Eesha Kulkarni

Billboard’s Jeff Benjamin recently conducted a captivating and comprehensive interview with BTS’ Suga, delving into his highly-anticipated return as Agust D and the culmination of his solo mixtape trilogy with D-DAY. During this interaction, Suga opened up about his creative process, inspirations, and the emotions behind his latest musical endeavours.

Suga has also announced the release of a documentary titled Road to D-DAY, which offers a glimpse into his life as he embarks on a captivating road trip across various cities. Fans are already buzzing with excitement as the teaser showcases Suga’s encounters with notable artists such as Halsey and the late Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, among others.

The singer revealed that he had hoped to showcase a more “individual side” of himself in his documentary. This included capturing natural and human moments that were authentic to his true self. However, Suga shared that some of these scenes were ultimately edited out due to the need to adhere to his image as a K-pop idol.

“I tried to show the normal, individual side of me as much as possible (in the documentary), but as I am a Korean idol, or K-idol, a lot of scenes were edited out; there were more of those natural scenes and some very good scenes that couldn’t make it in the final version,” he said.

Behind the glossy facade of a K-pop idol’s life lies a reality of constant scrutiny. Despite the glitz and glamour that adorn their public persona, it’s an open secret that even the smallest mistake can trigger a torrent of criticism from all directions. Whether it’s a slip of the tongue, an accidental brush with someone of the opposite gender, or something as innocuous as sending the same coloured emoji, idols are held to an impossibly high standard.

Even the globally renowned K-pop group, BTS, is not exempt from this pressure to maintain a squeaky-clean image. As idols, they are expected to present a flawless front at all times, with every aspect of their lives scrutinised by the public and media alike. In a world where image is everything, the pressure to conform to societal expectations can be overwhelming, even for the biggest stars in the industry.

Despite the challenges they face, BTS and other idols continue to work tirelessly to meet the demands of their fame while navigating the complexities of their personal lives.

In an interview discussing his documentary Suga revealed his thought process behind the project and his intention to capture his authentic musical journey. Reflecting on BTS’ debut in 2013, the singer shared that the group found themselves in an “ambiguous position.” He further expressed his unwavering commitment to music and his desire to showcase that process to others.

As a rapper and musician, Suga has always taken his craft seriously, and he saw the documentary as an opportunity to offer a candid glimpse into his artistic journey. Through Road to D-DAY, the K-pop idol aimed to capture the rawness and authenticity of his music-making process, providing fans and viewers alike with a deeper understanding of his creative world.

“When we first started in the K-pop scene, we were in this ambiguous position of not being accepted as musicians and not being accepted as idols either. But the musicians close to me know that I’m very serious and sincere in music and that I’m a very natural person. So, the documentary started as I just wanted to capture and show this process,” he shared.

He further added, “It (the documentary) started with the purpose of showing Suga as a producer and songwriter, but it kind of ended up having the worldview of an album-making process.”

However, the rapper also mentioned that some natural scenes were cut out from the final version of the documentary.

The multi-talented rapper, songwriter, and producer of BTS has played a pivotal role in the group’s extraordinary discography. His solo mixtapes, released under his rapper moniker Agust D to differentiate from his BTS persona, have garnered immense success. Starting with his 2016 mixtape Agust D and followed by D-2 in 2020, Suga is set to conclude this trilogy with D-DAY, slated for a late April release.

Adding to the excitement, his documentary will also be released on Disney+ on April 21, 2023, providing fans with an exclusive glimpse into his creative process and journey as an artist. With both the album and documentary set to drop on the same day, anticipation is running high among Suga’s devoted fanbase, and with good reason. So, are you looking forward to it?