ASTRO to release first full-length album on Jan. 16, but bumpy road ahead

ASTRO will release its first studio album “All Light” on Jan. 16. Capture from ASTRO's official Twitter

By Dong Sun-hwa

K-pop boy band ASTRO will release its first full-length album “All Light” on Jan. 16 ― the brainchild of the six members' concerted efforts for one year.

The bad news is that several competitive K-pop bands ― such as Seventeen, GFriend and Apink ― are set to return with albums this month, meaning ASTRO's six members will have to make extra efforts to outdo their rivals.

In a preemptive endeavor, the band has released teaser images on its Twitter and other social media accounts on Monday, with other promotions and marketing events to follow.

“We will open up details of the album gradually, one after another,” said a spokesman for the band's agency Fantagio. “Please look forward to ASTRO's first studio album.”

It has taken more than a year for band members Cha Eun-woo, Moon Bin, Rocky, Yoon San-ha, JinJin and MJ to get involved as a group since its album “Dream Part.02” in Nov. 2017. The lead track was “Crazy Sexy Cool.”

ASTRO made its official debut in 2016 with the mini-album “Spring up.” Its flagship member Cha Eun-woo has been thriving as an actor after starring in the JTBC drama “My ID is Gangnam Beauty,” which ended on Sept. 2018.