YOON SANHA: A few insights from the artist on his solo return

“I still have so many things I want to do. I’m ambitious. I want to send the message: ‘ASTRO isn’t done. If the youngest can do this—imagine what the older members can do!’”

Back as a solo artist, ASTRO’s YOON SANHA brings undiminished passion even after a decade in the industry.

He recently sat down with reporters in Gangnam, Seoul, to celebrate the release of his second solo mini-album, “CHAMELEON”, dropping 11 months after his last. The title track, “Extra virgin”, fuses country-style chord progressions with powerful hip-hop beats for a bold, hybrid sound. Through it, YOON SANHA expresses his commitment to constantly reinvent himself, no matter the musical style, while imprinting it with his own color.

This album is defined by the strong identity of each track. “On my first album, “DUSK”, the songs felt connected. With “CHAMELEON”, every track has its own concept,” he explains.

The album concept was inspired by his annual birthday concert, “Sanha Night”. He shares:

“A chameleon adapts to new environments by changing color. Similarly, I merged into each track by adding my own style.”

He adds, “During Sanha Night, I cover other artists’ songs. By channeling their emotions, I developed my own vocal identity and expressive style.”

YOON SANHA

While preparing this album, he also overcame his fear of songwriting:

“I used to be afraid of writing lyrics. I thought I wasn’t good at it. That was still the case on my first album, but people around me said I’d improved. That gave me confidence. This time, I even offered to write the fan song for the agency. Discovering this new side of me, I felt changed.”

On the title track, we also see YOON SANHA trying his hand at rap, a first in his solo career. “I rapped during Moonbin & Sanha promotions, but this time it’s deeper. It was hard at first, especially controlling my voice projection, but people told me I nailed it… just like a true chameleon,” he says proudly.

The album’s preparation coincided with ASTRO’s full-group concert, creating a tight schedule: “I filmed the music video until the day before we left for our concert in Japan. Many said it must’ve been tough—but I loved every moment.” He continues: “I told the members: ‘No matter what, don’t stress—enjoy it.’ We were all so busy that we practiced late into the night. Even when exhausted, being together reminded us of old memories and brought positive energy. We even had dinner together at the studio—it had been so long. The concert had a great impact on the album.”

YOON SANHA

ASTRO member CHA EUNWOO is set to enlist in the army on July 28. YOON SANHA jokes: “I tease him a lot. He jokingly says, ‘You’re up next soon, right? Your turn’s coming.’” More seriously, he admits: “All the members are night owls. We call each other at night for spontaneous meets. I’m going to miss not being able to do that with Eunwoo-hyung. His absence will be felt.”

CHA EUNWOO has been non-stop as both ASTRO member and actor. SANHA shows heartfelt affection: “Hyung has gone full throttle since debut. Sure, military service won’t be easy, but I hope he can rest fully without thinking about work.”

Now in his 10th year, YOON SANHA says ASTRO’s most recent full-group concert was the standout moment of his decade:

“We performed ‘Fly’, the duet written by Jinjin-hyung and originally sung with Moonbin-hyung, as all six of us. We divided the parts even though the song was meant only for their voices.”

The toughest moment, of course, was losing MOONBIN, his friend and partner: “It’s still so hard. It was probably the hardest time in my 26 years.” Yet he chose to move forward with MOONBIN’s memory in his heart: “I tried to include in this album everything I learned from him—his personality, his performances, our time together. This album isn’t just YOON SANHA’s—it’s one that carries Bin-hyung with me.”

He continues: “Performing with Moonbin & Sanha was a huge growth period. We were about five years in, and sharing the stage with him made me realize the joy of live performance. That led me to this solo chapter.”

SANHA will star in KBS2’s new drama, “My girlfriend is a man”, premiering July 23. The romantic comedy features YOON SANHA in his first leading role on a major network, alongside Kim Ji-eun (played by Arin), about a girlfriend who suddenly becomes a “pretty boy.”

He shares an ambitious goal: “I want to win a Best New Actor award. You have to aim high, right? I’m ambitious.” And adds: “Being recognized for my acting would mean a lot. I want to be proud of myself. I’ll give my all in music and acting.”

Regarding his title track, he explains: “The chorus says ‘Extra virgin taste.’ I looked it up—it means ‘top-level olive oil.’ That resonated with me, because I want to be a top-tier artist.”

YOON SANHA

The agency had preferred the word ‘iconic’ instead of ‘extra virgin’, but SANHA stood firm:

“They said it reminded people too much of olive oil. I thought that too, but the word itself is classy, strong. I insisted—it had to be that or nothing.”

The album features five tracks in different styles: