Song Review:: Yoon San-ha (Astro): Dusk- Dive {Debut}

• Release date: 2024 August 06

• Album tracklist: Yeowoobyul, Losing My Mind, BITTERSWEET MISTAKE, Dive, Bleeding, Rain Down on Me

• Album runtime: 20 minutes

One of the few good things about being so new to the K-Pop thing is that I don't have the emotional ties that come from longevity and deep familiarity with a subject.

I just want to preface this whole thing with I do actually enjoy this song. It's very easy listening and the mellow vibes are something I am very much down for. 

The melancholy guitar at the beginning sets the mood for a rainy drive down a lonely highway. And really that's this kind of song. We get little bursts of energy at the chorus, as it should, where the drums get to kick up, but the mood never leaves melancholy though, not really, even during the bridge where the drums remain and everything else leaves. The synth could grind more, bulk up the energy in spots, but I'm also sure that it would ruin The Point. Without looking at the English translation (yet), this might be a love song, if it is one, but it's not a happy one. 

Sanha has a lovely voice, and Dive does highlight it, which is good because this is a solo debut. Unfortunately, it also doesn't make it stand out, which is not so good because this is a solo debut. This is a perfect song for a rainy drive, but that also means it washes over you so you can brood without being interrupted. I do however appreciate that there's a little bit of rapping to break up the flow and pulse of the song, not something I ever thought I'd be saying in my life. But, frankly, the fact that he's even releasing music is nothing short of a miracle as far as I'm concerned. As a solo debut, I think it might have been the wrong choice, but for a song on the debut album, it is a perfect choice. 

If I didn't know the emotion was grief, I'd suspect the emotion flooding the music video from the very first moments was grief. It's that palpable. I can't think too hard about those lyrics, because I have to be in a very specific mood for sad songs. So instead, I'll talk about the cinematography because that helps with some degrees of separation. The cool tones with the emphasis on blues and greens, definitely focuses the emotion on Sad, as does the desaturation. The prevalence of wide shots to emphasize the loneliness of the character also contributes to the grief of the piece. I particularly liked the filming locations, primarily that of being in the city with no one else around. It's a very different kind of loneliness to the one found when alone in nature. It all speaks to the loss, which I'm not saying is Moonbin, but if it isn't, I will eat my hair. (I did notice a lack of Sanha in the credits for the song, but in this case, I'm not putting too much emphasis on it). The music video is very well-designed to match the concept of Grief that everything else is also supporting, so I am pleased about that. Well, as pleased as I can be under the circumstances. 

There's also something I find special about the maknae of any particular group stepping out away from the group, special and so sad inherently. For Sanha, I'm glad he has found a way to find his own footing, as precarious as it may or may not be, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else he can do.