ONEUS, the sensational Kpop group, are known for their incredible showmanship and amazing vocals ever since their debut from the “Road To Kingdom” survival show, which highlighted their skills and credibility. As a result, their fan base grew immensely, gaining fans from all over the world including Malaysia. Alas, after years of debut, they finally made their way to the stage of ZEPP Kuala Lumpur on 4th May 2024.
Fans were seen walking around the venue, all dressed in a mix of monochromatic white and blue hues to emulate the “La Dolce Vita” promotion concept. Upon entering the venue, fans in the pit area were handed out banners with “I Promise To Stand By ONEUS” written on it along with a random photocard of the members, specially prepared by ONEUS Malaysia Official fanclub.
At 6pm sharp, the lights died down with five silhouettes spotted walking on stage as the cheers grew louder while the band took their position. The show kicked off with their latest release, “Baila Conmigo” which rumbled the room to its maximum volume and the crowd instantly sang along to the tune without missing a beat.
Shrilling screams echoed the air when Leedo took centre stage, dressed in white, flawlessly rapping his part. Fans waved their Dalbit (Moonlight) lightstick around, creating a wave of turquoise as they chant the lyrics.
As soon as the first song ended, the melodies of their hit, “ERASE ME” blared through the speakers. This sent the fans into a craze and shouts of happiness were heard from the crowd. Some of the fans were even dancing mercilessly to the song.
The thrilling roars erupted louder than one could ever imagine. The members, Hwanwoong, Xion, Keonhee, Leedo and Seoho stood on stage side by side, a huge smile plastered on their faces as they wave their hands to acknowledge the fans.
“Malaysia makes some noise! Welcome to our second world tour, La Dolce Vita! Annyeong!” Hwanwoong said into the mic, inviting the cheers to rumble the room. The members then introduced themselves one by one. Member Hwanwoong then expressed his joy, mentioning how he truly appreciates the Malaysian crowd for their extremely loud cheer which gave him energy to perform.
Soon enough, several songs were performed, including “Simulation”, “Full Moon”, “Valkyrie”. During all the performances, the boyband executed the choreography effortlessly with their euphonic vocals, combined with the backdrop screen projecting complimenting slides, making their concepts felt magical and surreal.
A short clip was then displayed, relating to the whole “La Dolce Vita” promotion. Soon after, the audience chanted the band’s name and as if upon request, ONEUS re-entered the stage. All of them held giant hand fans which only built anticipation among fans when the entire venue reverberated.
The song “LUNA” was played yet towards the end of the song, their song “LIT” had been seamlessly laced together due to its similarity in concept. Booming shouts filled the venue once again as “LIT” was released as part of their 3rd mini album, “Fly With Us” in 2019, the same year they debuted.
Another short interaction with ONEUS took place around 6:40 pm, with the members catching their breaths before greeting the audience. Keonhee then added “this (Malaysia) is one of the most exciting stages”, extracting an ear-piercing reaction from TOMOONS.
There were some moments of the members dancing and singing acapella on stage. Yet, the fun didn’t stop there when ONEUS asked the audience to sing the addicting Raya anthem, “Alamak Raya Lagi!” before Hwanwoong, Xion, Keonhee gathered in the middle of the stage, dancing in perfect sync while the crowd sang the lyrics of the said Raya song.
The backdrop screen then flashed rays of red to make way for “Come Back Home”. ONEUS were adorned in pitch black clothes, made perfect for the song’s concept. Right after, another break was given for the audience to relieve themselves in a restroom nearby.
Lights dimmed down, signalling the second part is about to commence. Colourful lights lit the stage and this time, Hwanwoong, Xion, Keonhee, Seoho wore a complete set of Baju Melayu! Leedo was seen wearing only the trousers of the set as it was revealed later on that he couldn’t fit the top due to his muscles.
The rapper even brought out his Baju Melayu top on stage to show that he can barely fit his arms. One of the members claimed, “It’s not easy to become a gym rat” while the crowd giggled in amusement.
As the show reached its end, ONEUS then gathered centre stage to prepare for the group photo session. However, everything turned dark and a clip was played, showing snippets from their debut days, followed by a compilation of snippets from TOMOONs singing their songs as well as welcoming them to Malaysia. Everyone held up their banners, singing “I.P.U” and joined later by the members themselves.
It is known at the end that the entire project was done in collaboration with ONEUS Malaysia official fanclub. The entire surprise left the boyband in awe that Keonhee teared up multiple times on stage as fans softened upon seeing him cry.
Fans chanted “Uljima” (means “Don’t cry ” in Korean) in the hall repeatedly to comfort Keonhee. The 25-year-old then wiped his tears and smiled at the crowd. “We should stop now, Keonhee’s eyes are getting puffy” said Hwanwoong.
The concert concluded with a blast with fans jumping around, arms all up in the air. ONEUS too had the time of their lives as they danced freely on stage.
During one of the intermissions, the members shared their thoughts on Malaysia and expressed their gratitude towards Malaysian TOMOONs for patiently waiting for their arrival. They promised they will be back with more songs to perform before the words “Saya Sayang Kamu” rang the venue.
Around 8pm, they bowed to the audience, waving their final goodbyes and uttering the last “love you’s”. The crowd mirrored their actions with a saddened look but a satisfied feeling lingers, comforted by their words.
Overall, the event was well-organised as almost everyone left the hall with giant smiles on their faces. Let’s hope ONEUS sticks to their words and come back to Malaysia for another concert! In the meantime, let us look forward to their upcoming album that is about to be released soon!
Ariani Soraya contributed to this article.
