BTS‘ SUGA, also known by his second stage name, Agust D, has carved his name into the annals of music history. 

He has become one of only two artists with at least three number-one albums on iTunes in over 100 countries. This monumental achievement places him alongside American pop star Taylor Swift, who has four albums—Speak Now, 1989, Lover, and Reputation—that achieved this distinction. Trailing behind BTS’ SUGA and Taylor are Adele and Beyoncé, who each have two. 

SUGA is the first artist in history to have all of his albums reach the top spot on iTunes in over 100 countries. He also saw three of his singles—“Daechwita,” “Haegeum,” and “People Pt.2”—reach No. 1 on iTunes in over 100 countries.

SUGA’s journey to this achievement began with his first mixtape, Agust D, released in 2016. It was a raw, unfiltered reflection of his thoughts, tracing his path from obscurity to stardom. He put out another mixtape titled D-2 in 2020. Bannered by the hit single “Daechwita,” this mixtape captured the essence of his experiences as a 28-year-old. SUGA completed the trilogy when he released his first studio album D-DAY earlier this year.

BTS’ SUGA accomplished many things

But his accomplishments aren’t limited to the charts. He recently concluded a world tour that took him to countries like Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. SUGA has also penetrated fashion and sports. In January 2023, he was unveiled as the brand ambassador for the luxury fashion house Valentino. By April, he was representing the NBA as an ambassador.

Fans also got an intimate look into his life with the documentary SUGA: Road to D-DAY, available on Disney+. This documentary chronicled the process of putting together his first studio album. But amid all SUGA’s success, a sad note was struck when BIGHIT MUSIC announced that he would soon enlist in the South Korean military.

While the announcement was made shortly after his tour ended last month, there has been no word from BIGHIT MUSIC or SUGA himself regarding his enlistment date. In fact, things have been so quiet that some fans believe BTS’ SUGA enlisted quietly, without all the fanfare that accompanied Jin’s and j-hope’s enlistments. 

If they’re right, all SUGA’s fans can do now is pray for his safe return. They can also take comfort in the fact that he left them with this achievement before he enlisted. – K-Pop News Writer

Featured Image: SUGA made iTunes history this year. Congratulations, Yoongi! Source: Weverse.