Agust D CREDIT : BIGHIT MUSIC
Suga declares the future is going to be okay
Almost four months ago Suga of BTS, or rather his alter ego Agust D, set out on his first solo world tour. After 28 dates across East Asia and the USA, it came to a close in Seoul, viewed by a multitude of ARMY (BTS’ fandom name) inside the South Korean capital’s KSPO Dome or from the comfort of their homes.
With a live band, passionate back-up dancers, and thousands of fans armed with Bluetooth light sticks - Suga put everything out there for the final time on a stage structured like the room in his “ARMYDGALA” music video. Putting aside the intricate choreography of BTS, Suga came into his own - strutting across the stage with swagger, playing the guitar & piano playfully interacting with fans, and showing off his “7” tattoo. The Daegu rapper proved that he is just as much of a rock star on his own, as well as within the seven-man group that captured the world’s attention.
Here are the seven best moments from Agust D the final encore show.
Who’s The King, Who’s The Boss?
If the phrase “allow me to introduce myself” was put to music – it would come in the form of “Daechwita”, a memorable introduction to Suga’s alter ego. Not that he needed one, it was clear that the crowd knew what song was about to hit them from the second the dancers robed the star in a black hanbok to the sounds of traditional Korean instruments. The song is more than just a hit (check the YouTube views) - it’s an anthem both for ARMY and the man on stage.
Agust D CREDIT : BIGHIT MUSIC
The BTS Rap Medley
During his set, the 30-year-old reminded all that the foundations of BTS are rooted in Hip Hop by taking fans on a journey of his most iconic raps within the group. The ferocious medley included “Cypher Part 3” Cypher Part 4”, “UGH”, and the unreleased fan favourite “Dddaeng.” There is something almost akin to religious experience in getting thousands to scream an empowerment chant of: “I love, I love, I love myself. I know, I know, I know myself. Ya, playa, haters, you should love yourself.”
RM – The Founding Father of BTS
A range of celebrities have graced Agust D’s stage – Halsey, Max, and Psy. Even BTS members Jimin and Jungkook joined him during the encore concerts. But on the final night RM, the founding father of BTS, joined Suga on stage for the first performance of their song together “Strange”. We heard from the BTS leader himself as he explained his buzzcut hairstyle (don’t worry it’s not a sign of enlistment), announced his upcoming project, and performed an unreleased song. It’s rare that a performer shares the spotlight with the featuring artist, let alone leave the stage to let them shine alone – a clear sign of their 13 years of friendship.
Agust D CREDIT : BIGHIT MUSIC
Moonlight
Suga got the crowd on their feet after a delicate pause in the show with the “D-2” b-side “Moonlight”. A constantly-learning student of Hip Hop, the beat and reflective lyrics paid homage to 90s west coast rap.
Agust D CREDIT : BIGHIT MUSIC
Team Suga
If a band doesn’t have the listeners demanding a live album by the end of the concert, then what’s the point of having them there? TEAM SUGA made up of Kim Jin-won (drummer), Park Shin-won (guitarist), Lee Yeon-jun (bassist), Kim Chang-hyun (keyboardist), EL CAPITXN (live mixing), and June (vocals) elevated Suga’s songs to another level. One of the highlights was having Adora also on backing vocals. The songstress and former in-house BigHit producer lent her voice to Suga’s solo songs “Seesaw” and “SDL”, adding feminine energy to the show.
Agust D CREDIT : BIGHIT MUSIC
Emotions Run High
During his three most emotionally charged songs, “Snooze” (which features Woosung of The Rose and the late Ryuichi Sakamoto), “Dear My Friend” and “AMYDGALA”, the severely candid song about suicide, depression, and his parents’ health battles Suga, who had warned fans he would struggle at this point, became overcome with emotion and broke down in tears. Where he could, the rapper played the electric guitar and sang his soul out but where words failed and emotions choked him the audience stepped in. Later on a live stream on Weverse, Suga explained the source of his tears. “I really am not the type to cry, but starting from “Snooze”, I felt it,” the rapper told fans. “The members were there and my sunbaenims came too. Before, I had dreams while watching many sunbaenims and now I have become someone's sunbae. And those 10yrs flew past me. And that's when the tears came.”
Agust D CREDIT : BIGHIT MUSIC
The VCRs
The VCRs throughout this concert allowed spectators to have a window into the soul that is Min Yoongi. Right from the beginning the audience was shown a distressing depiction of the motorcycle accident that fans know Suga had while working as a deliveryman during his trainee days. While there was a sweet montage of the brotherhood of BTS, the main focus was on the continual struggle between Suga and Agust D. In the end we see Min Yoongi set fire to a room – possibly signifying this storyline and concert symbolises an end to this chapter of his life.
Agust D CREDIT : BIGHIT MUSIC
