On Tuesday, November 11, the intimate setting of the Indigo at The O2 in London welcomed ONEW for the second stop of the European leg of his ONEW THE LIVE : PERCENT (%) tour.
For those unfamiliar, ONEW is best known as the leader and main vocalist of the foundational K-pop powerhouse SHINee, which debuted in 2008. Celebrated across the industry for his signature velvety and rich vocal tone, his artistry has only deepened in his solo career, starting with his 2018 EP Voice. This period culminated with his first Korean full-length album, Circle (2023), an acclaimed work that cemented his critical status by being named Number 1 on Billboard’s “The 25 Best K-Pop Albums of 2023” list. The current tour followed the release of his second full-length album, PERCENT, published in 2025, a project that saw the artist further exploring emotional honesty and the nuanced space between 0% and 100% of human connection.
Let’s now dive into the night in London—a celebration of ONEW’s outstanding voice and incredible stage presence, featuring no dancers or particular stage sets, just him and his raw talent. He delivered a show so captivating that you couldn’t take your eyes off him; the talent was truly incomparable with anything I saw before, absolutely mind-blowing.
The show kicked off with one of his latest songs “PERCENT (%)”, followed by “No Parachute,” “Yeowoobi,” and “Far Away.” From this first stage, we were all captured in ONEW’s world, where he’s holding our hands to accompany us on this journey, his journey.
ONEW took a moment to talk to the fans and express how happy he was to be in London and how much he loved the energy that fans were giving. He said it felt good to be back in London after so long.
He explained the meaning of the tour title, focusing on the word “live” and expressing his intent to give us a good show. He absolutely nailed that for sure! I could see that already from the first stage. He then continued by saying this tour is for him to connect to the fans (like his previous tour title) and explained the meaning of the “%,” which is to fill up that gap missing to reach happiness.
There is something about “old school” idols (pardon me using this word, ONEW is definitely not old school, just a reference to older gen2 groups) who take their time to interact with fans. Not everyone does that, but I think it’s very important to highlight—it shows he really cares about the fans and elevates the whole experience.
After this first conversation, it was time to jump into the next stage, starting literally with “Conversation,” followed by “All Day,” such a good performance, to then lead to “MAESTRO.”
ONEW took another break to interact with fans; he was so impressed by the good energy in the venue. He said he can definitely tell there was a good vibe, and there truly was a good vibe! You could have walked in the venue without knowing anything about him, and he would have made you vibe to his songs no matter what! This is the ONEW’s power!
He also mentioned that it has been a while since the last time he came to London, about 10-11 years, and he joked about fans having aged together with him, but he could see they had aged happily.
He asked which song they liked the most and sang a little bit of “MAESTRO,” and fans sang together. He was actually surprised that fans knew the words perfectly. Hearing ONEW singing a cappella was incredible!
The show continued with the sweet “Starry Night,” which he mentioned that he almost kicked out from the set list—luckily he didn’t. “Winner” was up next, and what a sweet ballad, with amazing and warm vocals! This stage closed with “Epilogue.”
Another little break, and he continued talking about the relationship between fans and him, saying that there is always something shining and bright within you (the fans), and he hopes fans think and can see the same sparkle in him. He made another promise that he will be back as soon as possible. Well, we all are taking your words for it!
The night continued with “Silk,” which brought the mood up again, especially with “Beat Drum,” which was such a fun performance! The fun set continued with “MAD” and “Caffeine,” keeping the high energy up. He made everyone dance and vibe. “ANIMALS” was the great finale song for this show.
We all know that a K-Pop concert isn’t a K-Pop concert without an Encore! After a few minutes, he rocked up on stage with a hoodie and baggy jeans, with a little UK flag on his jeans, which I found to be a very cute and curated attention to details. He kicked off the encore with “Oreo Cake” and “Yay,” what great energy! Jumping around, making everyone dance!
He also sang a cappella a few verses of a song—what an amazing voice. I loved the fact that he also took his moment to sing a few lines here and there unscripted; it truly shows how passionate about being an idol he is. People say that if you have a job that you are passionate about, it will never feel like a job, and I believe ONEW represents this feeling.
The show ended with “Happy Birthday,” which was the perfect closure.
The show was incredible; although the setlist felt short while writing the review, experiencing it on the night it just felt right. We were all captivated by ONEW’s performance; he brought us on a journey to find happiness, and he truly delivered that. I left the venue with my heart fulfilled with happiness and good vibes, and I’m sure we all felt that way.
Since the moment SHINee debuted, we knew that all the members have that sparkle that makes them so special and unique. This is what stands out, beyond their incredible talent (which they all are super talented), they have that extra special energy that makes us cheer for them unconditionally. ONEW’s show showcased exactly that: an excellent artist with an incredible stage presence, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for him. ONEW is a star that shines bright inside out.
With three out of four members reviewed, only KEY is left for me to witness and review, and hopefully, we all can see all four members together very soon in London. Let’s manifest it!
DAVIDE K-POP 