까운 민피디]. Hwang. Hye-jin. August 16, 2016. Newsen. August 7, 2019. September 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200926013907/https://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=201608160409090410. live.
  15. Web site: BTS rapper Suga goes into blast mode on 'Give It to Me'. Tucci. Sherry. August 18, 2016. The Daily Dot. August 7, 2019. October 17, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181017123549/https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/rapper-suga-agustd-give-it-to-me/. live.
  16. Web site: International Charts Analysis: Black Panther OST comes charging out of the blocks. Music Week. March 1, 2018. February 26, 2018. Jones. Alan. September 1, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190901090854/https://www.musicweek.com/analysis/read/international-charts-analysis-black-panther-ost-comes-charging-out-of-the-blocks/071584. live.
  17. Web site: Ziwei. Push. BTS' Suga releases 'Agust D' mixtape in full on streaming services. NME. April 19, 2023. April 5, 2023. April 6, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230406023421/https://www.nme.com/news/music/bts-suga-releases-agust-d-mixtape-full-streaming-services-3426054. live.
  18. World Albums (The week of March 3, 2018). Billboard. https://web.archive.org/web/20180330220502/https://www.billboard.com/charts/world-albums/2018-03-03/. March 30, 2018. live. April 19, 2023.
  19. Heatseekers Albums (The week of March 3, 2018). Billboard. https://web.archive.org/web/20180328081252/https://www.billboard.com/charts/heatseekers-albums/2018-03-03/. March 28, 2018. live. April 19, 2023.
  20. Top Album Sales (The week of March 3, 2018). Billboard. https://web.archive.org/web/20180310044347/https://www.billboard.com/charts/top-album-sales/2018-03-03/. March 10, 2018. live. April 19, 2023.
  21. Emerging Artists (The week for March 3, 2018). Billboard. https://web.archive.org/web/20180519192631/https://www.billboard.com/charts/emerging-artists/2018-03-03/. May 19, 2018. live. March 1, 2018.
  22. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dia/w/2023-04-17/. ja:週間 デジタルアルバムランキング 2023年04月17日付 (2023年04月03日～2023年04月09日). Oricon. ja. Weekly Digital Album Ranking April 17, 2023 (From April 3, 2023 to April 9, 2023). https://archive.today/20230412023939/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dia/w/2023-04-17/. April 12, 2023. dead. April 11, 2023.
  23. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dia/w/2023-04-24/p/5/. ja:週間 デジタルアルバムランキング 2023年04月24日付 (2023年04月10日～2023年04月16日). Oricon. 5. ja. Weekly Digital Album Ranking April 24, 2023 (From April 10, 2023 to April 16, 2023). https://web.archive.org/web/20230419052743/https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dia/w/2023-04-24/p/5/. April 19, 2023. live. April 19, 2023.
  24. Web site: 01. Intro ; Dt sugA (Feat. DJ Friz). August 15, 2016. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101082057/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/agustd101. live.
  25. Web site: 02. Agust D. August 15, 2016. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. July 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210704100216/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/agustd102. live.
    • Web site: Agust D - 'Agust D' Full Mixtape Download. August 15, 2016. Twitter. August 7, 2019. October 5, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201005142818/https://twitter.com/bts_bighit/status/765202983810248705?lang=en. live.
    • Web site: 01. Intro ; Dt sugA (Feat. DJ Friz). August 15, 2016. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101082057/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/agustd101. live.
    • Web site: 02. Agust D. August 15, 2016. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. July 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210704100216/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/agustd102. live.
    • Web site: 03. give it to me. August 15, 2016. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. July 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210717190421/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/agustd103. live.
    • Web site: 04. skit. August 15, 2016. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. March 30, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190330085302/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/agustd104. live.
    • Web site: 05. 치리사일사팔 (724148). August 15, 2016. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101143942/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/agustd105. live.
    • Web site: 06. 140503 새벽에 (140503 at dawn). August 15, 2016. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101015729/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/agustd106. live.
    • Web site: 07. 마지막 (The Last). August 15, 2016. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. August 17, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160817093453/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/agustd107. live.
    • Web site: 09. Interlude ; Dream, Reality. August 15, 2016. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. August 17, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160817094016/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/agustd109. live.
    • Web site: 10. so far away (Feat. 수란 (SURAN)). August 15, 2016. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. August 17, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160817093448/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/agustd110. live.
  27. Web site: Oricon Top 50 Digital Albums: April 17, 2023. Oricon. ja. April 12, 2023.
  28. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of April 12, 2023. Billboard Japan. ja. April 12, 2023.
  29. Web site: Agust D - Agust D. August 15, 2018. SoundCloud. August 6, 2019. January 1, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180101063226/https://soundcloud.com/bangtan/sets/agust-d. live.

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