Nearly Ten Years Later, ASTRO’s ZOONIZINI (MJ and JINJIN) Still Feel Like Rookies

MJ and JINJIN of ASTRO’s new subunit ZOONIZINI know that second-chance debuts like this are rare — even more so with your best friend. They’re not taking it for granted.

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At their debut performance on MCountdown ASTRO’s new subunit ZOONZINI had the youthful energy of rookies. But ZOONIZINI’s members, MJ and JINJIN, have been in the industry since 2016 as members of one of K-pop’s most iconic third-generation groups, and their debut comes as a personal triumph after a challenging few years. 

“While it’s been nearly ten years since our debut, we prepared this album with the mindset of a rookie,” JINJIN told me this week. “I wanted to show the chemistry between MJ and me.”

You can see this chemistry firsthand, both in their stage performances – which are lively, joyful iterations of their new single “Some Things Never Change” – and in vlogs that the pair recorded to document their debut. Together, the unit has an easy, lighthearted energy that comes from years of friendship. “Maybe that’s why I feel this album will remain a very special memory for us,” he added. 

ZOONIZINI marks the first time JNJIN and MJ have promoted together since 2021, when ASTRO released their second album All Yours and MJ left for military enlistment. In the years since, JINJIN released a handful of solo tracks and the guys finally reunited with ASTRO this year for a series of new concerts, their first since the passing of their vocalist MOONBIN. 

Because of this, ZOONIZINI’s debut feels like a celebration of their hard-won friendship. 

“I had always wanted to try doing a unit with the members, but now that we actually got to release an album, the excitement and anticipation were huge,” MJ told me. “I couldn’t wait to show the performance.

On their debut album DICE’s new single “Some Things Never Change”, co-written by JINJIN, the pair look back at the hungry, driven boys they used to be. “Sometimes I stayed up all night exhausted/ Gathering the strength to pick myself up once again,” JINJIN remembers in the first verse. But in DICE's most compelling sections, the pair reflect on what a new beginning looks like for friends who have so much history together. This, too, is heard in the single’s chorus as MJ sings, “Time goes by so fast/ Capture the memories of our youthful days/ Change this fleeting day into something precious.” 

With this music, JINJIN explained, “I want to convey MJ-hyung and my natural selves.” 

ZOONIZNI is a far wilier, free-spirited unit than you might remember from ASTRO. The music sounds looser and their performances are less tightly choreographed. This, the guys told me, is by design. “In our team promotions, we’ve always shown a variety of group choreography and performances, but in the unit promotions we wanted to highlight JINJIN’s and my own colors and strengths as much as possible,” MJ said. 

“The biggest difference this time is that we toned down the choreography a lot,” JINJIN added. “I wanted viewers to feel at ease and to get the sense that we’re genuinely having a great time on stage.”

The boys who debuted in ASTRO are very different from the men MJ and JINJIN became. It takes years for idols to feel the ease and confidence that this pair now have, and ASTRO took time to find their footing. Their biggest hits, like “Blue Flame” and “Crazy Sexy Cool”, conveyed the sugary pop that a bright name like ASTRO might suggest. Though they would become more adventurous with tracks like “ONE”, the title track from All Yours, I was always most taken by their introspective turns. “Knock”, my favorite track, showed that ASTRO didn’t have to keep up with trends to be memorable. They worked best when they leaned into making music that provides comfort and healing. 

When I asked how they remembered themselves as teenagers, MJ and JINJIN described teenagers who were unsure of their strengths or identity. “Before debuting, I was really shy and quiet,” MJ told me, noting that the members helped him become more confident and show “more of my true self.” 

“I always say that the day of our debut showcase is the most memorable day for me, that’s how much I wanted it desperately and passionately,” JINJIN remembered. “When I first debuted, I was quite timid and had difficulty making decisions, which are the biggest differences compared to today.” 

“Now, thanks to a lot of experience, those parts of my personality have softened a lot,” he added. 

Though JINJIN and MJ once thought of themselves as timid rookies, the members of ASTRO became magnetic in their own way. While vocalist CHA EUN-WOO would go on to become a star of films and popular K-Dramas, MOONBIN and YOON SAN-HA formed a popular subunit that reached a creative peak with their second album INCENCE. JINJIN and ROCKY paired up for the EP Restore, which highlighted the members’ versatility, and MJ explored a new musical genre entirely with trot. 

For MJ, who won first place on The Trot Show in 2021 with his single “GET SET YO”, his time exploring trot was well spent. “I’m always open to trying trot again,” he said. “My parents used to sing trot songs a lot when I was young, and I think I became interested in the genre naturally because I heard it so often back then. “

JINJIN spent ASTRO’s hiatus working on a passion project titled JIN LAB, a series of singles that he wrote, composed, and arranged himself. It was an ambitious schedule, and one that made him realize how valuable each member is to him.

“I really felt the absence of the members, and I felt the burden of having to make every decision entirely by myself,” he said about his solo promotions. “In those moments, I realized how much I needed them, and when I was together with the members, I felt that pressure lift from my shoulders. It reminded me once again what it means to have members with me.”

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The centerpiece of DICE is “New World”, a sweeping ballad that looks to the future for MJ and JINJIN. The song is climactic and emotional, reminding listeners of the journey the members have been on since 2021, when MJ first enlisted in the military. “Throw yourself into the new world with all your strength," JINJIN raps in the chorus, “Follow your heart, set me free/ It will be fun.” 

The real story of ZOONIZINI is their perseverance. They have withstood major life events together and have returned to K-pop, which, in many ways, is a whole new world itself. On their vlog, the guys joked about how they almost couldn’t recall how to get around backstage at the variety shows they spent years attending when they were actively promoting with ASTRO. Ending fairies, too, are new for MJ. At fansigns, they’ve met AROHAs who have stood by them through the past few years of upheaval. 

But the most impactful moment, MJ told me, was reuniting with their members for the Starography concerts. ASTRO even performed their first Dome concert in Japan, a stunning achievement for the group. The experience was documented in a four-part series on the group’s YouTube channel and shows what a thrilling, joyful experience it was for the members. 

“Everything we went through in the past nine years is precious, but I have strong memories from the recent ASTRO concert,” MJ said. “It was our first concert in a long time, so I think it’s become a cherished memory to us, and to AROHAs.”

I can hear this sentiment on the album’s sentimental final track, “Restart”. On the surface, the track encapsulates the theme of ZOONIZINI’s first project: “I’d like to live inside the memories we shared,” JINJIN raps. But then the focus shifts towards the future, as he continues, “Let's run forward powerfully once more/ Through hardships and many trials/ Just trust us, we won't leave.” 

The message is one that JINJIN reiterates he hopes fans know is for them. “I’m excited to meet fans as ZOONIZINI, and I’m really looking forward to sharing the music we’ve wanted to show,” he said, noting that he hopes fans will continue to watch over them. “We’ll keep working to create as many opportunities as possible to meet AROHAs with even better music and performances.” 

What does it feel like to restart your story ten years into a storied career, now as seasoned veterans? The point, JINJIN and MJ seem to say, is that there’s only an open road of possibility ahead of them. That’s what makes the journey fun.