[INTERVIEW] ONEUS takes ambitious steps to become next big K-pop star

K-pop boy group ONEUS / Courtesy of RBW

ONEUS hints at upcoming US tour

By Dong Sun-hwa

To date, many K-pop acts have woven elements of Korean traditional culture into their music and performances, putting a fresh spin on their songs while promoting the country's time-honored cultural assets.

Most of them, however, gave it a shot only once or twice ― presumably due to the difficulty of fusing the old and new ― but boy group ONEUS is an exception. Since generating a buzz with the 2019 release "LIT," characterized by the unique sound of Korean traditional music, the five-piece act has consistently been putting a traditional twist into its music offerings, carving out its own niche in the cutthroat K-pop industry.

For the performance of "Luna" (2021), one of its best-known hits featuring the sound of the "gayageum" ― a 12-string Korean zither ― ONEUS members don hanbok and perform "talchum," a traditional Korean mask dance. The song's lyrics are also written in the form of "sijo," a Korean poetic form that is known to have emerged in the 918-1392 Goryeo Kingdom.

ONEUS's upcoming U.S. tour is going to be a fascinating blend of the past and present, too.

"Our global fans really love 'LIT and 'Luna,' so this time, we have added some new elements to our performances to display our unexplored side," member Keonhee told The Korea Times during a Zoom interview, Wednesday. "We also have prepared a lot of special performances so that our followers in the U.S. can find our concert more relatable. For instance, there will be a performance that will remind them of scenes from the hit action film 'Top Gun,' starring actor Tom Cruise."

The first leg of its U.S. tour ― which is part of its first-ever world tour ― will take place at the Apollo Theater in New York, Jan. 12.

"Whenever we had a tour in the U.S., New York was always the first city we visited," Keonhee explained. "So for me, it is the city of beginning. New York is such a romantic place as well, and I am feeling that vibe a lot right now. I feel like I can perform better on stage, too."

He added, "I take a lot of walks and visit nearby coffee shops whenever I visit a new city, so that I can see what kind of place it is. Since the U.S. is a huge country, each city seems to have its own distinctive characters and charms. I try to share what I saw and felt with my fans there during our concerts, mostly talking about the weather and people. My fans seem to love hearing about them."

ONEUS performs on KBS Song Festival, Dec. 16. Captured from KBS

After its New York gig, ONEUS ― comprising of Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwanwoong and Xion ― will head for Atlanta and Orlando, among other cities, before going to Mexico, Brazil and Chile.

The five singers, who are all known to be foodies, are thrilled about the diverse foods they will try during their tour.

"In Korea, there is a fried chicken franchise named after Mexico," Seoho said. "So I want to try some chicken dishes when I go to Mexico in February."

Keonhee added, "I heard that Philadelphia is known for steak and Chicago is famed for its pizza. I love eating the specialties of different places and listening to stories related to them."

Fitness fanatic Leedo has another big goal for himself.

"I want to go and see how fitness centers look different in countries other than Korea," he said.

A moment from ONEUS' recent concert / Courtesy of RBW

Unlike most other K-pop acts that usually have at least one English-speaking member to target the international market with more ease, ONEUS consists of Koreans only. Hence, the members need to spend extra time and effort learning English to communicate with their global fans. They, however, do not see this as stressful at all.

"I recently took some online English courses," Keonhee revealed. "Since we have many English-speaking staff members around us, I frequently ask them for help when I want to express something in English. I think Hwanwoong is the best learner in our group, he always tries to deliver his feelings to his fans using English."

Hwanwoong added, "I think Keonhee excels in learning foreign languages. He learns very quickly and always tries to communicate with our fans. But this is the same for all of us. Although our English is not outstanding, we still work hard to become more fluent and I think our fans love seeing us trying hard. I hope we improve as time goes by."

The year 2022 has been unforgettable for ONEUS, which hit an apex in its career with its eighth EP, "MALUS" that dropped back in September. With its lead single, "Same Scent," ONEUS ranked first on KBS 2TV's "Music Bank" ― one of the major music shows in Korea ― for the first time since its debut in 2019. The "Same Scent" music video has exceeded 27 million views on YouTube as of Thursday.

"Thankfully, we made some visible accomplishments this year," Hwanwoong recalled. "I was happy because I felt like our efforts have paid off and these musical feats actually energized me a lot."

Keonhee believes their success has stemmed from their music and performances.

"I think our strengths lie in our music that reminds people of the second-generation K-pop groups, and in our performances that clearly show our unique style," he said.

But ONEUS has bigger ambitions.

"I still want to demonstrate that we can pull off something more," Hwanwoong said. "Many people say that they hope ONEUS earns more recognition. I also have the same hope and I think it would be great if we can raise our international profile further next year."