#WENEEDLOVE: An Ode to Wenee

Wonho has two hobbies: becoming the most muscular man on the planet and loving his fans relentlessly. With the distance between artist and fan growing ever more tangible, the relationship between him and his fans, affectionately called Wenee (short for "we are new ending" or "we need"), was highlighted a hundred times over in Wonho's online concert celebrating his second solo release, Love Synonym #2: Right for Us.

Backed by the piano intro of "FLASH,” the concert began with the artist sat in his dressing room, followed by the camera on his walk toward the stage where he waited for the LED screen curtain to raise (Wonho later noted that that was an entrance he'd always wanted to make, and he felt very cool having finally gotten the opportunity). He began his concert on an almost melancholy note, singing the solemn lyrics of a love taken for granted, framed by images of grainy film strips as he stepped through the foggy haze that covered the floor.

The mood quickly changed once Wonho got into the second verse, just as the blank film strips were filled with various images of him from the past. The mood shifted from "I miss you" to "I am thankful for you," as we were reminded of how long fans have been with him.

Between stages, Wonho recapped what he's been up to, how he's feeling, and what he wants to do next. During this time, Wonho made it clear that what he wants most is to see Wenee again, but for now, he will continue to work hard to make them proud. He also noted that while preparing for this album release, Wenee were a constant source of strength for him, as well as his staff and "Team Wonho."

With the video's end, the stage was already prepared for Wonho's "Lost In Paradise" stage. A favorite from his first mini-album, Love Synonym #1: Right For Me, the stage opened with Wonho dressed in a bright yellow hoodie as he woke up from a nap on the couch center stage. Backed by dreamy imagery of ocean waves, clouds in the sky, and galaxies, the warmth in the "Lost In Paradise" stage perfectly encapsulated the blind giddiness of infatuation—not to mention its equally cute choreography.

Between sets, Wonho took another break to review comments from Wenee in the live chat. Naturally, a vast majority of them were along the lines of "omg so cute," and Wonho definitely appreciated the overwhelmingly positive response to the new "BEST SHOT" performance he'd been eager to share. Here, a moment was then taken to play a game in reference to Wonho's #Ain'tAboutYouChallenge, where he asked fans to perform the point choreography to his song "Ain't About You (feat. Kiiara)," but this time Wonho himself was asked to do the choreography that had been created by fans for his songs.

In the fashion of a novice entering a K-Pop random dance challenge, Wonho was surprised by what he was presented with. Praising his fans' skills each time, Wonho laughed hard as he struggled to keep up, and expressed genuine awe at his fans' confidence and how well they danced, which exceeded the difficulty he'd anticipated. The segment ended with Wonho having caught barely enough breath to do his next stage, but also with the suggestion that, given what he's seen today, Wenee might have to help him prepare his next B-side.

Wonho took center stage on a foggy black background for "Losing You." Back to basics, this performance featured only Wonho singing to the camera, and he stated that the song takes on a different meaning now than it did when he wrote it: how thankful he is for Wenee. As the song progressed, the camera slowly panned out with rays of orange light and a vague purple haze backing the artist. Gesturing dramatically as he wrapped up his performance, Wonho's emotion came through crystal clear in his raw delivery.

Framed by rays of purple light coming up from the floor, the next stage opened with our star sitting at the center of an otherwise dark stage. Wearing a tight, sheer, one-sleeved turtleneck under a vest, Wonho switched gears once again, effortlessly personifying the dark and sexy sound of "DEVIL." Accompanied by chromatic aberration shadows of himself, Wonho delivered this entire performance from where he sat lax in his seat, still managing to engage his audience with his intoxicating visuals and schmoozing the camera in a way only he can do.

Wonho re-entered the stage once lights went up, sitting in his "DEVIL" outfit with a radiant smile that starkly contrasted the expression he'd given us only a moment before. This segment ended up being the longest by far, and may have actually gone over schedule given Wonho's expressed disappointment that he wasn't able to show Wenee everything he'd wanted to by the show's end. However, Wenee weren't complaining, as the time was taken up by coveted TMI reveals.

Presented with a stack of card prompts, Wonho answered each question provided, ranging from which superpower he would want to what impacts his life most. At one point Wonho graciously provided the information that he’d wanted to eat ramen so badly during his Men's Health photoshoot preparation that he ate five packs at once when he was able. Wonho often shares photos with fans when he has a special meal, but he opted out in this particular instance after he'd dumped an additional three bowls of rice in, stating it might be too much for anyone else's eyes.

The highly-anticipated title track "LOSE" was performed next for the first time in English. The stage had a sci-fi theme, with a background featuring a CGI setting peppered with Wonho's logo. This was also the first performance to feature prerecorded cheers, and it was followed immediately by "WITH YOU." Keeping with the sci-fi theme, the heavy synth in "WITH YOU" was accompanied by a glitchy binary code background.

The cheering had been sent in by Wenee for the performance, allowing Wonho to forget for a moment that he was performing for cameras, thankful that he could hear their sincerity as he felt like they were in front of him again. As the show came to a close, Wonho found himself a bit tongue-tied, flustered by how he'd had so much he wanted to say but it seemed to have left his mind blank in the moment, possibly because he felt so bittersweet. Wonho thanked Wenee again for their love and support, and expressed hopes that he might be able to meet fans again in the summer. In the meantime, he will work hard to prepare his next album, as well as filming more content for his YouTube channel, ohhoho.

Wonho had prepared a special extended version of "OPEN MIND" for this live concert. The stage showed an eclectic assortment of images of floating doors, statues on checkered flooring, and staticky tube TV screens. The extension came in the form of a dance break preceding the final chorus.

Opening his encore stage, Wonho had saved his other anticipated fan-favorite for last, "Ain't About You," where he sang both parts. Wonho went out with a bang with this very playful narrative performance. Performing at a standing microphone center stage, Wonho sang for his backup dancers who were seated around him, snapping their fingers along with his vibe. Now familiar with the "Ain't About You" point choreo, fans eagerly awaited that which appeared in the TikTok challenge; where with the backup dancers' shirts tucked in, Wonho was the only one to reveal his abs during the chorus, in case you'd forgotten who we're talking about. The performance was filled with different styles of finger hearts throughout, with the backup dancers matching Wonho's enthusiasm. The stage ended with Wonho refusing several gifts offered to him by his dancers, until one of them handed him a to-go box which he accepted with gratefulness. As the song came to a close, he opened the box to reveal a ring box inside, laughing into the mic as the lights fell. 

WENEED EACH OTHER

The concert ended with "WENEED," which had the singer performing his ballad in the middle of the stage, not unlike how the concert began, in an emotional word of parting. The stage was simple, with the screen behind Wonho filled with the song's title, and the lyrics filled in the blanks as he sang them. "WENEED" serves as a love letter to Wenee, that he is there for them for as long as they need him. As glitter fell, Wonho finished the song on a high note, expressing his love to Wenee as he exited the stage.

Wonho Special Live #WENEEDLOVE ended up being much more than just an online concert; it was a chance for him to connect with fans in the ways that he enjoys most. Not only was he able to interact with them in real time, but he was able to do so between performances, and Wonho looks forward greatly to being able to meet and perform for Wenee in person again. Speaking personally, this type of concert experience feels almost as special as live concerts which are very dear memories now. The more intimate time with my favorite artist feels so special, and Wonho in particular speaks with a sincerity that inspires me to work hard as well. This live concert experience is one I’m so glad I didn’t miss, and it’s just another thing to keep me going until we’re able to see Wonho in person again.