[PROD. SUGA] - a much needed thread

#SUGA #AgustD @BTS_twt

We need to start by explaining what a music producer does... so we brought in the experts for that

SUGA started producing before joining BTS. His works were under the stage name: GLOSS.

His production skills were recognized even then and many artists reached out to him as a beatmaker and producer.

(Sadly many failed to properly credit his hard work)

SUGA's first beatmaking work that we have record of is "Who Am I".

Rapper Reflow reached out to Yoongi because in his words: "I felt like I really needed a song to call 'my song'. And it needed to be something intense."

The song was included in Reflow's mixtape and was presented to ADV (underground rap crew) as part of the interview process when he wanted to join them.

Reflow also mentioned that all other songs on his mixtape were rejected by ADV except for the one Yoongi made beats for

SUGA's first BTS production: Tomorrow & Jump

In BTS' 2015 album Skool Luv Affair, we got the first full taste of Genius Min PD's producer skills.

Both songs are very different, which demonstrates how versatile his creations can be.

Insight: Tomorrow

This was originally SUGA’s pre-debut composition that he revised for official release.

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/1n99s09TM651WSXOMxyoHF?si=a6UlgOPPRRueq1DoUuF6cw

Insight: Jump

"While referencing old-school hip-hop and rap sounds, the track transforms into a more contemporary style by switching to dubstep arrangement in the middle to resemble the K-pop soundscape."

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/22gGBmp8JqlymbXQvAUlYX?si=1SJx4fjUTFCOm4o4TAZxlA

The First Full Album: Dark & Wild

Insight: Let Me Know

"As in “Tomorrow,” we discover SUGA’s producing skills in “Let Me Know.” With dramatic style and compact structure, it is THE MOST MEMORABLE TRACK IN THE ALBUM." +

+ "The cornucopia of fascinating sounds is satisfactory to the ears. The elements of arrangement take up this exhilarating momentum and rush on intensely, nothing short of marking this track as the masterpiece of their DARK&WILD era."

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/5eM0WUGlosevLM5sA6UsWd?si=Lp6apUkHRlSDJlPS7wmiAg

The Most Beautiful Moment In Life Pt. 1

Insight: "Boyz With Fun"

"Musically, when this type of genre (retro funk) is transplanted to K-pop, it is critical to avoid sounding dull while maintaining the repetitive groove of the song."

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/1pePqg6hTMeaTZNNECqT03?si=dbN-8xJOTauP3851dkafHg

The Most Beautiful Moment In Life Pt. 2

Insight: "Autumn Leaves" (aka "Dead Leaves")

"A particular musical synergy is achieved in joint efforts by SUGA and producer Slow Rabbit." +

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/4i4uJFziL5tEO9tWRSudlJ?si=03dJNwkNSwOkzMTQwYGf8w

2016: AGUST D (1st mixtape)

SUGA released his first mixtape under the name AGUST D. All tracks on the album are produced by him, confirming his ability to bring an album together cohesively. +

+ AGUST D was included on FUSE TV’s “THE 20 BEST MIXTAPES OF 2016” list.

The mixtape was also featured as a rising star by major US mediums like Billboard and FUSE TV, as well as by the US-based streaming site TIDAL.

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/album/6GbiSEYL78RDLpxoxkWavo?si=RQF5Pis3R123nnHGYchwiA

WINGS

Insight: FIRST LOVE

"The greatest strength of SUGA as a producer is his candor and how he unravels that character. You don’t need to overanalyze his message, but take it at face value."

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/3TVWi92dWPMVcKpXvX32UX?si=h4QIzBS5SgCbW1KZ97LFEA

2017 - SUGA's first solo production: WINE

The award-winning song was a hit on the K-Charts. Many music critics praised his work on the song.

Check out the instrumental, to appreciate SUGA's work even better.

Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3eHkFA3StDR9BU7EVrUFLs?si=ZyY8H_4DTYGRNhiVjMWOsg

Inst: https://open.spotify.com/track/0C6q0syaQ4H0NMteQnZbKk?si=txNoSh6LRGyMYAoFUbppyw

WINE achieved Melon rooftop 7 times, and had over 1M ULs (Unique Listeners) on Melon.

It debuted at #4 on the iTunes US Kpop section without any promo at all.

