Sometime in late 2021 (or was it early 2022?), there were hints of a collaboration between the singer Psy and BTS’ SUGA. That made me so curious and excited! This collaboration turned out to be That That, which Min Yoongi (aka SUGA) helped to write and produce. They released this song on April 29, 2022, as the lead single for Psy's album called Psy 9th. Allow me to share with everyone my love for this song and what it means to me as both a fan of BTS and of SUGA himself. If you're ARMY, I know you understand what I mean!
Background on That That
According to the artists themselves, Yoongi (SUGA) created the song for Psy. He was not supposed to be part of the single. In an interview, Psy said that Yoongi offered the track/beat first. They talked and they ended up writing the song together and producing the song. Things developed from there with Yoongi becoming part of the song. Later, Psy also convinced him to appear in the music video. It was an outcome that Yoongi himself didn’t expect to happen, but I am very grateful that it did!
It's very significant that Psy chose this song as his lead single. Psy 9th is his first album after leaving YG Entertainment and his first one since 2017. Knowing that he chose this song as his comeback meant that he knew it was that good. It was a collaboration that would be a perfect way to say he was back in the music scene.
My Review
It was so exciting for me as a fan to see this collaboration. BTS has collaborated with other artists in the past and it's not that much of a surprise. Yoongi himself has had collaborations with other artists outside of BTS before. He has worked with so many other artists apart from the group as a songwriter, producer, and rapper. Hearing that he had a new one was nothing new.
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| Image Credit: P Nation |
The difference has to be because this is one of the first to come out from what has become BTS’ Chapter 2. The release of the song was a few months before the group announced they would take time to focus on solo efforts. I know some people do not consider this one as part of Chapter 2 but for me, anything apart from the group felt that way.
That That is a very different sound from what I am used to hearing from Yoongi. None of his collaborations sounded like it. None of his solo work did either. It's exciting to see him exploring other sounds and styles as a musician and producer. It makes me wonder what other genres he would be experimenting with next.
The sound has that catchy chorus and sound that is like Psy’s previous hits. It's similar but not a copy. It has the style of Gangnam Style and Gentleman but is still different from those other tracks. It’s something that I couldn’t help but bob my head to when I first listened to it!
The sound is very happy and cheery. It sounds fun. During the time of the release, I remember thinking that it was something people needed to hear. It was a song that gave a bit of relief after the stress of the pandemic. Today, more than a year later, it’s still an enjoyable track to listen to.
Another thing that excited me about this track was the dancing that came out because of it. Yes, Yoongi does dance a lot with the rest of BTS but seeing him front and center like he does in the music video is new to me. Seeing him apart from the group like that was surprising. It was a shock to see him go for it in the dance and it was also a bit jarring to see him doing it with other people. While he has done solo work and collaborations before, this is the first time I saw him dancing with others!
Based on the videos that are out there of the dance practices that he had for this, he worked very hard for it. You can see the effort he gave to come out with something impressive for the fans of this collaboration. He went all out for this one.
The Dance Challenge
I loved that Yoongi also participated in the TikTok dance challenge version of this song. It’s not something you would expect from him. I love that he did it because it became the start of other dance challenges he has participated in since. I was so tempted to give this dance challenge a try myself because Yoongi did it!
The Music Video
Not only is the song a different style for Yoongi, but the video is also very different from what he has done with BTS. Psy’s video of That That had a lot of humor in it and it had a theme that centered around a Western. It was a lot of fun to watch him act alongside Psy in the video. I loved that they gave him such good scenes for his parts of the song.
I never thought Yoongi in a Western-themed outfit would ever happen, but it did for this video and it was so cute to see. There were several cute Yoongi moments in the video that I enjoyed so much. I've read that they had a difficult time shooting the video because of the weather, but it came out so good despite it.
Achievements for That That
Based on the interviews, having his song recorded and performed by Psy was an honor for Yoongi. He said that he had admired him for years so it was great for him. But with the way things had gone, it would also seem that it was an honor for Psy as well. Not only was the song the main one for his comeback, but it also became a hit and an award-winner for him as well.
The song went on to become one of Billboard's Best 25 K-Pop Songs of 2022. It also won the Digital Bonsang at the Golden Disc Awards 2023. That That also got Best Collaboration, Best Dance Performance, and Song of the Year at the 2022 MAMAs.
That That charted in many countries all over the world. The music video garnered 30 million videos on the day of release, with 100 million views for the first week. I'm sure Psy was very happy that he convinced Yoongi to be a part of the song instead of him doing it solo!
That Surprise Concert Appearance
I enjoyed listening to the song and I loved watching the music video. My favorite part about all this would have to be the time that Yoongi came out to perform the song in one of Psy’s concerts. I had goosebumps watching as the large audience screamed in excitement when he came on stage. Yoongi as an artist apart from BTS shows he has his own unique appeal and star power.
That night that he came on, I remember that Twitter exploded with all these videos. Concert-goers shared the video immediately after the show and everyone was so excited! Many hoped that he would make an appearance at one of Psy's shows, but they were not prepared for it when it happened! When the official video came out, you could see everyone's surprise when he came on stage. The energy shifted! It was amazing!
That surprise appearance was such a good introduction to what would later turn out to be a concert tour. 2023 saw Yoongi (as Agust D) releasing the album D-Day and going on tour to promote it. Who knew that landmark performance would lead to that? I didn't! But I'm happy it did!
It was moving to see what this new phase of the careers of BTS and what it is doing for them. People already know how good BTS is as a unit so having the world see them as individuals like this is exciting. For them to have the confidence to go at it alone for a change and show the world who they are is a thrill to watch.
One year after That That, Yoongi released his first official solo debut album and has even gone on tour. Time flies so fast! There are so many new songs to enjoy! Despite that, I will always remember that this is the track that started off his new chapter. It's a song that jump-started his Chapter 2. Thank you That That!
I hope that this review (and information overload) will encourage some of you to give this song a listen. If you're feeling a little down, listening to the song or watching the video might help! I love this song because it led to so many great things. It will always give out a positive vibe for me. I hope it does for everyone else too! Leave me a message if you discovered the song and liked it because of this post! I would love to know what you think of it!
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