• By Sukanya Saha
  • Thu, 25 May 2023 04:13 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Suga pranked by fan during US concert: During Suga's fully booked performance at Oakland Arena, US, last Wednesday, a funny incident happened in the middle of a song. The 30-year-old rapper from BTS approached the barrier that separated the stage from the crowd, where he took hold of a flip phone handed to him by a fan. After examining it briefly, he burst into laughter, throwing his head back in amusement.

To understand the joke, one needs to be aware of the background. Throughout his US tour, Suga made it a practice to record a video of himself in selfie mode during his performance using a fan's phone.

In New York, he used whichever phone he noticed, but by the time he reached Chicago, he specifically requested Samsung Galaxy phones. This preference arose from the band's partnership with the Korean electronics company since 2020. As a result, some fans near the barricades even disguised their iPhones as Samsungs during subsequent tour stops.

Also read: BTS' Suga Drops Retirement Bombshell, Says 'Let Me Rest A Little Bit Before I Die'

During Suga's last show in America on May 17, in Oakland, a fan managed to locate and bring a Samsung flip phone from the early 2010s, even though it lacked the capability to record videos. However, the intention behind this gesture was not to record videos but rather to bring a smile to the face of the Korean superstar.

Watch the video here:

Suga's D-Day concert, named after his recent album "D-Day," which marks his third solo release, incorporated a distinct and somewhat obscure storyline that encompassed all three of his public personas.

As per reports, even before the show commenced, the predominantly female audience, some of whom were dressed as tangerines, one of Suga's favourite fruits, eagerly made their way to their seats with nachos and alcoholic slushies in hand.

As they settled in, a digital rain effect descended on the massive screen at the front of the arena. The speakers resonated with thunder and rainfall, symbolising the weather conditions on the day when a much younger Min Yoongi was involved in a motorbike accident in Seoul.

The accident took place during Suga's time as a part-time delivery person, which he did to sustain himself while he was a trainee in the K-pop industry before BTS debuted. The crash resulted in a shoulder injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, both of which continued to affect the artist long after the incident.

These struggles with mental health are portrayed in the track "Amygdala" from the "D-Day" album, which takes its name from the part of the brain responsible for storing visual memories of traumatic experiences.

The D-Day performance kicked off with a loud crash, followed by an energetic sprint that featured intense hip-hop tracks like "Haegeum," "Daechwita," and "Agust D." Suga moved across the stage, along with a group of backup dancers, while flames and fireworks ignited all around.

In the song "Haegeum," released in 2023, Suga rapped about being "slaves to capitalism, slaves to money," expressing frustrations with the pressures of living in the information age. He also expressed his hope of not being overwhelmed by the influx of information, a sentiment shared by many, including Yoongi.

During his final Oakland concert, Suga, in his ending speech, said in Korean, "The structure of my concert is a little bit different from when there's seven of us. So, when I first started my tour, I was half nervous and half excited. But you guys had 150 per cent more fun than I thought you would. I can't always be in my best condition, but seeing you guys cheering and looking at your happy faces really gives me the energy to keep performing."