ASTRO Moonbin and Sanha Redeem Themselves From A Broken Heart in ‘Ghost Town’

K-pop boy group ASTRO’s Moonbin and Sanha make their first-ever comeback as a unit with the latest release, “Ghost Town.” The pre-release single gives listeners a taste of what they can expect from the duo’s upcoming EP—details of which are yet to be revealed. 

Composed and penned by PCDC, “Ghost Town” is a low-tempo R&B track rooted in hip-hop beats. A fair share of the track’s earworming melody can be credited to the blend between the soothing guitar sounds and 808 bass, weaving a pensive atmosphere for the lyrics to shine. Aurally, the track undergoes minimal sonic changes, maintaining a sense of familiarity and stability, allowing listeners to focus on the treasure chest of vocal and lyrical gems.

Reflecting on a hollow relationship, Moonbin and Sanha become the mouthpieces of a lone protagonist brooding over the loss of a partner; “It’s empty here only a hollow shell/ You were my everything but now/ Used to be a God’s dream.” The title in itself is used as a metaphorical device, describing the relationship which hauntingly resembled a ghost town. Determined to leave all residual feelings behind, the protagonist lets go off the relationship, “Let you go now/ I’m about to kick it with some ghosts now/ Without any lingering feelings go down/ I gotta ticket out in ghost town (Simplify me)/ Gotta go now.”

With an intense color palette rich in red and black hues, the music video draws its inspiration from an eerie eclipse with Moonbin and Sanha performing against the backdrop. Traditionally, red is used to signify emotions such as passion, rage or danger. Considering the motifs of the track, the methodical color palette dials up the intensity. of the conflicting emotions of passion and rage, the protagonist is battling. As for the eclipse, this could signify the new beginnings that lie at the end of the road of closure. 

Announced on February 4th, “Ghost Town” is said to serve as an epilogue story for the duo’s second EP. Moonbin&Sanha made their debut as ASTRO’s first unit in September 2020, with IN-OUT, forayed by the title track “Bad Idea.”