Monday, May 25, 2020
Friday is shaping up to be a good day for fans of South Korean rapper Min Yoongi, also known by his solo stage moniker Agust D and BTS idol name Suga. After a week of teasers on social media, on May 22, the Daegu wordsmith officially released his sophomore solo project, D-2.
Picking up from his self-titled 2016 mixtape, the long-awaited D-2 has been years in the making. If Agust D found the rapper facing his demons, the assertive D-2 sees him accepting reality, though still with his trademark skepticism. “I have become more mature compared to 2016,” the rapper told TIME about his progression as an artist. Of the comparison between his BTS work and solo efforts, he told TIME, “The difference is that there is a lot more that I can openly express and that I can show a more raw side to myself [with Agust D]. What’s similar is that both sing of dreams and hope.”
Leading the project is track no. 2, “Daechwita.” Drawing inspiration from the traditional Korean military marching music of the same name, Agust D’s “Daechwita” is a symbiosis of old and new — mixing samples from a real Daechwita ceremony with trap beats and his own silver-tongued rapping.
Alongside the mixtape’s unveiling on streaming platforms, the artist dropped a cinematic video for “Daechwita,” which also references parts of Korean culture. Set in a royal palace, the video sees Agust D take on two opposing characters. Mirroring the track’s versatility, the style choices range from the traditional Hanbok to Travis Scott’s Air Jordan sneakers and Chanel necklaces. “The first thought I had was that I wanted to sample the music that is played during the ceremonial walk of the King, so naturally, Korean elements ended up being an essential component to the track as well as the music video,” he told TIME.
Though serious in tone for the most part, the music video also included an unexpected cameo from BTS members Jin and Jungkook. Clad in traditional Korean fashions and in full character, the two members engage in a quarrel halfway throughout the video. Though small, the hilarious cameo certainly didn’t go unnoticed by fans, who appreciated the Jinkook moment.
Source : teenvogue