5 Facts About ASTRO, The K-Pop Band You'll Regret Not Stanning

Ever since Astro debuted under Fantagio Entertainment in February 2016 with their single “Hide & Seek,” the K-pop group has continued to grow in popularity each year. They’ve amassed over 11 million followers across Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and have earned over 30 award show nominations throughout their career. Their latest achievement includes topping the Gaon Weekly Retail Album Chart in April following the release of their second studio album, All Yours. Since they gain new fans every day, you might be wondering, “Who is Astro?” They’ll be on your radar sooner or later, so get ahead of the game by learning these five facts about them below.

1. Astro has six members.

MJ is the oldest at 27 years old, and he’s one of the group’s vocalists. JinJin, 25, is Astro’s leader and is known for his rapping abilities. Eunwoo, 24, is a vocalist, too. Outside of the group, he’s a popular actor who’s starred in K-dramas like My ID is Gangnam Beauty and Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung. 23-year-old Moonbin is also a vocalist, while Rocky, 22, is a vocalist and rapper. Meanwhile, Sanha, who’s considered the “maknae” (aka, youngest member) of the group at 21 years old, is another vocalist.

2. Astro’s fans are called AROHA.

Astro announced their official fandom name at their debut showcase on Feb. 23, 2016. They revealed they chose “AROHA” because it’s a combination of ASTRO, Heart, and All fans. The name is supposed to symbolize the love between Astro and their devoted followers.

3. Astro has 15 singles and 14 albums under their belt.

Astro has been keeping busy these past five years as a group. They’ve released several projects throughout their career, including their hit singles “Crazy Sexy Cool,” which peaked at No. 11 on the World Digital Song Sales Chart, and “All Night,” which came in at No. 6.

Astro’s latest single, “One,” dropped alongside their All Yours album in April. It debuted at No. 1 on the Gaon Weekly Retail Album Chart and has since been certified platinum by Gaon, making it Astro’s first album to be certified by the Korea Music Content Association, which owns the Gaon Music Chart.

4. Astro’s eighth EP will drop this summer.

On Aug. 2, Astro will release their new mini-album, Switch On, featuring their lead single “After Midnight.” The project will mark the group’s first EP since the release of Gateway in May 2020.

To get fans hyped for their August release, Astro shared a highlight medley on YouTube teasing their new Switch On songs. The clip revealed their EP will have six tracks.

5. Astro has a new variety show on the way.

In celebration of their new album and single, Astro will premiere a new variety show called Before Midnight on July 31 at 11 p.m. KST (that’s 10 a.m. ET). Fans can watch the show on the Korean streaming platform Naver Now. New episodes will air every Saturday.

Now that you know more about Astro, make sure to keep up with them on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.