Review: “D-2” Second Mixtape by Agust D
May 23, 2020: This week, the highly anticipated second mixtape by Agust D (Suga of BTS) just dropped and took a lot of fans by surprise. — WriterMild
MOONLIGHT: Starting off with Agust D saying "I don't even know how many songs to put on this mixtape / damn whatever I'm just gonna do it", we know this is going to be a fun ride. Introducing this project as something that is more digestible by non-hardcore-hiphop fans, we get vocalist Agust D delivering the smooth jazzy chorus. This song is about how inevitable changes are. But after reminiscing and reflecting on them, we handle everything and march on. / Music: 8 / Lyrics: 8
DAECHWITA: You can't help but have the hook of this song stuck in your head (although it's likely that you're not sure how to pronounce it correctly; you're not alone). As the meaning of the title suggests, this song contains elements of traditional Korean military music. Rapping with various flows, Agust D keeps the whole track interesting while casually dissing haters (but not targeting anyone specifically). The music video for this song is a whole movie (check it out). Once again, he sets a new standard. / Music: 8 / Lyrics: 7
WHAT DO YOU THINK?: "To think that my success is related to your failure / your illusion is top-notch" immediately makes us wonder who exactly dares to fight Agust D, but we'll never know. This track faintly reminisces "BTS Cypher 4" from the band's second studio album "Wings" as well as "Tony Montana", a song from his first self-titled mixtape. / Music: 7 / Lyrics: 7
STRANGE (feat. RM): With the autotune-heavy beginning coming in, the hook of this song screams Travis Scott. And, as we listen for a few more bars, the beat also reminds us of Eminem's "Mockingbird". Hiphop fans can't help but enjoy this one. Having two lyrical masters on the same track, both Agust D and RM together dissect the strange nature of our capitalistic society. This feels like one legitimate TED talk session. / Music: 8 / Lyrics: 10
28 (feat. NiiHWA): This track features NiiHWA who harmonizes with Agust D as they sing about getting older and what that means to their dreams. On the first listen, this beat sounds like it could have been something Suga of BTS produces for other artists. But, after all it fits himself well. Again, Agust D re-explores the themes of dreams and past self vs. present self. / Music: 7 / Lyrics: 7
BURN IT (feat. MAX): MAX starts it off with his usual striking vocals, saying "... there's someone in the mirror that you don't know" and we're immediately reminded of the whole psyche-related concepts from BTS's discography. With Agust D saying "yeah yeah yeah burn it", we also get a flashback to "Outro: Tear" by BTS as this seems to explore related themes of getting rid of the past and whether that changes anything. / Music: 7 / Lyrics: 7
PEOPLE: With the "-am" rhymes at the beginning of the song, it might not be wrong to say that Agust D has spent some quality time with his bandmate RM, as RM also experimented with similar rhymes in his solo song "Trivia: Love" from the band's album "Love Yourself: Answer." The pre-hook, which Agust D and female backup vocals repeat "hmm hmm why so serious", gives the song so much character. In its essence, the message of this song offers relief; people are people and that's all there is to say. / Music: 8 / Lyrics: 9
HONSOOL: With the extremely deep and low-key haunting voice saying incomprehensible words on this sentimental beat, we feel almost hypnotized. The title of the song translates to "drinking alone", which matches the lyrics about anxiety and all sorts of burden that comes with Agust D living a famous/successful life. / Music: 7/ Lyrics: 8
INTERLUDE: SET ME FREE: Singing Agust D fully shows his ability on this track as he delivers raw emotions about wanting to be set free (featuring the sounds of birds chirping as if to suggest that he wants to be a bird and fly away). As usual, Agust D does not let any track slide; this one is absolutely more than just an interlude. / Music: 9 / Lyrics: 7
DEAR MY FRIEND (feat. Kim Jong Wan of NELL): This feels like "So Far Away" (a track from his first project) of this mixtape, but even better. Coming in with the rock-ballad instrumentals and vocals from Kim Jong Wan, the song starts off with a sense of longing and regret. Agust D then takes us on a journey with the story of his past self and his best friend; together they felt like they could conquer the world. But everything took a wrong turn when his friend got taken to a detention center for supposedly drug addiction and became someone different that he doesn't know anymore. This is one of the most personal stories Agust D/Suga has ever told yet, and it is the perfect last track for this mixtape. / Music: 10 / Lyrics: 10
Overall Album Rating: 8.5/10
*******
Content Details: Album (Mixtape) – D-2 / Artist – Agust D / Release Date – May 22, 2020 / Label – Big Hit Entertainment
