The Masquerade, a venue that typically hosts alternative and punk artists, was met with a night of K-pop passion with OnlyOneOf’s show on April 6. The six members are known for their sultry and powerful performances that appeal to all types of fans, but the group especially resonates with the K-pop fans who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
OnlyOneOf has broken barriers within the fairly conservative South Korean industry by creating music and videos that display homosexual relationships and have openly shown support for the community. This could definitely be seen with the large amounts of pride flags that fans brought into the venue to wave around and throw at the members for them to carry.
This is the group’s first U.S. tour, and fans have been waiting since their debut in 2019. From the jump, this group showed how different they are from typical K-pop boy groups with their debut song “savanna” using curse words and having a sensual message.
The group, made up of members KB, Rie, Yoojung, Junji, Mill and Nine, made the small venue their home, utilizing all the space for their dynamic choreography. They started off by performing “seOul drift,” which was further amped up with a background showing bits of the music video and a cyberpunk cityscape.
They then jumped into their debut song, which brought a lot of energy to the crowd, as they got to see the song that established the brand and message of the group almost four years later. The growth OnlyOneOf has undergone is admirable, and that could be seen in their confidence and stage presence.
The outfits worn were typical attire from the group — mesh and leather suits with various cut outs to showcase abs. The duality of their presence was another feature that makes the group so unique as they look intimidating and powerful in their stage outfits and while dancing; during breaks, they were giggling and playful with the crowd.
A few highlights from the show were, of course, the iconic “libidO” stage, which went viral and created global buzz for the group. As it was the group’s first time in Atlanta, they were fascinated with the “A town” phrase and symbol, sprinkling it in throughout the show. KB in particular was interested in using common slang by saying “slay” and incorrectly using “period” much to the amusement of the audience.
It was also Junji’s birthday and the other members surprised him with a cake. The audience all sang to him, creating a memorable and intimate moment. Junji himself said that it was his best birthday ever.
The night ended with a few fan favorites like “a sOng Of ice&fire” and during the encore “OnlyOneOf yOu,” where everyone raised their phones’ lights to create a galaxy for the group. It was then when audience members tossed gifts onto the stage for the group, like plushies and flowers. A last sweet moment was the youngest member waving a trans flag before running off the stage to join the rest of his group.
Overall it was a night filled with passion, ab-flashing and great vibes. It would be impossible to leave the concert without a feeling of exhaustion and joy after seeing such a unique group.