ASTRO's YOON SAN-HA opens up about working on his most personal album yet 'NO REASON': "That whole process was a period of significant change and growth for me"

BY Sofia-Sayson · June 15, 2026

Although YOON SAN-HA’s previous solo work clearly showcased facets of himself as an artist and an individual, his latest project dives even deeper. It offers listeners an intimate glimpse into who SANHA is today and who he is becoming.

After debuting in 2016 as a member of the beloved boy group ASTRO, SANHA established his solo identity eight years later with the mini-album 'DUSK.' This was followed by his second mini-album, 'CHAMELEON,' and now his third, 'NO REASON.'

In his new project, SANHA shows that he is more than just his familiar image. 'NO REASON' is a bold declaration of this evolution, making it his most personal work to date. Free from external pressure, the album captures a side of SANHA rooted in pure sincerity.

SANHA told allkpop that he believes he is still in the process of discovering himself, which lends the album a raw, authentic quality. "Rather than finding a definitive answer, I have come to accept the process itself," he shared. As he navigates this path, SANHA invites the audience to witness his journey of "becoming."

'NO REASON' features five new tracks: the hybrid pop title song "IDK ME" and B-sides including "NO REASON," "If We," "+1," and "demo." Throughout the project, SANHA showcases raw emotions and explores new vocal colors—revealing that he recorded the title track five different times to get it right. "That’s how much I wanted to perfect it, and I’m very happy with how it turned out after all those recording sessions," he said.

Following the release of NO REASON, allkpop had the opportunity to catch up with SANHA to discuss the inspiration behind the project and how it represents his growth as an artist. Read our full exclusive interview with him below.

You might also want to check out our interview with YOON SAN-HA for 'DUSK' in 2024 here.

allkpop: First of all, congratulations on your new solo project! Apart from releasing an album, what else are you planning to work on or achieve for the rest of the year?

SANHA: I hope people get to know me for who I am. I’d be happy if they felt that I approach music with sincerity. I also hope my songs naturally find a place on people’s playlists and stay there for a long time. If this album helps people understand my sincerity, my stories, and who I am even just a little bit, that alone will be enough for me.

allkpop: Could you please talk more about the meaning behind the message you want to convey through ‘NO REASON’?

SANHA: I think I’m a pretty simple person, so I felt the phrase “no reason” suited my personality well. In the past, when working on an album or doing interviews, I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to present a perfect image and give perfect answers. For this album, I really wanted to show a more honest side of myself to the public, and I wanted to capture my unembellished self. That’s why I chose “no reason” as the keyword for this album.

allkpop: The album also features the title track “IDK ME.” What does that track, or the album as a whole, tell you about your current state of artistic identity? And how has the process of “becoming” been for you so far?

SANHA: I believe I am still in the process of getting to know myself. Rather than finding a definitive answer, I have come to accept the process itself. I want to say that 'NO REASON' is an album that captures who I am right now, in the most authentic way possible.

allkpop: The project is your most personal work yet. In what ways do you feel most connected to the mini-album, and why is it your most personal work yet?

SANHA: I tried my best to reflect my thoughts and emotions as much as possible, not only in the musical elements but also in the themes and messages. I consider it my most personal work because it honestly captures the concerns and feelings I’ve experienced throughout my life. It’s especially meaningful to me because it captures sides of myself that I haven’t shown before.

allkpop: You also participated in creating some of the songs on the mini-album. What was it like working on those tracks, as well as collaborating with other writers to perfectly convey your message to the listeners?

SANHA: I’m not used to opening up about my thoughts and feelings, so the composers really helped me share my stories naturally during our sessions. Thanks to their help, I felt comfortable talking about my experiences, and I think that process is reflected in the songs as well. In particular, “If We” and “+1” are tracks that reflect my own thoughts and experiences, so they hold a special place in my heart.

allkpop: Since this project is your most personal and honest one yet, is there a specific lyric from any of the songs on the album that best captures your journey or resonates with you the most?

SANHA: The line from "+1" that goes, "As time passes and I look back, everything will have added up," is the most memorable for me. There have been many happy moments throughout my journey, but there have also been difficult times. During those times, I would tell myself to just keep going, much like the mindset behind 'NO REASON.' Even if I face a similar situation again in the future, I believe I will be stronger because I’ve already experienced it. In that sense, I relate to this lyric more these days because every experience feels like a “+1” that helps shape who I am.

allkpop: We love the lyrics in “IDK ME” that say, “If I don’t know me yet, how could you?” Which part of your image do you think people most often misunderstand about you?

