Min Yoon-gi, also known by his stage name SUGA, is one of the most talented members of BTS. Not only is he the lead rapper for the group, but he has also worked with multiple artists during his music career. Thus, despite majorly performing as part of the famous K-Pop group, SUGA has produced multiple solo pieces, both under his stage name and other aliases as well.
As the artist reached over 2 billion total streams on Spotify, we look at the top 10 songs that SUGA has performed.
10. “That That” by Psy
As part of Psy’s comeback to the K-pop scene, he announced that he will be releasing the song “That That.” But the part that shocked fans was that this song was co-produced by SUGA. During a behind-the-scenes interview released on Psy’s channel, SUGA said that Psy was someone “he really wanted to meet up” after the success of “Gangnam Style” and when BTS became successful in the United States.
Who knew that dream would come true? Not only did he get to co-produce the song, but he also got to perform it both in the studio and live.
“I thought, if I become a successful musician, I’ll be able to rub shoulders with artists like him.”
9. “SUGA’s Interlude” by Halsey
After Hasley’s cameo in BTS’s song “Boy with Luv,” no one expected the group would return the favor. SUGA’s interlude was the third featured single for Halsey’s Manic album. The song was praised for bridging both Western and Korean cultures in one track, and their talents worked perfectly in this somber ballad. Halsey explained on her Instagram live why she asked SUGA to collaborate with her, saying that he had an “intelligent perspective” on where they are.
“Yoongi is like really introspective and this really intelligent perspective on where we are and what we’re doing in our unique lifestyle.”
8. “Agust D”
As part of SUGA’s first solo mixtape debut, the rapper released a self-titled song called ‘Agust D’. The song is darker and more aggressive compared to what he releases in BTS, yet he’s able to showcase more of his talent as a rapper. The song was about his ‘success’ as a K-pop star, yet he’s aggressive about it. It’s like he’s addressing those who don’t appreciate his rap style, yet he has made it as a musician.
The Agust D mixtape and persona were made to differentiate his music from the ones he releases with BTS. And so far, it has worked. You can clearly tell the difference whenever he releases music between the two music personas.
7. “The Last”
Speaking of dark and aggressive music, SUGA is someone who does not shy away when addressing mental health. “The Last” is a song where he shared the dark thoughts in his mind and how he has dealt with mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. One of the lines translates to “The doctor asks me if I’ve (censored), I answered without any hesitation that I have.” Fans assumed that SUGA was talking about self-harm as topics of suicide are considered to be taboo in South Korea, hence the bleep in the song.
Not only did the song address the mental health SUGA has dealt with, but also the criticisms he’s faced in the underground rap scene in South Korea and how he doesn’t have to prove himself as an artist.
6. “Trivia 轉: Seesaw”
“Seasaw” is a song that uses a children’s playground ride to describe a dysfunctional relationship. It tells a story about a relationship that’s ongoing as nobody “wants to be the bad guy,” yet it’s repetitive and has to eventually stop at some point. Just like a seesaw, nothing changes and it only ends when someone leaves. At the end of the song, one partner leaves and the narrator is back to being alone. Using a seesaw to describe a failing relationship was a genius move as it easily describes how one feels when a relationship is no longer working. Just like a seesaw, it takes two people to make it work.
5. People
“People” is a song about being… well… a person. It’s about questioning ones existence and how one lives their life. He mentions that people is going to love and hate you and how people will remember and forget about you. In the middle of the song, he quotes Joker from The Dark Knight as he asks “Why so serious?” multiple times. One does not live forever, so it’s up to you to decide how to get through it.
3. “First Love”
“First love” is a song that reflects on SUGA’s childhood before his success with BTS. It talks about his love for music and how it helped him get to where he is today. The piano is sentimental to him, because before joining BTS, he wanted to be a music producer. The “piano” that he mentions throughout the song was something that stayed with him during all his toughest moments.
3. “Daechwita”
“Daechwita” made use of traditional Korean sounds and themes and incorporated them with his rapping. The song was released in 2020, as part of his second mixtape under the name Agust D. The artist raps about his successes, while also incorporating themes of Asian royalty. And the music video is something you’d see in any K-drama set in imperial times. This is a song that fuses traditional with modern, and it’s worth a listen.
2. “So Far Away” (ft. Suran)
“So Far away” is one of the more hopeful songs released under the Agust D name. The song was about chasing your dreams and insists that being mad or angry won’t help. While he still addresses his mental health in this song, he also knows that all the effort he has put in to make his dream come true was somewhat worth it. The song was re-released later in 2017 and was performed by SUGA, Jin, and Jungkook.
1. “Shadow”
In continuation of SUGA speaking out about his mental health and the themes of MAP OF THE SOUL: 7, SUGA released “Shadow,” a song about the height of being famous. Fans noticed that this song hit differently than his other solos released in BTS as he doesn’t say his name at the star. Fans theorized that the person rapping is Yoongi himself, not Suga or Agust D. If that’s the case, then fans were invited to one of the darkest corners of SUGA’s mental psyche as he expressed his goals, whilst also sharing his pain.
SUGA’s music reflects not only himself but also his art. He is both subtle and direct in the message he wants to send, and his music seeks to represent his personal truths. From someone who grew up from humble beginnings and ended up to where he is now, he has impressively worked his way up as an artist.