Astro member Yoon San-ha mentioned the late member Go (故) Moon-bin as he makes his solo comeback.
Yoon will release his mini-album 'Chameleon' today (15th). This is his second mini-album released 11 months after his solo debut, capturing his diverse musical world, which changes like a chameleon that alters its body color based on its environment. Ahead of the album release, on the 3rd, we met Yoon at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to discuss the album and his recent updates.
"I am releasing my second album after 11 months," Yoon said. "11 months can feel long or short, but for me, that time made me deeper and stronger. Thanks to the support and patience of my fans, I found the courage to return with my second album. I prepared hard for this. I hope you listen to it a lot this summer," he noted.
During the deep and strong time, what happened in those 11 months? Yoon shared, "I held my first solo fan concert. I also filmed my first leading role in a drama. Through the 'SANiGHT' small theater performance, I became mentally stronger. While holding the fourth concert of Astro, not only me but my members also grew a lot. Since my members have been quite active individually lately, I found it fascinating yet gratifying." He smiled.
In particular, he emphasized the fans' reactions of "I have grown" by saying, "I feel I grew when we performed as Moon-bin & San-ha." He explained, "When I performed with Bin and traveled a lot, even though it was around our 5th debut year, I realized how enjoyable it is to perform on stage. I think that's how I can show it now in my solo projects."
Having reached his 10th year since debuting with Astro in 2016, he reflected on both the happiest and the toughest moments, mentioning the Astro members. Yoon said, "The most memorable thing was undoubtedly the concert we held recently. When we announced the concert, there were so many fans, both local and international, who had been waiting for us. We practiced even harder because of that support. It was unfortunate when it ended, but we were able to show ourselves in other countries." He expressed, "Both in Japan and Korea, I felt happy seeing my members without any injuries, and that alone was enough. That's why it stands out the most in my memory."
Additionally, he revealed, "The most difficult moment was certainly when we lost Moon-bin." On April 19, 2023, Astro member Moon-bin unexpectedly passed away. Yoon spent a lot of time with Moon-bin not only during their Astro activities but also as part of the project group Moon-bin & San-ha. Yoon shared, "I still find it really hard. There are certainly many difficult things in my life, but at 26, that moment feels like the toughest in my life."
Yoon particularly added, "Even now, I feel sad and lonely. When I feel these emotions, I try to take the time to embrace them rather than being out of my mind. I tried to incorporate the character, performance, and everything I learned during that time with my brother into my album, my song, and my performance. So this album is indeed Yoon San-ha's album, but I want to cautiously say it also carries the colors of Bin, who led me up to this point."
(Continued in the next interview.)
[Photo] Provided by Fantagio.
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