During Suga’s VLive session, he played the acoustics to the song “Whiskey & Morphine”. I have replayed that part I think for the billionth time. After hearing the acoustics, I had to find the song! Surprise, surprise I just discovered that on Jul 12, 2019 RM Tweeted about “Whiskey & Morphine” by Alexander Jean and the singers responded back thanking RM for recommending their music. RM used to recommend a lot of music which led to ARMY learning of new artists and even enjoying different types of Music.
A few weeks back he recommended the music he was listening to which led to the artist gaining new fans. It is not only RM who recommends music to ARMY, V used to recommend music by playing his favorite songs, J-Hope also recommends music that he is listening to or just playing them during Live sessions.
When BTS’s SUGA hosted a late-night VLive session and played “Whiskey & Morphine” by Alexander Jean in the background, fans around the world paused. The moment, subtle yet intimate, rippled through the fandom with a quiet intensity. It wasn’t just about the song, it was about the way it fit into the atmosphere SUGA created, the mood he was in, and what it might have meant. With his well-known love for music that carries depth, emotion, and complexity, SUGA’s song choices are never random. This one, in particular, felt like an open window into the kind of mood he was inhabiting that night.
The VLive in question wasn’t particularly planned or flashy. As is often the case with SUGA’s livestreams, it felt spontaneous, a quiet, intimate space where he spoke in his usual low, soothing voice, answering questions from ARMY, laughing softly at comments, and just spending time with fans. His room was dimly lit, a cup of tea or possibly wine beside him, his body relaxed in a chair, hoodie sleeves slightly pushed up. It felt more like a call with an old friend than a broadcast watched by millions.
He talked about his current work, future projects, and mentioned feeling a bit tired, not in a physically drained way, but something deeper. There was an air of introspection about him that night. And then the music started playing. “Whiskey & Morphine” by Alexander Jean is not your typical pop song. It’s a hauntingly beautiful piece, layered with emotional grit and lyrical depth. The track blends rock and blues influences, driven by a dark, sultry vocal performance and poetic lines about addiction, not just to substances, but to someone toxic, someone unforgettable.
The chorus resonates with lines like:
“You’re my whiskey and morphine,
I don’t wanna let you go…”
The juxtaposition of beauty and pain, pleasure and destruction, makes it a song that lingers. It’s about the kind of relationship that leaves scars, that feels as necessary as it is dangerous, something SUGA, with his poetic lyricism and emotional sensitivity, no doubt connected to. SUGA has often said that he chooses music that reflects how he’s feeling or what he’s thinking about. Whether it’s through BTS’s own discography or the songs he plays for ARMY, his selections are deeply intentional.
By choosing to play “Whiskey & Morphine,” he may not have been drawing a literal parallel to addiction or romantic despair, but rather evoking a mood, raw, reflective, a bit vulnerable. The bluesy undertone of the track fit the quiet vibe of the VLive perfectly, adding an emotional weight that wasn’t verbalized but felt through the music. For an artist like SUGA, who often says what he means through melodies rather than words, the song might have spoken for him in ways he didn’t intend to explain out loud.
The fan response was swift and heartfelt. “Min Yoongi, are you okay?” began trending not long after the VLive ended. It wasn’t out of panic, but a shared empathy that fans have cultivated with BTS over the years. ARMY has learned to listen closely to what the members don’t say, the glances, the sighs, the music.
Many shared theories and interpretations online. Some believed he was simply showcasing good music (which he often does), while others felt the mood of the song mirrored something internal SUGA might’ve been experiencing, a late-night melancholy, a creative block, or even just nostalgia. Some ARMYs joked, “SUGA just set the standard for ‘Sad but Sexy’ vibes,” while others posted emotional edits of him with “Whiskey & Morphine” playing in the background, noting how well it captured his duality, strength and softness, pain and elegance.
What made this moment all the more poignant is that SUGA himself is a master of storytelling through sound. As Agust D, he has released tracks that expose his inner world with remarkable vulnerability, from the explosive “Daechwita” to the aching “The Last,” where he opened up about mental health, fame, and self-doubt. Choosing “Whiskey & Morphine” added to the mosaic of his musical personality. It’s not a BTS song. It’s not even a mainstream K-pop track. It’s an indie-pop/blues crossover that many might have overlooked, but SUGA brought it to the forefront, allowing his fans to sit in the emotional space with him.
It’s also worth noting that the song’s duo, Alexander Jean, composed of BC Jean and Mark Ballas, are known for writing heartfelt, storytelling-driven music. Their sound often touches on darkness and light, love and pain, themes SUGA, as both a rapper and a producer, frequently explores.
In many ways, this VLive was a gentle reminder of how music transcends language and culture. Even without context or explanation, fans around the world understood that the song selection mattered. Whether he was going through something, reflecting on a past emotion, or simply vibing with a beautiful piece of music, SUGA invited ARMY into that moment with him, no walls, no filter. What made it even more meaningful was that he didn’t offer commentary. He just let the song play, softly in the background, as if it were part of his own personal soundtrack for the night. And somehow, that said more than words ever could.
At its core, that VLive, and the song within it, was another example of how SUGA connects with ARMY in his own unique way. No dramatic announcements, no grand gestures. Just a quiet song in a quiet room, shared with millions of people who care enough to notice the details. In that moment, “Whiskey & Morphine” wasn’t just a song. It was a shared feeling. A memory in the making. A message from an artist who, even in silence, knows how to speak volumes.
I am always learning new songs and knowing new artists through BTS. They not only share their music with fans but also love for us to listen to new music and learn more about other artists that they enjoy listening to. That is why BTS is loved so much, they always share what they love and what they feel like ARMY would enjoy.
RM shared “Whiskey & Morphine” on Twitter
The song
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