'I saw myself struggling': Astro's Yoon San-ha reflects on difficulties that led him to 'Dusk'

“The moment I wanted to make a solo album was around December last year,” Yoon told reporters during a press conference held Tuesday at the Banyan Tree Seoul hotel in central Seoul ahead of the album’s release at 6 p.m.

Yoon San-ha, or Sanha or boy band Astro, at a press showcase held on Aug. 6 in central Seoul [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

Feeling loss and feeling lost — such emotions are abundant in singer Yoon San-ha’s first album “Dusk” because they’re the very emotions that led him to make his solo debut, according to the Astro member.

“The moment I wanted to make a solo album was around December last year,” Yoon told reporters during a press conference held Tuesday at the Banyan Tree Seoul hotel in central Seoul ahead of the album’s release at 6 p.m.

“I had been taking some time off due to some difficulties, and I saw myself struggling. I wanted to see the fans cheer up, so I held the solo concert in March. The energy and support that I received made me remember why I wanted to become a singer, and it made me realize why I started all this.”

Yoon made his solo debut with the six-track EP “Dusk,” an album that doesn’t turn away from the dark feelings that he held inside of himself. The singer faces them straight on, realizing that there is also comfort and calm in the darkness.

“Dusk is a short-lived and happy time, but the emotions that come after are also worth living for,” Yoon said, introducing the lead track, “Dive.”

Yoon San-ha, or Sanha or boy band Astro, at a press showcase held on Aug. 6 in central Seoul [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

“Dive” is an alternative R&B pop song with a powerful beat and cinematic ambience. It brings out the most nostalgic longing for our happiest memories. Having perfected Astro’s songs with his exquisite vocals, Yoon brings his talents once again to “Dive,” which took two days for him to perfect.

“I wanted to shed light on both the fears that come before jumping in and knowing that it's OK after you actually make the jump,” he said. “I also felt really nervous before doing all this, but I became happy after I did it. I usually get my recording done really fast, but ‘Dive’ took me seven to eight hours because it was difficult for me to get the emotion across.”

The EP is followed by “Yeowoobyul,” a song written by Yoon himself, as well as “Losing My Mind,” a song dedicated to everyone who has lost a loved one, “Bittersweet Mistake,” “Bleeding” and “Rain Down On Me.”

Sanha had “someone particular” on his mind when he first heard “Dive,” just as he did with “Losing My Mind."

Yoon San-ha, or Sanha or boy band Astro, at a press showcase held on Aug. 6 in central Seoul [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

Yoon San-ha, or Sanha or boy band Astro, at a press showcase held on Aug. 6 in central Seoul [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

“When I first heard the song ‘Dive,’ I thought about the person that I really missed but I couldn’t see,” he said. “The bit ‘Losing my mind’ sent me to tears when I heard it in my car for the first time. I think the word ‘losing’ made me so sad.”

“Dusk” comes as Yoon’s first music in six months since Astro’s digital single “Circles” was released in February. It also comes a year and seven months after “Incense,” an album he released with his late bandmate Moonbin, as the duo Moonbin & Sanha, in January last year.

He formed the duo with Astro bandmate Moonbin in September 2020 with the EP "In-Out." The duo released its last EP "Incense" in January 2023. Moonbin died three months later.

“The song ‘Yeowoobyul’ is about the color of the sky just before the sun comes down,” Yoon said. “Yeowoobyul is the star that comes up in the sky regardless of the bad weather. I look up to the sky whenever I'm down, so I wanted to write something about the sky. I also wanted to persevere through hardships, which is why I chose to write a song about this.”

Yoon San-ha, or Sanha or boy band Astro, at a press showcase held on Aug. 6 in central Seoul [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

Yoon made his debut in 2015 with the web drama series "To Be Continued," and then began his singing career with Astro in February 2016. As the soloist Yoon San-ha, his goal is to show how much he’s matured compared to his role as the youngest member of Astro.

“I could see myself as subtly grown up — somehow a little more mature than before,” he said. “The charm I wanted to show as Yoon San-ha is that I could pull this off as a solo artist. The cute image as Astro's youngest member stuck with me, but I want people to think that I've changed in a way — more mature.”

His goal for now is simple: to follow in the footsteps of bandmate and famous singer and actor Cha Eun-woo.

Yoon San-ha, or Sanha or boy band Astro, at a press showcase held on Aug. 6 in central Seoul [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

“With Eun-woo, I always thought that he's an amazing person,” he said. “His appearance and actions are so mature and makes me want to learn from him. He does things that made me wonder how he could be so far ahead of everyone. His character is also something that I look up to.”

“And to be honest, his fame is also very inspirational,” he added.

Yoon will hold solo concerts in Korea and Japan following the album's release. He is also set to star in the upcoming romantic comedy drama series “My Girlfriend is a Real Man” (translated).

“I just really hope that you are all healthy and happy. I will be content with that.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]