The group’s name, ONEUS, combines the words “One” and “Us”, representing the idea that they are one with their fans. Composed of five talented members, Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwanwoong, and Xion, ONEUS is a rising K-pop boy group that has been making waves in the music industry since its debut in 2019.
Formed by RBW Entertainment, the same agency that houses popular girl group MAMAMOO, the group debuted on January 9, 2019, with their first mini-album, “Light Us” and the title track, “Valkyrie”, a song quickly gained popularity for its powerful beat and intense choreography
ONEUS has released several successful albums and singles since their debut, including their second mini-album, “Raise Us,” and their first full-length album, “Devil”. Their music style is often described as a fusion of K-pop and traditional Korean music, incorporating elements like the traditional Korean instrument haegeum into their songs.
Aside from their music, ONEUS has also gained attention for their variety shows appearances and interactions with fans on social media. The members have shown their playful and funny sides on shows like “Idol Room” and “Weekly Idol”, making fans love them even more.
Whether you’re a long-time fan or just discovering ONEUS for the first time, with their upcoming appearances at Kpop.flex and We Bridge Expo, fans can look forward to seeing more of what ONEUS has to offer.
Panorama.it interviewed them.
Nice to meet you, boys. Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?
KEONHEE: Hello! This is ONEUS! We are a K-pop group consisting of 5 members, each with our own charm and talent! We like to try many different genres of music and communicate with our fans and the public with positive energy on stage.
Let’s start talking about your tour. The shows were outstanding; which is the best part of showing your talent on a stage?
Hwanwoong: I think the best part is that we can directly pass the powerful energy to the fans through powerful performances.
Leedo: It’s really nice to be able to show different sides of myself on various stages that I’ve prepared for.
You performed in South Korea, Japan, the US, and South America. But… can we hope to see you in Europe and maybe in Italy soon?
Xion: I really want to go meet the fans all over the world! If there is a chance in the near future, we will fly and come visit Italy! Please wait for us!
Seoho: We are ready to go. Please wait for us!
After all… you have a strong bond with Italy. You shot a video in a villa in the Italian countryside, and your first photobook was shot in Milan. Do you have some nice memories from Italy you would like to share? Or something you weren’t able to see/try and would like to?
Leedo: I remember the time that I ate a T-Bone steak for the first time with the members in Italy, but I couldn’t control the amount and ordered too much because I didn’t know how to order it.
You are known as the Concept Kings of the 4th generation idols. Is this a label you recognize yourself in?
Seoho: We like it because the reason for such a cool modifier is proof that ONEUS has handled various concepts well.
Malus showed us your sexy and luscious side. What would you like to show us next?
Hwanwoong: I’m thinking a lot about the next concept. We are aiming for a new challenge that only ONEUS can do.
Same Scent won a lot of Korean music programs, you also registered an English version of it. If you could describe yourself with a scent, which would it be and why?
Seoho: It’s like a woody scent. I like it, and I would like to describe it as a woody scent because it seems to get harder, like a tree, as time goes by.
Leedo: It’s hard to describe it as a scent, but I would like to describe it as a fabric softener scent because I like a subtle yet ordinary scent like a fabric softener.
Keonhee: It smells like cotton. The feeling I most want to convey to people through music is comfort. Fortunately, the fans and people around me seem to tell me that they have gained a lot of comfort and strength through me. There are many other charms, but I think the cotton scent that gives me warmth every time I smell it suits me the best.
Hwanwoong: I want to be the smell of winter; I want to be the person you look forward to and want to meet like the thrill of snow.
Xion: It’s a cozy scent like a blanket. I think it’s the scent I want to be. Being in a blanket makes you feel cozy, comfortable, and healing. I want to be that kind of person to my fans.
You keep growing musically and performing speaking. Which is the most challenging part of being an idol?
Seoho: The hardest thing seems to be the slump or burnout that comes while continuing to grow.
Leedo: It seems difficult that there are some restrictions on what I can do. Sometimes it’s difficult to spend time with my family or friends.
Keonhee: As an artist and performing on stage, I have the desire to show a better performance, and since I’m receiving attention and love from many people, I think there are times when I feel afraid to act responsibly in any actions. However, we are always doing our best to repay the love the fans gave us.
Hwanwoong: All professions are the same, but the hardest part is that there are a lot of cases, and some parts are uncertain and unpredictable, but I like that I can have hope and everything is possible.
Xion: First of all, thank you so much for loving our album and our music. If there’s something difficult, I think I’m worried a lot about what kind of message I’ll have with the next album, what kind of story I’ll tell the fans, and what kind of music and stage I’ll show the fans because I get a lot of love every time I release an album. It’s hard, but I think it’s a happy worry.
ToMoon orbits around you and gives you strength. Is there something you want to say to them that you never said?
Seoho: I can’t remember what I didn’t say, but I want to say all the good things in this world.
Leedo: I’m the type to say whatever I want to say from moment to moment, even after time passes, so I can think something now.
Keonhee: I often say thank you and love you to my fans, but no matter how much I express my feeling, it often feels not enough. So, I think I’m always working hard because I want to look like a person I can be proud of. Thank you so much, and I want to tell my fans that they are indescribable and very special to me.
Hwanwoong: You changed my life.
Xion: Tomoon, thank you for always trusting and supporting us. We’ve been together for a long time, but I think there are still a lot of things I need to improve and get better at. Let’s continue to support each other and walk together for a long time. I love you.
Thinking about all your discography, is there a specific song you recognized yourself in?
Seoho: I love all my work, but if I had to choose just one, it would be LUNA.
Leedo: I think it’s LUNA. It was the first time ONEUS won first place in the Korean music program, and I think that the song and performance suit ONEUS the best, so I have the most connection to LUNA.
Keonhee: There are so many songs, and each and every song is very special to me. But a song called “A Song Written Easily” is a song that means a lot to me. It has always been my dream to convey emotion through music. In the early days of my debut, when I was young and unfamiliar with everything and worried about my performance on stage, a fan cried and told me that she received so much strength from my voice when she felt really tired, and this meant everything to me.
Hwanwoong: TO BE OR NOT TO BE. I have really strong memories of that song.
Xion: It seems like I’ve been thinking about “Valkyrie” a lot lately. It’s both the debut song and the most difficult album that ONEUS prepared, and since it’s the group’s first album ever released to the world, it was even more challenging.
Thinking about your pre-debut days, if you could give your old selves some advice which would it be?
Hwanwoong: Don’t be afraid and do what you want to do. You are more than capable of doing it.
Seoho: I have so much advice I want to give as a vocalist that I wish I could give vocal lessons.
Did you have any role models in the industry before debuting? And if yes, is him/her still the same?
Keonhee: When I was young, IU was my biggest musical influence and role model. Her music gave me so much comfort, and I wanted to provide that same comfort to others through my music. Of course, I still have great respect for her and want to emulate her in many ways, but as I continue to work, I’ve developed a mindset of learning one by one from the strengths of many other artists. I’ve become ambitious in wanting to become a better person in all aspects.
Your sounds it pretty unique. But if you could, is there someone you would like to collaborate with?
Leedo: I would like to work with RBW artists.
Seoho: I love Bruno Mars’ songs so much that I would like to collaborate with him someday.
If each of you could describe the other members with one word, which would it be?
Seoho: Leedo–Protein, Keonhee–Pororo, Hwanwoong–Focus, Xion–Troublemaker
Leedo: Seoho– Rainbow, Keonhee– Cloud, Hwanwoong– Star, Xion– Sun
Keonhee: Seoho– Yellow, Leedo– Black, Hwanwoong– Red, Xion– Purple
Hwanwoong: Seoho– BLACK MIRROR, Leedo–Valkyrie, Keonhee– A Song Written Easily, Xion–Luna
Xion: Seoho–A popping candy that doesn’t know where to bounce, Leedo–Troublemaker, Keonhee–One Bite, Hwanwoong–Turtle
Who is ONEUS now?
Seoho: We are a team with strong individuality and irreplaceable uniqueness.
Leedo: I think we are a group that is climbing up step by step and can grow even further in the future.
Keonhee: I think our team has a lot of different charms. We are very ambitious and always try our best in everything, which I believe helps us to constantly improve. In the future, the five of us will work even harder to deliver good energy to our fans and the public with more diverse charms and performances.
Hwanwoong: We are a group that is constantly growing and evolving, and even we are curious about our future.
Xion: I think the group called ONEUS is a very friendly team. I hope that many people will continue to see us and feel a lot of Korean cultures, beauty, and the charm of K-pop.