(Following Interview ②), ASTRO member Yoon San-ha has returned as a solo artist and shared his feelings about achieving the dream of holding a full-group dome concert.
Yoon San-ha will release his mini album 'CHAMELEON' today (15th). This second mini album comes 11 months after his solo debut, capturing his ever-changing musical world, much like a chameleon that changes its body color according to the environment. Ahead of the album release, on the 3rd, we met Yoon San-ha at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to discuss the album and his recent activities.
Before his solo comeback, Yoon San-ha met with fans during ASTRO's fourth solo concert 'The 4th ASTROAD-STARGRAPHY' in June. Notably, ASTRO realized their dream of holding a dome concert at Fukuoka PayPay Dome in Japan through this concert.
Yoon San-ha said, "I started preparing for solo activities from March or April before getting ready for the ASTRO concert. It has been about five days since I returned from the concert in Japan, and I filmed the music video the day before I left. Everyone told me that they must have found it hard preparing for the ASTRO concert, but I really enjoyed the concert. Before it started, we talked about how no matter how hard it is, we shouldn't be sensitive, and even if we do get sensitive, we should enjoy that time. We started with that mindset. Many times, we practiced early in the morning. Not just me, all the members were busy, so gathering in a tired state brought back a lot of memories. Eating together in the practice room after a long time felt like a good energy. I received a lot of positive energy for the album preparation thanks to the concert."
In particular, he expressed his happiness about showcasing a dome concert stage, saying, "It was so happy to finally get to perform on a dome stage I had dreamed of since debut after about 9 or 10 years. I tried to capture every moment of the performance in my eyes. I deliberately made the setlist focus heavily on title tracks. I thought that by showing the songs we had promoted as title tracks, even if it was hard for us, the audience would enjoy it even more. It was really fun," he said, glowing with excitement. He added, "I have another goal now. I hope to become an artist who can also shine as a solo artist. I wish to be an invisible driving force for each other that we think about how much San-ha has developed when fans are invited."
Moreover, this ASTRO concert included member Rocky, who has left the team. However, there were also dissenting voices among some of the ASTRO fandom regarding this.
Yoon San-ha said, "When the four of us gathered, I absolutely insisted that we should do it together with Rocky hyung. Eventually, Jinin and Eunwoo hyung contacted Rocky hyung with the opinion to do it together. Rocky hyung said he was waiting for our call with great eagerness. He expressed gratitude in a way that showed he was very thankful. I think I was happy to do it with him. He is a member I used to work with, and I still feel like we are together in my heart, so I was happy," revealing his feelings about the process of reuniting the full group of ASTRO.
When asked about the fans' reactions, he said, "It is true that we were surprised because we didn't think it would reach that point when we discussed it among ourselves. Our hearts were in sync as a five-member group, but none of the members were panicked or asking, 'What should we do?' Because this stage was performed by the six of us, including Moonbin hyung, we couldn't be flustered. We have our desires to perform, so I believed that the fans who love us would come and support us, and we focused solely on practice," he emphasized, adding, "Even when we met in person at the concert venue, I didn’t feel any negative reactions at all."
Among this, the late Moonbin, who passed away on April 19, 2023, was present through music. The setlist included the songs 'Footsteps,' written by Moonbin, and 'Fly,' which was created in collaboration with Jinin.
Yoon San-ha particularly noted a memorable moment at the concert, saying it was when they performed 'Fly.' He explained, "Jinin hyung wrote and composed it, and we sang the song that Moonbin hyung had presented as a digital single together in the same voice. That stage originally had only Bin hyung and Jinin hyung in the recording, but we shared the parts and performed the stage while speaking as individuals as well as together with Bin hyung."
He further expressed, "Honestly, both the fans and we were very sad at the venue. It was very sad, but the essence of our concert was to cry when we wanted to cry and to be happy when we were happy. That is the charm of the concert. I feel like the members also showed the stage earnestly and sincerely, so that 'Fly' stage remains the most memorable for me."
Furthermore, he noted that as they marked their 10th anniversary since debuting in 2016 with ASTRO, the most memorable moment was also the recent dome concert. Yoon San-ha said, "When we said we were going to hold a concert, there were so many overseas fans waiting for us as well. We practiced even harder, receiving that energy. It was disappointing when it ended, but we could show our appearance in other countries. Whether in Japan or Korea, I was happy seeing my members without anyone getting hurt, and that alone was enough for me. So that remains the most memorable moment for me."
(Continues in Interview ④.)
[Photo] Provided by Fantagio.
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