Suga: ‘I’m a Good Fit for This Job’

T
he story goes that Suga, born Min Yoongi, got his nickname from the phrase “shooting guard,” but he prefers to focus on another, more apropos meaning: “It’s a nickname you sometimes give to athletes that have great technique,” he says, pointing to Sugar Ray Leonard and the UFC fighter “Suga” Sean O’Malley. As a rapper, Suga has a seemingly infinite arsenal of up-to-the-minute flows, paying close attention to the evolution of U.S. hip-hop. He started out as a producer, too, in his hometown of Daegu, and never stopped making beats — he self-produced much of his 2023 album, D-Day, and produced the Arirang bonus track “Come Over.” In the studio, he listens more than he talks, and steps up to mediate disagreements between other members. In our interview, conducted in February at Hybe headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, he calls his work in BTS “this job,” but makes it clear that he loves his work.

In 2023, you completed a trilogy of releases under the name Agust D, your alter ego. Did that give you a sense of completion, and that you were ready to move on, both in life and as an artist?
Yeah, and I went to the military right after that. So I did feel quite resolved after finishing the trilogy. I felt like Agust D was wrapped up.… After that final album, I don’t have any negative feelings left in my body.

You said that you always had anger in you. Where does that come from?
When I was younger, I guess I had a bit of an inferiority complex. As well as some frustration with society in general, of course. I think it was some combination of those things.

Rolling Stone’s May issue features the most ambitious cover-story package in the magazine’s nearly 60-year history: eight different print covers in all. In addition to the group cover and story, we’re rolling out the seven solo covers — each with a video and solo Q&A — through Monday, April 20. Click here for continuing coverage, and click here to buy a box set of all eight covers.

Rolling Stone’s May issue features the most ambitious cover-story package in the magazine’s nearly 60-year history: eight different print covers in all. In addition to the group cover and story, we’re rolling out the seven solo covers — each with a video and solo Q&A — through Monday, April 20. Click here for continuing coverage, and click here to buy a box set of all eight covers.

One of the things that makes BTS so interesting, and I think one of the secret reasons that you’re so successful, is that it’s not the typical personalities or artists that you might expect in an idol group. Just like RM, the way that you are as an artist, the way you think — it’s not necessarily a natural fit for you to be in an idol group.
I was making music in Daegu before I came up to Seoul, and back then I didn’t really understand idol groups. But then once I joined one … I learned that it’s a lot of work, it gets super busy, and it’s not easy at all. Now that I’m used to it, I think I’m actually a good fit for this job.

When you went into this album — and again, you’re so involved in production and you think so sonically — what was your imagined version of how it would sound, and how did that compare to what has come out?
Our biggest priority was to pursue a new kind of sound that you haven’t heard from us before. And I do think it’s just a well-made pop album, so we’re very satisfied. It wasn’t easy to write so many songs and go through all the rewrites and edits, but it was also a lot of fun, so I think that’s why we got good results.

Watch the video interview below

Did you personally lose any battles for tracks?
I think balance is the most important thing. So I didn’t push for a specific track or anything like that. I spent more time listening to different opinions and mediating between them. Regardless, it all turned out very well. Most of my favorite tracks made it in. Even the ones I didn’t love at first, I’ve warmed to after repeat listens. So I’m very satisfied with the album, personally.

In 2022, when BTS announced they were going to take a break, you said you felt like you were running out of things to say. What did it take to get past that feeling?
So I released my solo album after that. And it was really tough to work on. But now … I’ve been focusing on stressing less about it. I’m always going to find things to say, and then run out of them again. When I look back on the Notes app on my phone now, I find that a lot of old memos have taken on a new meaning. So I channeled some of those when working on this album as well. But, yes, there’s an eternal cycle of finding and running out of things to say.

Diplo was so important to this record, and I’m curious what you, as a fellow producer, observed, and what made him the right guy to really be a big force behind the sound of this album?
He’s already worked a lot with K-pop artists, so he had a good understanding of the process and setting. And he’s a very prolific producer as well. We were at a point where we needed someone who, beyond writing great songs, truly understood the flow and structure of an album. Diplo did a great job with that.

I know you have long been a serious student of hip-hop. If you had to quickly pick your top MCs of all time and why, who would be your pick?
[Laughs.] First of all, that word “MC.” I was just talking with my friends about how we don’t use “MC” as much anymore. But anyway … it’s difficult to choose. I grew up listening to Eminem, so Eminem. Then Kendrick Lamar.

What do you think of the state of American hip-hop? There’s been a lot of back and forth about whether it’s a little stagnant.
I’m very sad about talented rookies who have passed away, like Juice WRLD. But music always cycles based on trends. Things may seem stagnant at the moment, but before you know it, hip-hop will rise in the charts again. I feel like it’s in a transitional period. It’s true that hip-hop is a bit stuck right now, but it will surely come back.

I was saying to J-Hope that the first 10 years of BTS were about the climb. Now, you are all back together, and already on top. What are your current goals for BTS?
We should enjoy ourselves. Before, we were way too … competitive, I guess? I feel like, in the rush to achieve our goals, we didn’t care so much about our physical and emotional health. But now we can relax a little, especially since we’re all older. So I think we can have more fun with it now.

It feels like the members have been talking about performing together into the far future — in your forties, fifties, sixties. Can you see that happening?
As long as we have the will, I believe we can keep going in our seventies and eighties. I’m not sure if we can perform in the same way we do now, but still. We could find a different method. So as long as we have the will, I don’t think there will be any problem.

What is the real secret of BTS’ success, in your mind? Both career-wise, and as a group that stays together and whose members love one another?
They’re just really funny. It’s fun to be around them. And since we’ve gone through hell and high water together … I think of them as family. I’m sure that’s part of our success, is that we share such a strong bond. Plus, everyone is so talented. I think that’s why we’re able to trust each other on this journey together.

Is the scrutiny difficult? There are things that might be small for someone else that are a big deal in your context. Is knowing that that’s the way you have to operate tough?
I mean, it’s just part of the job. My job is to live within the eyes of the public. Sometimes, I guess, it’s not convenient. It’s not convenient, but I don’t care how others see me, and I never read others’ opinions about me. So I don’t think it’s particularly tough.