2017–2018: First tour, group hiatus, and Rise Up
On February 22, 2017, one day before their one-year anniversary, Astro's four seasons project came to a close with their special album Winter Dream. The album and its lead single "Again" (붙잡았어야 해) were neither promoted on any music shows nor did they receive a music video. The group did, however, resume their overseas showcases with performances in Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The group released their fourth extended play Dream Part.01, featuring the lead single "Baby", on May 29. The album placed sixth on the Billboard World Albums Chart. The same month, Astro signed a contract with Avex Taiwan to handle their music distribution in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. On July 15, 2017, the group started their first tour, titled The 1st Astroad to Seoul, in Seoul at Olympic Hall, later expanding it with stops in Osaka, and Tokyo. On November 1, Astro released their fifth extended play Dream Part.02, featuring the lead single "Crazy Sexy Cool" (니가 불어와). A limited "Wish" edition of the EP was released on January 10, 2018. All 10,000 copies were sold out in pre-orders alone. The edition contains a poem written by member Cha Eun-woo titled "Purple Evening", a hidden "Thanks to", as well as polaroid pictures taken by the members themselves.
The group held a second showcase in Taiwan on January 20, 2018, at the Taipei International Convention Center (TICC). Throughout the months of February and March, Astro held twelve fan meetings across nine cities around the world, visiting the United States, Canada, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. On July 24, after a prolonged hiatus, Astro released their second special extended play Rise Up alongside its lead single "Always You" (너잖아). Due to internal issues at their label, Fantagio Music, the album was not promoted on music shows. Still, the group proceeded to hold their second Japan tour 2nd Astroad to Japan in August, with performances in Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo. Another tour titled The 2nd Astroad to Seoul [Star Light] (Part 1) in South Korea followed, concluding on December 23 with a last performance in Seoul at KBS Hall.
