D-2::A Critical Analysis

Greetings ARA!

How have you all been? Did you listen to the D-2 mixtape? If yes, what are your thoughts on it? As for me, I'm still not over the "Daechwita" mv (and I won't ever be over it in the near future too lol).

So after BigHit dropped a veiled hint first on 16th May, 2020, most of us kind of guessed it would be something related to AGUST D's comeback. My worst fears (and also joys) came true when the mixtape D-2 was finally released on 22nd May, 2020. As I listened to all the tracks and analyzed the lyrics, my respect for Yoongi increased manifold because this mixtape is evidence of what a true genius and competent artist Yoongi actually is.

The mixtape dominated the i-Tunes chart all around the world and I'm sure it will continue to dominate a large portion of ARMYS heart forever. It has been nearly four years since Yoongi released AGUST D. In an interview with 'TIME', Yoongi has revealed that this mixtape is a documentation about the present, rather than the past. From the reflective lyrics of "Moonlight", to the frank questions about the society in "Strange", D-2 ranges across all genres, whether it be R&B, rock or hip-hop.

I think that was enough of information. Let's get into the real matter, shall we? This is a critique plus appreciation post that I did for the entire mixtape. The blog features not only my POV, but also Yoongi's perspective on his own work. So without any further ado, let's get right into the blog!

Trigger Warning: The blog contains slight mentions of mental health issues. Please proceed with caution.

1. Moonlight

"Yeah yeah

Okay okay okay

Three years have ed, Agust D.

Honestly, I don't know how many songs to put in,

Fck, I'm just doing it."

The introductory track of the mixtape, 'Moonlight' is a more mellow track, than any of the other tracks in the mixtape in general. The opening beats soothe the ears of the listener, and so does Agust D's voice, as he begins his rap, in a narrator perspective. The opening lines of the song is typically just him giving his own self a pep-talk. Since it has been four years since the release of his last mixtape, he is hesitant about this new mixtape, and is not sure how he wants it to come out. But in the end he ends all his inner turmoil and decides to just do it anyways.

"The beginning was small, Daegu, yeah, from a basement in Namsandong, to a penthouse in Hannam Hill."

I don't know about you, but in this track, these lines particularly appeal to me. It essentially describes with what little means Yoongi had started his journey with, but his sheer love for music and strong will power to prove his worth to the world has helped him defeat all the odds. If the "basement in Namsandong" symbolizes his struggles, then the "penthouse in Hannam hill" aptly describes the fruits of his struggles and hard work. If you pay attention to the lyrics, you can see that the entire track is all about his self doubts, insecurities, his inner struggle and how he overcomes them.

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2. Daechwita

The lead single in this mixtape is 'Daechwita', whose infamous music video snatched our wigs away :joy: . I'm not going to delve much deeper into this, since the song itself is full of so many historical and literary annotations and a whole blog would be required for that. Yoongi once mentioned in his FM Live, that when he heard 'Daechwita' being played for king's visit and armys marching in that regard, he immediately made a quick connection with BTS and ARMYS. Hence it gave rise to the theme of the music video and also the lyrics.

"Born in a ditch but rise up a dragon,

That's the way I live."

There's really no need to explain this. This track is more like a direct answer to all his haters and the people who underestimated him somewhere along the way. Suga has proved to all those who called him a 'pup', that he's not a pup but a tiger in the battlefield. And this track is undoubtedly my favorite on the mixtape!

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3. What Do You think?

"What do you think?" ×6

Starting with a rhetorical question which is repeated consistently after each interval, the track 'What Do You Think?' poses a query at haters in the very beginning. But soon enough, Yoongi shrugs and says that he doesn't care what others think, he is merely going to continue his work.

"I got a big house big car big ring,

Bring anything over I'll give it to you, my black card."

Now I'm sure that if you are reading this, you can see the familiarity in the lyrics with the debut song of BTS', "No More Dream." In "No More Dream," Yoongi had expressed his desire to have a big house and big car through these lines,

"I wanna have big house, big cars and big rings."

In the new track, he establishes a parallel relationship between both the verses from the two songs, telling how he has become rich and successful enough now to own all of these things which he could only dream about previously.

The track is actually a mockery for all the people who spewed hatred at him before. He edges his haters on and dares them to criticize him when in reality he frankly doesn't care.

"No matter what you think,

I'm sorry, but sht

I have no fckin' interest."

