ASTRO’s Rocky Opens Up About His “Darkest Moment” As An Idol

With the release of their latest hit single, “One”, ASTRO just keeps getting bigger and better. Of course, along with all the highs of being an idol, there are also many lows. In a new interview with KPOP IDOL OLYMPIC on YouTube, ASTRO’s Rocky revealed the most difficult moment of his career.

Rocky joined Fantagio Entertainment at a remarkably young age. After pursuing a musical theater role in Billy Elliot the Musical, the ASTRO star found himself auditioning for a K-Pop agency instead. In 2012, he ended up becoming an idol trainee at just 11 years old. As such, Rocky had a very unconventional childhood.

So, when KPOP IDOL OLYMPIC asked Rocky if there were any difficult moments he remembers from his career, one came to mind immediately. “The darkest moment,” he shared, “Was when I realized, ‘Oh, I’m sort of lacking in social skills.’” While a little social difficulty may not sound like a huge deal at first, it was a rough experience for Rocky.

“I didn’t get to learn to socialize like most kids would in school,” Rocky explained, recalling his childhood days spent as a trainee. From the time he began training for Billy Elliot the Musical at the age of 10 to his debut as a 16-year-old, Rocky spent his youth learning how to perform rather than socializing with his peers on the playground.

As such, Rocky says he didn’t know how to make friends. In fact, he didn’t even think about what other people would think of him. “I was just a trainee and focused only on how to get better,” he revealed. Since playing up to others’ perceptions, gaining the love of fans, and working well in a team is important to any idols, Rocky’s social difficulties can’t have made things easy.

Thankfully, Rocky’s dark moment didn’t last forever. After he debuted with ASTRO, Rocky says he learned a lot about how to co-exist in harmony with others. “I’ve learned to listen to others and look around me… and to love each other,” he explained, revealing that these days he tries to live a simpler life than he did as a trainee.