SANHA: I wouldn’t say it’s a misconception, but I think many people still see me as ASTRO’s cute youngest member. That is definitely a part of who I am, but as time has passed, I’ve grown a lot, and the range of emotions and different sides of myself that I can express has expanded as well. Rather than trying to break away from that image, I want to embrace it while also showing the more diverse facets of who I am today.

allkpop: It’s been almost two years since your solo debut with ‘DUSK.’ If you were to compare yourself back then to who you are now, in what ways have you changed or improved?

SANHA: I feel that I have grown a lot in many ways through this album. It was a project where I could learn and experience so much, both as an artist and as a person. Because I was involved from the planning stages, I’ve become even more attached to the album and confident in it. I feel more relaxed and confident on stage, and I'm genuinely enjoying it. As a person, I’ve learned how to honestly express my thoughts and feelings. It was a meaningful experience that allowed me to understand myself better.

allkpop: You also mentioned in an interview that you think you’ve grown the most vocally. What steps did you take to improve in that aspect? Also, when you were in the recording studio, how did you work on capturing the right emotions so they could be felt strongly in the tracks?

SANHA: As I was recording melodies that were different from what I was used to, my first thought was that fans might hear them and think, "This is a new side of SANHA." So I tried to explore a different vocal tone from what I had shown before. I ended up recording the title track five different times, which was a first for me since my debut. That’s how much I wanted to perfect it, and I’m very happy with how it turned out after all those recording sessions.

allkpop: Is there a life mantra that you live by that helped you during the preparation for this album?

SANHA: “No reason" seems like a simple phrase, but it gave me such strength and comfort during this promotion. Whenever I was about to overthink stuff, I told myself to “just do it,” or “just try it.” Once I actually did, it wasn't that big of a deal. I think it's okay to make mistakes, and if there are things I lack, I can just acknowledge them and do better next time. So these days, I try to approach everything with the mindset of 'NO REASON'—just do it, just give it a try, and not overthink it.

allkpop: You mentioned in a past interview that, as the youngest member, you used to lead your older members without question. Now that you’ve been taking charge of preparing and pitching ideas for your solo music, how has that change been for you? What was that transition like?

SANHA: Since I am the youngest in the group, I often relied on and followed the older members' suggestions. For this album, I got to take part in the creative process from the very beginning, and seeing my ideas reflected in the final result gives me a greater sense of responsibility and satisfaction.

allkpop: Through this comeback, you mentioned that you want to show a facet of yourself that is truly "YOON SAN-HA." Was there a new side of yourself as an artist that you noticed or discovered during this process that surprised you?

SANHA: While working on this album, I learned how to be more open about my thoughts and emotions. Because I wanted to include as much of my own story as possible, I tried to be more honest with myself. I realized that my own color comes through more clearly when I share stories that are personal to me. It was a meaningful experience that helped me grow further as an artist.

allkpop: What was the most challenging part for you this time around, and how did you overcome it?

SANHA: For this album, I shared my ideas and had many discussions with my team from the very beginning about everything from songwriting and composition to the visual direction. At first, it wasn’t easy for me to speak my mind. However, I came to realize that I needed to be honest about what I wanted in order for my own identity to come through in the music. That whole process was a period of significant change and growth for me.

allkpop: Is there one track on ‘NO REASON’ that you’d love to talk about in particular? Maybe something that you’re really proud of bringing to life, or something that holds a special place in your heart.

SANHA: All of them are meaningful to me, but if I had to pick just one, it would be the title track, “IDK ME.” From the process of coming up with the title “IDK ME” to the album cover photoshoot and music video filming, there wasn’t a single detail that I didn’t pay close attention to. Because I was personally involved in every step of the process and poured so much care into it, it feels that much more special to me.

allkpop: In a recent Q&A, you said that you paid particular attention to the album’s visual aspects. What was your inspiration behind that part?

SANHA: My biggest priority for this album was to show myself as I am. I wanted to present a more natural side of myself while still showing something different from before, and the biggest change I made was cutting my hair short. My team initially suggested a haircut, and I wanted to take it even further with a drastic change to better express the concept. As a result, I got to sport the shortest hairstyle I’ve ever shown.

allkpop: If there’s one reason people should listen to SANHA’s music, what would it be?

SANHA: Because it’s a chance to get to know YOON SAN-HA better. I wanted to share my thoughts and emotions as honestly as possible, both as an artist and as a person. If my music can bring even a little comfort to someone or help them unwind at the end of the day, that alone would mean a lot to me.

allkpop: Lastly, please share your final message to your fans and allkpop readers.

SANHA: While preparing this album over the past 10 months since my last release, I feel that I’ve grown a lot both musically and as a person. I worked hard to capture that growth, along with new sides of myself, in this album. To all the AROHAs who waited for me, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. I hope allkpop readers enjoy listening to my third mini-album, 'NO REASON,' and show it lots of love! Thank you!

#Sanha

Read on allkpop ↗

More on allkpop

No articles to show.