OnlyOneOf becomes the first K-Pop group to perform at the United Palace Theatre Sunday, seeing hundreds of fans clamoring to the iconic Washington Heights venue waving Pride flags and embracing Hispanic culture.
The corner of 175th Street and Broadway showcased the melting pot that is New York City on April 21st when fans of the South Korean band OnlyOneOf danced to salsa music with locals beneath the United Palace’s neon lights as they waited for the concert to commence.
For fans — affectionately known as lyOns—like 15-year-old Autumn Rain, the sight of both K-Pop and Latin cultures embracing one another made her heart feel full. Watching her friends clutching their light sticks and dancing to salsa, while seniors laughed playing a game of dominos, reminded her of something her Puerto Rican grandmother would attend on the weekends.
“I love OnlyOneOf and their ‘Malamente’ cover, it was really important to me because I feel like there isn’t really a lot of Spanish mentioned in the K-Pop community. Because there are so many LatinX K-Pop fans it’s really big for OnlyOneOf to be here to perform. Even xikers being at the Apollo last year in a predominately Black and Latin community was great,” Rain said.
“When I found out it was here [in Washington Heights] I felt seen, I felt represented,” Rain added.
It is this sentiment that is reflected in the group’s slogan, which is “Always support and protect OnlyOneOf, like a lyOn.” Inclusivity and self-love are a few of the positive messages the K-Pop band embodies, especially LGBTQ+ pride.
“OnlyOneOf, to me, is a group that makes me feel seen. We know in East Asia it’s not widely shared about the queer community but OnlyOneOf is spreading that awareness and love for how we feel in most of the countries where it is legal to be married to the same sex and more pronouns [awareness] and they are not scared to take the pride flags on stage and they are not scared of speaking out, they are not scared of these concept photos or being together as a group and it makes me feel loved and seen as a community,” Grace Barzilai, 20 said.
Inside of the majestic United Palace theatre, the entire orchestra section was filled with adoring fans wearing rainbow LED headbands and attire which reflected off of the golden architecture. Many of these lyOns told amNewYork Metro that OnlyOneOf is a South Korean ally for the queer community.
After debuting in 2019, the six-member group consisting of KB, Rie, Yoojung, Junji, Mill, and Nine have made waves in the K-Pop industry with their intimate dances and their mature song context. OnlyOneOf did not shy away from embracing one another as they danced, making fans feel that they are showing the world that it is okay to be intimate with the same sex.
OnlyOneOf’s world tour “dOpamine,” hosted by promotion company Studio Pav, made their second US stop in New York City where they were greeted by excited fans who expressed their appreciation of the band’s inclusivity and ability to bridge culture’s together with love.
“Always thank you for your love and support,” Nine told the crowd. “I hope you guys enjoyed the show and we will work hard to show you better performances in the future.”
“We are so proud of you guys,” KB added.
After showcasing their hits such as “libido,” “dOpamine,” and “Sage,” the group of young men draped pride flags over their shoulders and waved them proudly for the culmination of their performance.
Katie Updegrove, 19, Simon Sandeen, 18, and Naomi Kim, 18 were still reminiscing about the performance as they rode the A train stating that the act of waving the pride flag made them cry with joy.
“I think they really stand for the LGBTQ+ community when they brought those flags onto the stage it really said it for me because I started crying and I felt really connected to them. I think it’s more than a performance-based type of action, I think they really do care about us,” Sandeen said.
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