"There are many musicians who have inspired me, but you are one of the people who have influenced me the most."

As the last instalment of the year-long project by Ryuichi Sakamoto's label, commmons, SUGA of BTS has shared some choice words about his ten favourite pieces by the renowned pianist. 

The final installment of the year-long surprise gift from Ryuichi's label, commmons,
10 Favorites by Ryuichi Sakamoto
Post #25, by SUGAhttps://t.co/Jz9Ueyz8YI#私が好きな坂本龍一10選#10favoritesryuichisakamoto#坂本龍一#ryuichisakamoto#skmtnews#BTSARMY#BTSSUGA#BTS

— ryuichi sakamoto (@ryuichisakamoto) January 26, 2023

SUGA's list is the 25th entry in the 10 Favorites series, joining the likes of animation director Shinichiro Watanabe, novelist Ryu Murakami, film director Lee Sang-il, and more.

BTS' SUGA unveils 'D-DAY' tracklist featuring j-hope, Ryuichi Sakamoto, The Rose's WOOSUNG, and IU

Citing the live performance version of 'Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence' as his all-time favourite piece, the multihyphenate shares how listening to this piece when he was an elementary student made him dream of becoming a singer. "It feels like a piece that expressed a Japanese Christmas well." SUGA grew up playing the piano, and has showcased his talent on keys in music videos and live performances with BTS.

In Sakamoto's final essay for How Many Full Moons Will I See In The Future in Japanese literary magazine, Shincho, the composer also shared an andecdote about meeting SUGA. The pair met in September, when the rapper visited Tokyo. While their meeting was short and brief, SUGA left a lasting impact on Sakamoto, with him sharing how the global superstar was "humble and cool" and serious about music. 

The iconic Japanese musician recently released his new album, 12, a sonic diary of his ongoing battle with cancer. The somber record comes six years after his critically acclaimed album, async, under Milan Records.

Last December 2022, Sakamoto aired a livestream concert for his Playing The Piano series. 

Meanwhile, SUGA was recently announced as the global ambassador of Valentino and made his fashion week debut at Paris Fashion Week. He's also currently hosting his own talk show, Suchwita, and reportedly working on his new solo album.