AND was #1 on the Monthly Gaon Streaming Chart (May 2017) surpassing even IU

LOVE YOURSELF: HER

Insight: OUTRO: HER

"Out of their entire discography, BTS’ interest and knowledge in old-school hip-hop is most meticulously materialized in this song. The first part that plays elaborate jazz chords resembles the heyday of 1990s jazz hip-hop (...)" +

Listen to Outro: Her https://open.spotify.com/track/3l8yQMdniG6Os8gUBNXV57?si=rxlPTuKxRfmdKeAjALymaw

LOVE YOURSELF: ANSWER

Insight — Trivia : Seesaw

"This is one of the hidden gems of Answer created by Slow Rabbit and SUGA’s production synergy, which always guarantees fantastic results."

+ "The elastic groove of disco-funk takes center stage, but the overall sound also embraces the bitterness from the ups and downs of a romantic seesaw, involving both excitement and distress." +

+ "SUGA’s techniques in both warm-hearted and cynical tones generate an interesting contrast."

Seesaw charted at #1 in Saudi Arabia iTunes chart for 3 consecutive days! +

+ The song also sold over 200,000 units in the US and was the 2nd BTS solo song (in LY: ANSWER) to achieve this!

This is a side track with no promo and no music video! Seesaw did that! SUGA did that!

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/1ZPpGPko8oULTmi34rozMh?si=m8exCqaVQryxk5Lb1K3cwA

2019 - The Year of Min PD

In 2019, we saw Prod. SUGA shine more than ever; SUGA produced 3 songs (and also featured in one of them).

Let's dive right in!

March 2019 - Eternal Sunshine (Prod. SUGA) (EPIK HIGH)

In his birthday V Live on March 9, SUGA revealed that his Tablo hyung asked him to produce a song, while he was on tour. He agreed and created a sketch right away. He finished it in 2 days!

Tablo also mentioned this in The Tablo Podcast. Tablo said he and SUGA vibe very well music-wise which made the creation of the song a simple process. He said, “I think we finished the song in a matter of days, but the actual creation part didn’t take a few hours even.”

Eternal Sunshine did well on the charts. At 7pm KST on March 11, it debuted at #2 on Bugs, and #10 on Melon, Genie, and Mnet.

On April 2, it debuted on Billboard’s Korea K-Pop 100 at #19.

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/4fJCpN7FSKLMt22aKQxSuJ?si=TcMLMko-QTuoEFM6ooXYvw

July 2019 - We Don't Talk Together (Prod. SUGA) (HEIZE)

On July 7, Heize released We Don’t Talk Together, a digital single featuring Giriboy. The track was produced by SUGA. +

+ SUGA also wrote the lyrics together with Heize and Giriboy, and participated in the composition with El Capitxn.

At 10:30pm KST on July 7, the song reached #1 on the following realtime charts – Melon, Genie, Bugs, Mnet, Naver, and Soribada. +

+ On July 16, Billboard announced that week’s Top 5 on their World Digital Song Sales Chart and We Don’t Talk Together debuted at #4. +

+ On December 29, Billboard released The 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2019: Critics’ Picks. This list focused on singles and We Don’t Talk Together ranked #5

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/77dcmf2tTedc3BuOPF13Ma?si=wAjYzYQEREuXOT0vIJWlFQ

December 2019 - SUGA’s Interlude (Feat. & Co-Prod. SUGA) (HALSEY)

On December 6, Halsey and SUGA released their collaboration, SUGA’s Interlude. The song is from “Manic”, Halsey’s album released on January 17, 2020.

(So the song counts as both a 2019 and a 2020 release) +

+
The song was produced by Lido, Pdogg, and SUGA.

The lyrics were written by Ashley Frangipane (Halsey), Min Yoongi (SUGA), and Peder Losnegard (Lido). +

+
Suga’s Interlude was the first song by a Korean soloist to enter the Global Spotify Top 50 at #44.

It was #1 on iTunes in 54 countries and peaked at #2 on US iTunes despite very heavy competition on its release day. +

+
The song peaked at #9 in Billboard’s Pop Digital Song Sales Chart and #10 in the US Digital Song Sales Chart.

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/5a0nHa7F4S9hb0Zi0zLS8w?si=Dxp16SE4Q4KMJU96rpwuiw

2020 - The Year of Min Yoongi

If 2019 was the year of Min PD, then 2020 is definitely the year of Min Yoongi.

