Yoongi made me quit my job. Don't judge the post yet, allow me to explain. In this post, I share how Agust D inspired me to leave my job after years of procrastinating. Read on as I share the way his music had a positive effect on my life.
In April 2023, BTS member SUGA released his official debut album as a solo artist. The album D-Day is the conclusion of the Agust D trilogy. Three months and several D-Day concerts later, I decided to quit my job. After years of procrastinating on the idea, I finally chose to take control of my life. I gave up the career I have spent a significant part of my life on to find and chase my happiness.
Yes, Agust D made me quit (sort of). I hope that learning more about Agust D’s influence on my life can inspire you to make a similar change in your life too.
An Introduction to Agust D
I have been a fan of BTS for some time. I have great respect for these guys as artists and performers, but I have also found myself drawn to SUGA. His real name is Min Yoongi, but goes by the name Agust D when doing his solo work. For this post and to avoid confusion, I will be calling him Yoongi from this point on.
His first mixtape, also titled Agust D (also known as D-1), is a great sample of how good Yoongi is as a solo artist. I remember listening and thinking it was moving without even understanding the lyrics. There was so much anger and pain in the songs but a glimmer of hope in it as well. They were so good that to me it felt like the music and the message transcended language barriers.
After reading the lyrics and understanding the context, I became even more of a fan. He is a talented musician and producer. He is also someone who has a deep and smart mind and a very sensitive heart (and I mean that in a good way). I couldn’t help but admire him even more after learning about him through his solo work.
His second mixtape had similar themes as his first one. The difference between the two is that he also spoke of struggles about society and life in general in D-2. I felt that the first album was more introspective. This second album was the beginning of him looking more outside of himself.
The third album, D-Day, was the perfect culmination of the Agust D trilogy. His growth from the pain and anger of D-1 and looking outward in D-2 led to this album. This time he faced his own demons and became the kind of person he wished he had during his early struggles. He became the person that he needed. He became the person who inspires and supports people going through similar struggles. I am thankful for his journey. The person he has become has inspired me and given me the strength to make the changes in my life that I needed.
The Messages That Inspired Me
D-Day, the first official Agust D solo album is my favorite of all the albums he has put out. I have favorites from D-1 and D-2 and his solo work with BTS, and I admire his work as a writer and producer so much. But it's his D-Day album and concert that moved me to make the most significant decision I have made so far in my life.
D-Day (the album and the concert) had themes that resonated with me. It hit me in such a way that it made me look at my own life and gave me the inspiration to follow my dreams.
The concert showed viewers that the production and the music were a form of catharsis for Yoongi. His music and his concert gave viewers a look at him letting out his anger, pain, and fears. It was him facing his inner demons to find peace and happiness. It was Yoongi wanting to share his story with other people who are going through the same struggles.
I remember listening to the album and later watching the concert thinking that I was so happy for Yoongi. He was letting it all out and was letting things go to start a new chapter. I remember thinking that I wanted to do the same thing. So, I did.
Where Was I Going?
There were songs performed in the D-Day series of concerts that made me think about where my life was going. When Yoongi performed Trivia: Seesaw, I couldn't help but think about my situation. The message of the song was about a relationship that was becoming draining. It reminded me of what I felt about my life at the time.
My job kept me busy. I felt that my life revolved around it, and I did not have much of an existence outside of it. I was not happy, and I had planned on leaving several times, but I never did. It was the same cycle of always being busy and unhappy, struggling to leave but ending up staying. It needed to end this (as the lyrics said as interpreted in English: a repeated seesaw game).
I was no longer happy, but I kept hanging on and hoping things would change even if they never did. I was afraid to leave my comfort zone even if it was hurting me. But, as Yoongi said, it was time to end it. The lyrics felt personal to me. It felt like a sign of what I had to do.
While his story was different from mine, the lyrics from the song Dear My Friend hit a personal note for me. He talks of how his friend changed because of time and how the old version of this person was gone in the song. I felt the words were being said about me too.
I was at that point where I saw how much I had changed from who I was. I realized I was moving forward in the direction that would lead me into a life I did not want. I already felt that I'd lost and sacrificed a part of my life by staying on at my job, and I did not want to go any further. I wanted the old me back or at least, to become the person that I wanted to be and not a version that people expected me to be.
Who Am I?
