[RECAP!] ONEW Nurtures An Unbreakable ‘Connection’ in LA

On May 9, droves of fans flocked to The Orpheum in Downtown Los Angeles to see K-Pop industry icon ONEW all on his own!

The SHINee member recently embarked on his first ever solo tour in the United States, titled ‘ONEW THE LIVE: Connection IN USA.’ The eight city run saw ONEW performing to sold out crowds in cities such as Chicago, San Francisco, and New York. LA’s show marked the grand finale of the tour, where tickets were sold out within minutes of becoming available.

As fans began to enter the theater, turquoise lights from the SHINee lightsticks began to illuminate the room. Many fans (including myself) had a chance to sit on the steps of the stage to pose for photos prior to the beginning of the show. This helped fuel the excitement levels throughout the theater, as many fans began to process just how intimate the venue was. To sit (or stand) in a spot where ONEW himself would be standing a few minutes after was a unique experience. The title of the tour was ‘Connection’ after all, and this certainly helped fans feel more connected to the show!

When I became a fan of SHINee in 2020, I was immediately drawn to ONEW’s voice and personality. I quickly realized he wasn’t just my bias, he was, and still is someone who’s music I find immense comfort in. His voice can be a little difficult to describe at times, just because it’s so unique! I could attempt to describe it as a taste of warm honey while sniffing fresh lavender flowers, but that still doesn’t quite cut it. Simply put, ONEW has one of the most unique voices I’ve ever heard. While my time calling myself a Shawol has been relatively short compared to the nearly 17 years SHINee has been together as a group, I’ve had so much admiration for ONEW’s artistry and work ethic. When his solo tour was announced and I realized I’d be able to see him in LA, it felt like a true “pinch me” moment.

After singing along to ONEW’s songs playing over the sound system of the theater, the lights began to dim, and ONEW himself appeared on stage wearing a baby pink suit with pink shorts. Opening his show with “Focus,” ONEW got straight to business and captivated the crowd with his impressive vocal range. A performance of “Shape Of My Heart” followed, with yellow lights beaming down upon him – enhancing the warm emotional effect the song creates.

In between each song, fans cheered loudly and passionately for ONEW, which seemed to catch him by surprise. He commented in his opening ment, “Seriously, you guys are giving me so much energy. Thank you so much!” As he gazed around the theater smiling, many fans began to shout “you deserve it!” He leaned into the crowd, trying to listen closely to the loving comments being echoed by many. Putting on a confused face, he asked the crowd, “you deserve it?” Everyone shouted “you!” to emphasize ONEW was the one to deserve the praise. He said “ah, okay” with an endearing smile, and went on to reflect upon the ending of his tour. 

“We’re already at the eighth city of the tour,” he said. “I’m so happy that I was able to meet you all with a new stage. While preparing for the show, my heart just fluttered with anticipation and excitement.” 

Giddy as can be, ONEW went on to explain the meaning of the title of the tour. By singing live, he hoped to create a special connection with his fans, and lay down a good foundation to share more performances with us in the future. ONEW also addressed the absence of backing musicians, but was still excited to put on a great show for everyone. 

“Unfortunately for the U.S. tour, the band couldn’t join us,” he said. “I’m a little bummed. I actually know why, but because you are all here, I truly believe it will be even better.”

As the evening progressed, the audience continued to shower ONEW with their uttermost devotion, which was returned to fans in the form of a highly energetic performance. While ONEW sang “Boy,” he waltzed around the stage with a basket filled with paper planes. Each paper plane featured a motivational message written by ONEW on one side, with the tour logo printed on the other. His smile beamed throughout the theater as he threw the paper planes into the audience, and there was an overwhelming sense of joy that would’ve been nearly impossible to tear down. ONEW’s state of bliss could especially be felt during his renditions of “DICE” and “Beat Drum,” where he jubilantly performed the choreography for both songs.

It may seem cliche to say this, especially as someone who frequently attends concerts. ONEW’s joyful energy combined with the crowd’s collective excitement to see the K-Pop veteran created an atmosphere where it truly felt like nothing outside the walls of the theater mattered during the two hour show. Being immersed in such a loving environment hosted by ONEW himself was a treat not to be taken for granted, and seeing his personality shine throughout the night helped strengthen my connection to his music like never before. 

“I think when I’m on stage here singing, dancing, and spending time with you all is when I’m the happiest!” ONEW said. 

ONEW then proceeded to urge the audience to take a seat, as he understands it can be tiresome for many to stand for long periods of time. He wanted everyone to just relax for a while, and fully absorb the next messages he prepared for everyone. 

“Something I want to keep sharing with you repeatedly is, I’m someone who wants you to be happy,” ONEW confided with the audience. “I always say to everyone, hey, please be happy, but to achieve that happiness, I feel like those moments of nervousness and trials that you go through are inevitable. We can have those days where we get a little bit hurt or even physically in pain. It’ll all pass, and I don’t want you to worry, you will have those happy moments, and… how do I say this? You all DESERVE happiness.

He went on to say, “I know it can suddenly be a heavy topic. I do want to say that I don’t think it’s weird to have these conversations. There’s a lot of people around us going through things, and I could be the one going through something right now. You are all existing here, and you can be a form of support and have friends and good family members to give you energy and support throughout this process. I want to say, let’s all overcome this together!” 

Remaining seated, everyone swayed from side to side as ONEW serenaded the crowd with “Always,” “Illusion,” and his new English single “MAD,” which was followed by a round of barking from the audience. Speaking of the inspiration behind “MAD,” ONEW said, “I had a thought, that I want to sing a song together with you! So I thought, I need to release ‘MAD’ and then come.”

The night started to approach its end, and when ONEW mentioned he’d soon be saying his goodbyes, the crowd started to chant “HAJIMA,” which means don’t or stop in Korean. Until the very end, ONEW kept his energy and great spirits up. While performing “MAESTRO,” he twirled around while lifting his microphone stand, which was a rather unexpected move from ONEW. The spontaneity continued as he sang “Yay,” rapidly spinning around the stage and improvising dance moves to the upbeat anthem. 

After a quick outfit change, ONEW ended up on the balcony to greet fans while singing “Hola!” As he made his way back to the stage, he merrily tossed small flower bouquets into the crowd. The show was truly approaching its end, and ONEW wanted to show his appreciation for everyone’s enthusiasm all night. He told the audience that he would now be applauding for us, the fans, because we deserved it. While other fans were tempted to join in on the applause, ONEW emphasized that he would need to be the only one clapping. He pointed to himself and said, “Alone!” With a smile as large as one of a child on Christmas morning, ONEW rotated around the stage, clapping with pride for every single section. 

“There’s been a lot of things I’ve been feeling throughout the USA tour,” ONEW said. “Despite having been active for such a long time, I felt so grateful being able to meet new people. Thinking about being able to meet you again in the future with new stages, I feel so good about that. Thank you so much for making me so endlessly happy, and I’ll continue to work hard so I can be that person for you too.” 

Throughout the evening, Shawols shared so many laughs, cheers, and made unforgettable memories with ONEW. It was safe to say that the connection we had with him was now stronger than ever, and no matter how bleak the future may seem at times, we’ve been reminded that we are guaranteed to have brighter days on the horizon, and we can look forward to them thanks to ONEW.