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4. Strange(feat. RM)

"Everything in dust,

Do you see?

Well well well

Everything in lust,

Oh, what do you see?"

'Strange' is the fourth track of the mixtape, featuring Suga's fellow bandmate, RM. While I was analyzing this track, I couldn't help but be wonderstruck by the amazing insight Yoongi has. He has used so many literary and scientific devices to explain the condition of our current social system, and the amazing vocabulary used is something just beyond my perception. This track actually increased my endless respect for Yoongi and Namjoon to a whole new level. They have so bravely questioned the cruel ways of this society, I really think their bravery is applause worthy!

"The world is a giant system,

In it, either opposition, war or survival in inserted."

Through these lines, Yoongi has aptly delivered the message that no one in this world is free to do what they want. We are always met with opposition, fear of war and the primal need for survival. It's a "DO OR DIE" situation. In his interview with "TIME", Yoongi has revealed what he actually wanted to do through this track. According to him, "I just throw the question mark, it's upto each individual to decide the answer."

"In this sick world, a person that is well,

Isn't it strange that they are treated as a mutant?"

These lines are really commendable, in my opinion. Clearly this shows that in this narrow minded world, a person with a more advanced perspective of vision is treated as an anomaly and his efforts to change the world are suppressed by the greater power. Suga and RM opens our eyes to the dark side of this so-called beautiful world. The lyrics of this track leave the listeners pondering over the current state of the society.

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5. 28(Feat.NiiWHA)

"I grow old, and

Learn about the world

Even so, could it have been better if I knew nothing of the world."

“28” is a self reflective track, titled after Yoongi’s age when this mixtape was released. Similar to his past production "Wine", this song deals with the worries and troubles that barges into one's life as they slowly become adults. Through the above lyrics, Yoongi wants to say that sometimes growing old can be difficult as you are exposed to the ugly side of the world. He wishes that he would never come to know about the bad things surrounding him, so that he could be as happy and innocent as a child.

"I am breathing but

Seems like my heart is broken

Yeah, now I've become an adult who finds it hard to grasp my dream

And that's growing up."

Produced in collaboration with NiiWHA, the lyrics have a beautiful and natural flow. It depicts how the the duties and responsibilities increase as we grow old and how carrying them out can be difficult sometimes. The track makes one appreciate and treasure their long gone childhood days even more.

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6. Burn It(Feat. Max)

Being completely honest, this track was the hardest for me to interpret. The lyrics were difficult for me to analyze, yet this is one of my favorites in the mixtape!

"I see the ashes falling out your window

There's someone in the mirror that you don't know

And everything was all wrong

So burn it till it's all gone."

Max begins the chorus melodically, and it is pretty pleasing to the ears of the listener. I didn't find much information about this track, so analyzing from a literary point of view, it basically means that Yoongi wants to burn his past, or maybe his past self (as he said in the interview that this mixtape is more about the present rather than the past.) It could also mean burning out his insecurities and all the bad memories in his life, until he doesn't recognize the person standing in front of the mirror.

"Yeah yeah yeah burn it

The voice inside of me

Yeah yeah yeah burn it

I want it want it want it woah."

The lyrics here are similar to Yoongi's verse in "Outro: Tear":

"This is the ending you were wishing for

So go on and kill me without hesitating

Woah yeah yeah burn it

Woah yeah yeah yeah burn it

Woah yeah yeah yeah burn it

So not even the ashes remain."

As mentioned before, I tried really hard but could not decipher the lyrics to much extent. But evidently this represents something sad and aggressive that Yoongi wants to burn down. It could be his past worries or memories or even the past version of himself.

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7. People

"Everyone will live

Everyone will love

Everyone will fade away

And be forgotten

People change, just as I've changed."

I just have no words to express how precious this song is to me. The first time I analyzed the lyrics, I realised what a diligent observer Yoongi is. The thoughtful lyrics show what he has learnt through experience, nothing ever remains the same. No one ever lasts forever. Time is always flowing, and with that time, I will change. You will change. People will change. Change is the ultimate law of the universe. No one can hinder or stop it. It's bound to happen. It maybe hurtful at times. But we learn to deal with it, don't we?

"Umm. Why so serious?

Why so serious? Why so serious?

Umm. I'm so serious?

I'm so serious? I'm so, I'm so."

This is a phrase we hear almost every day in our day to day lives, to question someone who looks grave in a joyous situation. Yoongi has also used this in the same sense. He questions himself that why is he so serious with life all the time, being hung up in negative thoughts ot feelings.