Be it as SUGA, Prod. SUGA, Agust D or simply Min Yoongi, 2020 has been full of success and recognition and it's not over yet! Let's get to it...

January 2020 — Interlude : Shadow

The MOTS: 7 era kicked off with this masterpiece both performed and produced by SUGA.

It received amazing reviews from multiple sources upon release and got the attention of the GP. Many new fans joined shortly after it came out.

According to the Rolling Stones review of the album:

But the peak might be Suga’s audacious “Interlude: Shadow,” where he looks back on his youthful dreams, chanting, “I wanna be a rap star / I wanna be the top / I wanna be a rock star / I want it all mine.” +

Suga raps in Korean about the terrors of fame, floating up in space and watching his body below. (Rough translation: “Nobody told me how lonely it is up here…my growing shadow swallows me and becomes a monster.”) +

His different voices weave together, both cocky swagger and scared whisper, switching between languages to gulp in English, “Don’t let me flyyyy.” It’s his own version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” or Elton John’s “Rocket Man". +

It’s a prime example of BTS at top strength: a pop moment that feels both intimately personal and exuberantly universal.

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/2Nib4r0saYQf2pUV4RFDhl?si=ZlA59v0eTem6Skk0_pK-Wg

February 2020 — Respect (Prod. SUGA)

With the release of MOTS: 7 we also got our second Prod. SUGA of the album.

Performed by SUGA and RM, the track is old-school hip hop all the way, complete with record scratches, a soul vocal sample, and a call-and-response structure.

Both members do a combination of rapping in a fairly stripped-down way, some playfully AutoTuned singing, and enthusiastic ad libs; they serve as each other’s hype men.

The song recalls the earliest days of BTS’ career, when this sort of tune filled their albums.

Unsurprisingly, the production here by Suga, Hiss Noise, and El Capitxn is top-notch.

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/37TSJmYKLxXmx8OehFpqMN?si=vVhKLerZSAOSRs4svrizMw

May 2020 — eight (Prod.&Feat. SUGA)

Crowned the King and Queen of the Music Industry by K-media, it's no surprise this collab was so amazing.

IU approached SUGA and asked him to be a part of the song in which he raps but also produced as indicated in the song's title

"The song has a feel-good pop form featuring airy synths that characterize Suga’s recent productions, like Heize’s “We Don't Talk Together." 

Guitar and piano instrumentals also take center stage, giving the track a cinematic (or OST) feel."

"The Daegu wordsmith then joins IU in the second verse with his signature perceptiveness. Though short, as Suga’s verse advances, his sharp lines make way for a subtle, softened effect that leans more into honeyed vocals, matching the song’s cadence and story."

Being able to adapt his rap style to match the song and make sure it doesn't feel out of place is a clear sign of a producer's skills at work.

Trying to list all the achievements would take days but it's up on the website and will be linked.

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/0pYacDCZuRhcrwGUA5nTBe?si=_YEouWa8QSWUx3LZcTwiNg

May 2020 — D-2 (2nd mixtape)

Just when we thought May couldn't get any better we got D-2!

Agust D returns and in a majestic way. Pushing boundaries, breaking multiple records and making SUGA the "first and only Korean soloist to", "first Asian soloist to" in many areas...

"Throughout D-2, from the very start with the reflective, jocular, "Moonlight" to the wistful closing power ballad "Dear my friend" with Nell's Kim Jong Wan, Suga's second Agust D mixtape serves as a sonic reliquary for his present state of thoughts and emotions."

"Suga’s versatility as a musician is also showcased in this mixtape, as he provides rare singing in tracks such as ‘Honsool’ and ‘Interlude: Set me free.’

However, it isn’t just his vocals which demonstrate this versatility, but the style of music too, +

as the mixtape features several genres, from the daechwita music style in the lead single, to trap and hip-hip across several songs, and then alternative rock in ‘Dear my friend.’"

"No matter how much doubt which Suga has had for himself, as well as the hate in the media, Suga has achieved huge things not only as a member of arguable the biggest band in the world, but also as a phenomenal songwriter and producer."

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/album/0zhGddZ83RpCgnelKWa2qS?si=gALx2aRdRTWxK9aCA8ad2g

The entire thread with sources will be live on the website tomorrow.

You will also find all achievements for each song, detailed credits, stats and more.

Thank you for reading and sharing this thread about our Min PD. We're very proud of our Yoongi