Prior to his debut, he was an underground hip-hop rapper under the name "Gloss" that self-wrote and produced his music. Suga adopted the alias Agust D in 2016, which is derived from the initials "DT", short for his birth place "Daegu Town", and "Suga" spelled backwards.
His first self-produced mixtape, Agust D was released on August 16, 2016 via SoundCloud. He intended to release his music for free in the form of a mixtape instead of a commercial studio album, describing it as the "feeling of being trapped in some sort of framework." On the record, he discussed matters such as his struggles with depression and social phobia. Fuse TV rated it as one of the top twenty mixtapes of 2016.
Suga re-released his mixtape for digital purchase and streaming in February 2018. The success of the reissue placed it at number three on Billboard's World Albums Chart, number five on the Heatseekers Albums Chart, and caused Suga's solo alias, Agust D, to reach number 46 on the Emerging Artists chart for the week of March 3.
In 2020, he released his second solo mixtape D-2 along with the lead single Daechwita on May 22. The mixtape consists of ten tracks, with songs sung and rapped in both Korean and English. Its lyrics share his viewpoint of the contemporary world. D-2 is according to him "a documentation of myself from 2016 onwards".
His debut solo album D-Day was released on April 21, 2022. Featuring the singles People Pt. 2 and Haegum, the album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, tying him with teammate Jimin as the highest-charting South Korean solo artists in the history of the chart.
Suga is responsible for writing, composing and arranging, as well as mixing and mastering his material. He has over 150 registered songs accredited to his name with the Korea Music Copyright Association. Including Suran's WINE, which peaked at number two on the Gaon Music Chart and won Best R&B at the 2017 Melon Music Awards.
The foundation of his lyrics involve themes that are "full of dreams and hope", conceived with the intent of his music becoming "many people's strength". He cites Stony Skunk and Epik High as his inspirations to pursue hip hop music. Particularly, he credits the former's reggae-hip-hop hybrid album Ragga Muffin (2005) and its title track for igniting his interest in the genre, calling it "completely different" from mainstream music.
Suga started his mandatory military service on the 22nd of September 2023.
140503 at dawn
Agust D Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
소모하는 게 싫어진 19살 나의 관점에서 봤을 때 연습생 생활은
거의 만점 덕분에 생긴 대인기피증
인간관계는 빵점
항상 준비 해놓지 두 개의 가면
방어적인 모습 뒤 본 모습을 숨겨 가며
철저히 나를 숨겨
죄인이 된 듯 마냥
멀어져 가네
주위의 친구 가족 그게 뭐든지 간에
머물지 못하고 내 곁을 스쳐 지나가
인간관계란 과녁에 화살은 아직 빗나가
외롭지 않은 척 괴롭지 않은 척
괜히 괜찮은 척
괜시리 열심히 강한 척 하며 내 앞에 놓아 버린 벽 들어오지마
난 이 넓은 바다의 섬 날 버리지마
Aye, aye, aye, aye
Aye, aye, aye, aye
The lyrics to Agust D’s song “140503 at dawn” tell the story of a 19-year-old Agust D (Suga) who has left his home and cut ties with the world. He expresses his reluctance to expend emotions and interact with people. His trainee life has caused him to develop misanthropy where he struggles to maintain interpersonal relationships. He hides himself behind a defense mechanism consisting of two masks - the performer and private self. Agust D feels like a prisoner, not even able to take a single step outside his dormitory, away from his loved ones who only pass by his side.
The lyrics denote psychological and emotional issues that Agust D is facing. He is trying to cope up with his loneliness, which seems to torment him. The phrase “괜시리 열심히 강한 척 하며 내 앞에 놓아 버린 벽 들어오지마 (Don't come in bringing the wall you’ve put up pretending to be strong for no reason)” has a deeper meaning. It shows Agust D’s frustration with people trying to reach out to him while he pretends to be strong but, in fact, is very vulnerable. Overall, the lyrics display the inner turmoil of Agust D, his suppressed emotions, and the struggle to remain true to himself.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo 세상과의 단절 집을 떠난 후엔 감정
After leaving my home and cutting off ties with the world, my emotions became something I no longer wanted to exhaust
소모하는 게 싫어진 19살 나의 관점에서 봤을 때 연습생 생활은 거의 만점 덕분에 생긴 대인기피증
As a 19-year-old, I began to avoid relationships with others due to the high level of stress from being a trainee in the entertainment industry
인간관계는 빵점
My personal relationships were non-existent
항상 준비 해놓지 두 개의 가면
I always had two masks prepared
방어적인 모습 뒤 본 모습을 숨겨 가며 철저히 나를 숨겨 죄인이 된 듯 마냥
I hid my true self behind a defensive mask, feeling like a criminal
감옥 같던 숙소 밖을 단 한 발짝도 못나갔네 멀어져 가네
I couldn't even step outside of my cramped living space, feeling more and more distant from the world
주위의 친구 가족 그게 뭐든지 간에 머물지 못하고 내 곁을 스쳐 지나가
Friends and family would pass by me, unable to stay with me for long
인간관계란 과녁에 화살은 아직 빗나가
My attempts at building relationships were still missing the mark
외롭지 않은 척 괴롭지 않은 척 괜히 괜찮은 척
I pretended to not feel lonely or distressed, acting like everything was fine when it wasn't
괜시리 열심히 강한 척 하며 내 앞에 놓아 버린 벽 들어오지마
I put up a strong front and built walls around myself, not wanting anyone to come in
난 이 넓은 바다의 섬 날 버리지마 Aye, aye, aye, aye Aye, aye, aye, aye
Don't abandon me, I am a lonely island in this vast sea. Aye, aye, aye, aye Aye, aye, aye, aye
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Yoon Gi Min, Do Hyeong Kwon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind