Trivia 轉: Seesaw by SUGA of BTS - #FeatureFriday

Whenever I discover a new song that I like, I usually listen to it repeatedly for a week (or two) and then it trickles away for when mood strikes me again. This ONE song has been playing on loop for 2 months straight! I just cannot move on from this one. So, I have to rant… (and hope that helps me get it out of my system).

For context - I am new to the k-pop world. I loved ‘Standing Next to You’ & ‘Too sad to Dance’ by Jungkook and he got me curious enough to look into K-Pop. The logical next steps would be to go to BTS songs, but IG Reels took me to Run BTS clips and somehow I landed up listening to ‘D-day’ Album by August D (Suga’s alter ego for his solo stuff). ‘Life Goes on’ and ‘Amygdala’ had their hooks into me. After listening to his solo album and the mix-tapes, I went into SUGA’s solo songs as part of BTS albums. Once I heard ‘Trivia : Seesaw’, I have been stuck. FOR.TWO. MONTHS. NOW.

"Trivia 轉: Seesaw" is SUGA’s solo song from the album Love Yourself: Answer. SUGA & Slow Rabbit have co-written co-produced the song. ‘See-saw’ is a toy/game for children that you see at a park. It is all about ups & downs and balance. At a glance (or a simple listen), it seems like Suga has used the ‘seesaw’ metaphor to convey the emotional push-and-pull between a couple and the constant shift of power in a romantic connection that has run its course. But it is Min Young we are talking about - so it is never that simple. I don’t know if I have caught all the ‘see-saw’ (balance) aspects of the song or not, but here are the ones that I found (and can’t let go of).

Seesaw 1 - Lyrics

Though the lyrics sit perfectly about a romantic relationship, I personally feel that the song could also be about life. Most of us live with an illusion that we are in control of our life. But, life likes to remind us every now and then that the feeling of being in control is just an illusion. So, I see a parallel there - between the constant struggle of people to get things under control and the pushbacks from life from time to time. Only, I think there is no getting off that see-saw until the final moment.

Seesaw 2 - Melody & Lyrics

The melody & the lyrics are at complete contrast with each other. For once, I think my language handicap came in handy because when I heard the song for the first time, I thought it must be a sweet song about the beauty of either life or relationships. Then I looked up the lyrics here and couldn’t believe how wrong I was. While the melody has a feel good vibe, the lyrics bring out the darker side of relationships. Ironically, the part where I feel that the melody is the sweetest is where the lyrics are about how conniving people can be.

Seesaw 3 - Rap & Vocal

SUGA likes to pretend he can only rap & not sing. Yeah well, this is one of the many songs that say otherwise. The constant back and forth between his rap and vocals should have been more jarring, yet there’s a smooth balance there. His low tone is perfect for the vocal sections. Adora provides a soft touch with her backup vocals too.

Seesaw 4 - Tempo

The song constantly shifts between slow and fast(er)-paced, rhythmic portions. These tempo changes conveys the emotional rollercoaster to reflect the emotions of the lyrics. During the verses, where the lyrics focuses on the complexities of a relationship, the tempo is slow giving it an introspective feel. In contrast, the tempo picks up during the emotionally charged sections - specifically the rap & chorus sections.

Seesaw 5 - Dynamics

The dynamics of the song compliments the tempo very well. The softer tones help create a  sense of vulnerability and introspection. On the other hand, the chorus and rap sections often feature increased dynamics, creating a sense of urgency and intensity.


The metaphors in the lyrics, SUGA’s vocals and the tempo changes certainly stand out as the highlights of this song.

#QOTD - Have you heard this song before? If you have, what's the one thing that stood out for you? If you haven't, are you going to listen to it now?