Astro haven’t released a single or album since the passing of member Moonbin last April. Any new music would surely be laced with an undertone of sadness, and that’s completely natural. But for a group who built their name on upbeat bubblegum pop, it’s almost hard to imagine their music taking on a mournful tone.
Circles celebrates Astro’s debut anniversary, though ex-member Rocky is not involved. Their classic Hide & Seek released eight (!) years ago, and re-watching that youthful blast of a video today is intensely nostalgic. Circles rekindles the sound of Astro ballads from that era, but without the melodic heft or soaring climaxes that made them so satisfying. I don’t think producers Iggy & Youngbae even work together anymore, but a reunion on a new Astro single would have been a total dream. Some producer/artist matches are simply made in heaven. Circles is suitably pensive and quite heartwarming, but I encourage you to go back to their debut year to celebrate this milestone. You really can’t go wrong with Astro in 2016 or 2017.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
There is a b-side song just like this on every Super Junior album. Its a kpop thing, especially for the 2nd-3rd gen.
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Happy to see them do anything at all. Its a 10 for me. Kinda an automatic 10 honestly. They’re going through so much and I just kinda wanted to hear them. It helps that song is really really good.
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I was expecting a regular kindof unidentifiable ballad, but nope, this hit me right off the bat with a very distinct, powerful nostalgic feeling.
Right from the production in the intro, this sounds like //them//. And it made me realize how dearly I’ve missed these guys.
I love Astro so much. I hope they’re all doing okay.
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