This is Yoongi's favorite track in his mixtape, as he has indicated in an interview with "billboard" as well as the interview hosted by Bangtan TV. As Yoongi talks about change in this track, according to him, his favorite part in this track is:

“So what, if we live like that, so what

My distinction is your ordinary

My ordinary is your distinction."

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8. Honsool

Well when I googled the term, 'Honsool' basically translates to 'drinking alone.' It is derived from the term 'honja' which means alone and 'sool', which means alcohol. Now it's pretty much easy to guess what this song and it's vibe is all about.

"Again, finishing my daily routine for today

And returning home straight away

When I step through the door

I come face-to-face with time in its entirety

The room filled with silence

After a shower

I detoxify with alcohol."

Yoongi is just speaking about how tiring his daily routine as an idol is. He is throughly drained when he returns home and the only way he can feel relief is to detoxify through alcohol. On the deeper side of the lyrics, he speaks about how being a celebrity is not at all a cakewalk. Along with fame comes long hours of working and stress. He begins to say that the life of an idol is not all about parties and luxuries, as he used to think before. It can be stressful and demanding at times too.

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9. Interlude: Set Me Free

Alright, so it's finally time for the interlude. Honestly I'm so ready to fangirl over this track because yeah YOONGI'S AMAZING (AND RARE) VOCAL SKILLS SHOW HERE!! Tbh my ears are still blessed djshkjxjllsskll :sob: :sob: :sob: .

Lol. I'll stop now :moyai: :moyai:

Okay so the theme of the interlude is freedom. Freedom from the stress and negative aspects of life. Freedom from anxiety and melancholy. Freedom from our duties that can get stressful at times. Just freedom in general. Yoongi has shared his desire to escape from the grueling monotony of some days, and just be free with himself, lost in his own world of comfort and happiness.

"Set me free, yeah, even though I know it won't turn out however I want to, hm

Set me free, yeah, even though I know it is not what I want, oh no no no."

These lyrics clearly express the message that even though he wants to be free from his duties at times, he knows it is not possible. He has his fair share of responsibilities that he must handle before resting. And also even through he wants to be free, he doesn't want it forever. Evidently he wants to find a proper balance between stress and peace.

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10. Dear My Friend (Feat. Kim Jong Wan)

The ending track of the mixtape is emotional and sorrowful, as Yoongi tells the story of a childhood friend, whom he misses so much, despite all the wrongs they have done. Featuring Kim Jong Wan of NELL, this track bears some similarity to the the theme of "Spring Day," which laments the loss of friendship too, only this time the story is in Suga's point of view.

"To this day I still

Miss and miss you

To this day I'm still

Encircled by the memories of us together

Had I caught you that day

No, had I stopped you that day

To this day would we

Still be friends? How would it be?"

The lyrics itself are relevant of how much Yoongi loves and misses his friend, till date. Essentially this song is about a friend with whom Yoongi was very close to back in Daegu, but now they (his friend) are in prison due to some wrongs they have done. Yoongi doesn't spew hatred on his friend for this. Yes, he does say in the later part that he doesn't like them, but that's not what the song is about. It is more about how regretful Yoongi is, because he couldn't stop his friend from doing the thing that destroyed their life forever. He wonders if he would have stopped his friend then, would things be different now? Would they still be enjoying life together?

As we grow up, we all have lost some good friends with whom we were inseparable once. Maybe it wasn't intentional. Or maybe it was. Whatever it might be, this ballad revives our nostalgic feelings for that friend, whom we miss still now.

Conclusion

This mixtape will forever hold a special place in my heart. I have said, and I'll say this again, the tracks in this mixtape are a masterpiece. The flow of the language is simple and anyone with an open mind and soul can relate to the lyrics, because it is what we all face, at least some time in our lives. And all the pain, struggle and hardships that Min Yoongi has undergone before he reached this place, will forever remain symbolic and continue to inspire people all across the world. So if you are still doubting yourself or your work, don't think further. Just go ahead and do it! Because as Yoongi says, in the end people will judge you anyways, so you might as well do what you want! Kudos to you in advance!

Also, what are your thoughts on the mixtape? How did you find the blog? If you want, you can comment below and let me know, I would really appreciate it. Please dont hesitate to add your own opinions! Thank you! :heart: :maple_leaf:

Resources I have used:

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