As Astro’s youngest member, Yoon Sanha has often been constrained by the concepts he’s able to attempt. Last year’s solo effort Dive also seemed a bit confused, attempting a darker makeover that didn’t fit well with his charm as a performer. New title track Extra Virgin gives him a funk makeover, similar to the sound of Astro sub-unit Jinjin & Rocky.
This fresh energy feels much more engaging and lets Sanha display more colorful personality. Extra Virgin could certainly be more sprightly, but its percussive groove gives him plenty to work with. The beat even incorporates some rootsy rock flourishes. In a parallel world, this could have been a country song, though that would have been a surprised genre turn. Instead, Extra Virgin is straightforward and energetic, hinging on a sung-spoken chorus that emphasizes character over robust melodic lines.
While this works well, I would have loved to hear a post-chorus or bridge that dipped into more melodic territory. Extra Virgin often feels dangerously close to “novelty.” It’s not a jokey or even gimmicky song, but the execution can feel like a kid putting on a show in their backyard. There’s nothing wrong with that and I guess it’s kind of Sanha’s schtick anyways. However, the track also doles out occasional flashes of legitimate excitement, making me want to give it a little push in a more satisfying direction.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The silly funk flavor is nice, and the whole production feels complete, but it’s like a dish that forgot to put enough salt. It all feels right (except the lack of more dynamic melody in the chorus), but doesn’t have the effect on me I’m thinking it should.
8,9,8,7 = 8
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This song was quite an improvement compared to his debut. I really liked it because it fits Sanha’s personality much better.
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I laughed when I saw the title imma be honest.
The song is serviceable and charming enough to see myself coming back to it.
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Friend called this one extra virgin olive oil.
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This sounds like a Super junior b-side – they put one like this on almost every album. … I can’t decide between something on Timeless versus something on Timeslip, but there is one.
The main problem is that once again a soloist is singing a song that is crafted for multiple parts. You can almost hear where one voice would have couple lines, another with a couple more lines, someone else takes the prechorus, the high parts, the deep parts etc. To pull it off, the performer has to do that rare thing and sing the whole song through once to tape, not the piece-meal studio production. He could have or might have, but that is not the usual these days.
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