It felt that I had allowed the rest of the world to dictate to me the kind of person I should be. I was living based on what everyone else was doing and what they expected me to be. It's always the safe route to conform and not shake the boat (so to speak). But is it the right thing to do? As he raps in Polar Night, "Are we seeing this world right?" Because people say it is, does that mean that’s right for me?
This feeling stuck with me from the time I first listened to D-Day and to these songs. When I informed people of my decision to leave my job, some were trying to get me to stay on in one capacity or another. But I stuck to my decision and said no.
This was not the first time that I had wanted to leave my job and made my decision to do so. But it was finally the time that I stuck with it. People have said they knew I wouldn't be able to let go, but I did. For that reason, the song Huh? became such a good thing to listen to. Listen to the lyrics and you will know what I mean.
I felt that when I listened to the chorus, I was releasing all my frustration about the situation. When I made my decision, people were trying to change my mind but I wouldn't budge. I wanted to know who I was apart from what people expected from me and I felt this was the best time to do it.
Plus, as the song Burn It goes, there’s someone in the mirror that I don’t know. It was time to let go of all the things that were in my way of being who I wanted to be. Again, I felt every word of the chorus of this song because it speaks so much to what I was going through. I needed to move on to a new chapter of my life. I had to rediscover myself to find what makes me happy. I need to look at myself in the mirror and know that I was being true to who I am.
It Was Time
It was a decision that felt scary at first. Listening to songs like Moonlight and People, I listened to how change is inevitable. It gave me the confidence to believe that if I didn’t do this, change would still happen anyway. At least this way no matter what happens, it would be because I decided to do something to change my life. It was not because I felt defeated and let life pass me by.
Future’s Gonna Be OK
In Amygdala, he sings about hoping that he made the best decisions. I hope that I have done (and continue to do) the same. But he is right, whatever doesn’t kill me will only make me stronger. That gives me comfort that everything will work out for the best in the end. Whatever happens, as his song goes, life goes on.
The title track for his solo album, D-Day, says that the future’s going to be OK. It inspires me to keep believing and keep trusting that things will work out for the best for me. Leaving the security of a good-paying job that I worked in for many years means leaving my comfort zone. Yes, it was stressful and a lot of work, but I had gotten used to it. In an odd, masochistic way, it felt safe. Safer than the uncertainty of making the big jump to something you have yet to figure out.
Going out into the unknown is, by nature, uncertain. And people will often choose what is certain instead of making that big leap. Yoongi has inspired me to believe that I need to go after my next chapter and that everything will be OK. As he said, the past is the past, the present is the present and the future is only the future (but it's exaggerated). It reminds me not to overthink things and to go for my dreams.
Dream
The song Snooze is my comfort song from the D-Day album. Every time I listen to it, it's like Yoongi is reassuring me. Like he's saying there is someone out there rooting for me to have a happy life. That it is OK to feel frustrated. Even if things don’t go exactly as planned, someone is wishing for you to achieve what you want. That it is alright to reach out for what will make me happy.
At the end of the D-Day concert, Yoongi performed his song The Last. He talked about his mental health issues and shared that he may be the root of all his troubles. He said because of that, he needed to stop himself. He then assures that he is better now that he has overcome his issues. This is something I can relate to.
I also had my share of mental health issues in the past, and a lot of it was due to the stress that my job had given me. I cannot put all the blame on the job or the people for this. I hold myself accountable for not drawing a line on how much they can and should expect from me. Now that I have left the job, it feels like a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders. While I can’t say that I am completely fine, I am so much better now than I was before.
I never could have made my decision to make a career change and stick to it if I did not listen to the D-Day album. I never would have made this big move in my life if I had not seen the D-Day concert. It was inspiring to see how happy Yoongi is after facing his demons and starting a new chapter. The personal growth reflected in the album was an inspiration for my own. I wanted to do the same thing he did. I wanted my next chapter too (pun intended).
Listening to his music has led to a lot of self-reflection and self-discovery. The empowerment I felt to find my happiness has resulted in a positive change in my mental health. I may not know where I will end up from here, but at least I am finding my path.
This was a long time coming. I never would have taken the risk without the inspiration I got from the music of Agust D. No matter where I end up from this point, I am grateful that his music gave me the push I needed for my personal growth.
Thank you, Yoongi.
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