Agust D, also known as Yoongi and SUGA from BTS, finished up the U.S. segment of his first solo world tour in Oakland on May 17.

Yoongi first joined the music industry with the South Korean band in 2013 as a part of the rap line alongside members RM and J-hope. As he began creating and releasing his own music, he created an alter ego— Agust D.

Due to mandatory Korean guidelines, able-bodied men must enlist in the military for at least 18 months. For this reason, the group is on hiatus and members are focusing on solo work prior to enlisting until 2025.

The K-pop artist released his second album “D-Day” earlier in April, immediately breaking records and leaving fans scrambling to get their hands on it. Once his tour was announced, shows completely sold out during the first pre sale.

Fans of the rapper even went as far as camping out in tents in front of concert venues in order to purchase merchandise and get a spot closest to the artist on the floor. The morning of the Oakland show, hundreds of fans lined up in glamorous outfits hours before the show was even set to begin at 8 p.m.

The concert started off with a VCR of Yoongi depicted in a motorcycle crash, representing an accident he dealt with in his own life as a delivery boy. After the screen flashed with the title of his tour “SUGA | Agust D : D Day,” four hooded dancers slowly carried him onto the stage where he kicked off with his lead single “Haegeum.”

The most fascinating part of the show was the details of the stage. As Yoongi continued to perform more of his solo hits like “Daechwita” and “Moonlight,” pieces of the stage were lifted towards the ceiling as a reminder of the show moving forward.

Throughout the 23-song set list, the rapper moved across the stage, jumping and dancing along with the fans who mimicked his movements below. The songs were a mix of both his new album and older ones like “D-2” and “Agust D,” in addition to songs with his BTS rap line partners.

Special effects like smoke blasted from the floor during his hit “D-Day,” and fire surrounded the rapper during “Burn It” and “AMYGDALA.” As colored light beams matched the rhythm of Yoongi’s singing, fans felt even more connected to him. 

The entire concert was escalated by Yoongi’s live band who echoed throughout the arena and allowed his songs to come to life. His dancers also joined him during many segments of the show, so he was sure to give them all credit at the very end. 

Throughout the concert he stopped and held conversations with the audience, asking if they were having fun and given responses with loud shrieks and cheers. His ending words were the most impactful, highlighting the success of the tour.

“When I first started my tour, I was half nervous and half excited,” he said. “But you guys had 150% more fun than I thought you would.”

Yoongi then left the crowd with a final message for the future.

“I can’t always be in my best position, but seeing your guys’ cheering and looking at your happy faces really gives me the energy to perform,” he said. “The next time I come, I promise I’ll come with the rest of my members.”

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars