Six-piece boy group OnlyOneOf returned to Los Angeles to close out the North America leg of their extensive dOpamine world tour at The Novo on May 5. Following the success of the group’s 2023 Grand America Tour, the dOpamine world tour began in early March in Korea, followed by shows in Japan. In Early April, they performed five shows in Latin America before launching straight into their 10-city North America tour. Despite their tight schedule, Nine, KB, Rie, Yoojung, Junji, and Mill showed no signs of exhaustion as they treated their fans, called lyOns, with a two-hour jammed-packed concert filled with pristine performances, laughter, and all-around good vibes from start to finish.
As soon as 7PM hit, the six members, sporting denim-on-denim outfits, kicked off the night with the tour’s namesake, “dOpamine,” where their sharp dance moves and synchronization took center stage. The song’s heart-pumping tempo was the perfect start, energizing the crowd to jump and wave their lightsticks enthusiastically in the air. Their introductions followed shortly, with the newly-appointed leader, Nine, addressing the fans first and belting out, “Welcome to OnlyOneOf 2024 World Tour dOpamine in LA!” As they went down the line, each member added their own flair to their introductions. KB humorously introduced himself as being a human (“not a god”) who just happens to be “a little hot.” Junji happily greeted his “LA babies” and Mill enthusiastically threw up the signature LA hand sign during his introduction. Rie affectionately called lyOns “pookies” while Yoojung wrapped it up with a warm greeting. Their silliness and comfort on stage and interacting with their LA lyOns was an endearing sight and a taste of what was to come.
Although it was their tenth and final North American stop, OnlyOneOf maintained their high energy and stage presence as they swiftly moved into their stunning opening formation for the English version of “dOra maar.” The song’s seamless blend of smooth R&B melodies and dynamic choreography, teasing yet graceful, elicited squeals from the audience. The members then wore their figurative boxing gloves for the hip-hop number “gaslighting,” followed by “a sOng Of ice & fire.” Among these performances, “gaslighting” stood out, drawing the loudest screams for its synchronized, chest-pumping choreography. The members were more than happy to show off this move against and again during the subsequent ment.
OnlyOneOf then switched gears and showcased their cuter sides with “give me the lOve, bitxx” and “gravity.” For the former, the members even took a moment to teach lyOns the song’s accompanying cabbage-patch dance moves. They beamed with pride as everyone followed suit and grooved along to the music.
In between their performances, OnlyOneOf seemed fully confident, comfortable, and relaxed while interacting with their LA lyOns. Throughout the night, they showed off all the American slang that they retained from their travels. Aside from calling their fans “pookies,” they also complimented them by saying they “slayed” and “ate” when it came to fanchants and picking up choreography. At one point, the group even spent time determining which member could properly use “periodt” and demonstrate it in the most extra way possible, for the amusement of both the fans and venue staff.
Amid their goofy banters, they dropped a surprise announcement exclusively for LA lyOns. “As this is our last performance [in North America], we have prepared songs that you guys probably want to hear tonight,” Yoojung shared. The audience, puzzled at first, erupted into a frenzy upon hearing the opening whistles of “bOss.” Later in the show, the members shared their TMIs regarding the surprise: the song was repeatedly mentioned at the pre-show fan chat session earlier in the day, and Yoojung confessed that he was so close to spoiling the surprise. Reflecting on their rehearsals, KB admitted that it had been a while since they performed the song themselves and they made a few mistakes during rehearsals, which made them worried. But thankfully, the live performance was seamless. They then wrapped up this set with “seoul drift” (dubbed “LA drift” for this show) before prepping for the next stage.
For this year’s special stage, OnlyOneOf performed a medley of all the songs from their 2023 project, undergrOund idOl, where each member unveiled an original solo song every month. Unlike last year’s tour where they rotated their solos at each tour stop, all six members were given their own time on this tour’s setlist to showcase their talents. Following the order of the undergrOund idOl releases, Yoojung kicked things off with a smooth performance of “begin.” KB followed suit, strutting up and down the stage with an Elvis microphone for his groovy solo, “be free,” which featured a brief cameo by Yoojung. Next, Junji took his turn on stage with his smooth R&B solo, “be mine,” joined by the members for full group body waves that had lyOns screaming. He then joined Rie for a mirrored partner routine during Rie’s “because” stage. Switching gears, Mill showcased his cool and chic attitude with his intense rap track “beat.” Nine closed out the segment with “beyOnd,” where he and Mill finished things off with a clean dance routine. The six solo stages were much appreciated, yet still left the audience yearning for more. Although nothing is set in stone, the group hoped to showcase the full version of each of their solos the next time they returned.
OnlyOneOf then turned up the heat with “skinz” and the English version of one of their most popular songs, “libidO.” While the former was more raw and intense, the latter was more provocative and daring. Both delved into sensuality, featuring spicy hip thrusts, crotch grabs, and similar moves that electrified the crowd. They then transitioned to a more sentimental and relaxed atmosphere with the jazzy tune “mirage” followed by “O.” Standing behind their mic stands bathed in warm lights, the members serenaded the audience, who also sang along to a few lines of the songs.
As the night was drawing to a close, each member shared their personal tour reflections. Mill recalled that they left Korea in early April and have been nonstop traveling since. After completing 15 concerts, realized that lyOns are truly worldwide and was grateful for their love and support. KB felt undeserving of the immense love and promised to continue to make fans proud. Yoojung became sentimental as he expressed his happiness for the love and support that they continue to receive. He even shared that if he could be reborn again, he hopes to be still part of OnlyOneOf even in another life. Rie disclosed that despite facing unexpected health-related challenges, he was grateful to be on this tour and thanked everyone who made it possible. Junji emphasized the importance of their lyOns and assured that despite the distance, they are always connected. Nine, leading his first tour, was grateful for its success thus far and thanked the staff who worked hard to put it together. When everything was said and done, OnlyOneOf jumped into their chic releases —“sage,” “designer,” and “chrOme hearts” — where each song was met with barking and call-and-responses from lyOns, before the members walked off stage and prepped for the encore.
OnlyOneOf returned sporting their tour tees for an all-black ensemble for their final performances of the night. As the member sang the emotional ballad “OnlyOneOf me,” lyOns illuminated the venue with their swaying lightsticks and phone lights, creating a sea of stars that added a beautiful touch to the performance. After the performance, Yoojung looked off to the ADA section and signed “love” in sign language (exhibited by crossing his closed fists and arms over his chest) followed by “I love you” (extending his thumb, index, and pinky finger to fingerspell “I-L-Y”) to a hearing impaired audience member. The thoughtful gesture was warmly welcomed, and the full group made sure to also sign “I love you” while taking their commemorative group photos with the audience. After an energetic closing with “Angel” and “Blossom,” the North American leg of OnlyOneOf’s dOpamine world tour officially came to an end.
After a much-deserved break back in Korea, OnlyOneOf will resume their dOpamine world tour on June 2 in London to kick off their nine-city Europe tour before hitting up additional shows in Asia and Oceania in July. More information on the upcoming tours can be found on Studio PAV’s website.