Paste Magazine ranks Agust D's Snooze (feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto and WOOSUNG) as #1 in the 20 Best Songs of 2023.
Agust D ft. Ryuichi Sakamoto and Woosung: “Snooze”
The third album/mixtape released under the BTS rapper-producer Suga’s Agust D moniker, D-Day offered listeners closure on the trilogy, which explored (among other subjects) Suga’s struggles with trauma and mental illness. Nowhere was the album’s cathartic might more visceral than in “Snooze.” The track is offered up as comfort for and encouragement to young artists entering the notoriously harsh K-pop industry, but—like other songs that fall somewhere under the BTS umbrella—it has much broader relatability under late-stage capitalism: “Cry out loud, when you become to hate the world … It’s okay to let out a big sigh and yell out ‘this shit is fucked up’ / Because you too are just a human, just like everyone else.”
“Snooze” features a stirring vocal performance from The Rose’s Woosung and a piano melody from the great Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto—one of his final collaborations, released shortly after his death in March. The song is a bridge between generations of East Asian musical artists, working mostly outside of the U.S. system. When Suga became overcome with emotion while performing “Snooze” on stage during the final show on his world tour, it was one of the year’s most powerful moments in pop music—the culmination of an arduous journey of self-knowledge and healing, and a testament to one musician’s deep connection to his art.
Timeout (UK) lists Agust D's Snooze (feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto and WOOSUNG) as #16 in the 23 Best Songs of 2023.
" Chasing your dreams has always been a recurring theme in BTS’ music, but of all seven members, it is Suga – known in his solo work as Agust D – who truly hits all the right notes with ‘Snooze’. This dramatic rap-rock ballad is dedicated to aspiring musicians, a comforting voice from someone who has been through it all, survived and came out on top. Agust D’s signature drawling, raspy rapping takes on a more soothing and rhythmic quality here, melding perfectly with Woosung’s transcendent vocals. Snooze is made even more special by the late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s beautiful piano melody – this track was one of his last projects before his passing in March this year. "
"Melodic and intimate, this track off SUGA of BTS’s third album under his Agust D alias features so many of the things at which he excels: thoughtful lyrics, a passionate performance, and a deeply personal touch." — M. Siroky
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