Concert Review and Interview: Shattered Open: Inside 1VERSE’s First American Tour, The Momentary, Bentonville, Arkansas

At The Momentary in Bentonville, Arkansas, 1VERSE did not simply perform. They expanded.

This was not a return. This was a beginning. And beginnings are dangerous in the best way. 

Under the creative leadership of CEO Michelle Cho and A&R visionary Joseph Lim, 1VERSE stepped onto an American stage not as a test run, but as a fully realized statement of intent. From the first note, it was clear this was not a group chasing noise. They are building architecture. 

The Fan Connection 

Before the show, during the fan meet, I watched something that confirmed everything I suspected. They weren’t rushing. They weren’t distracted. They were present. 

Hands were held longer than expected. Conversations extended beyond quick pleasantries. Eye contact lingered. Before their debut, their connection with 5tars was largely digital. 

Now it has weight and warmth, volume and vibration. 

The “After” They’re Creating 

I asked them: If this era becomes a clear “before and after” moment, what do you want the after to stand for? 

Aito didn’t hesitate. “A future with our authentic selves.” 

Kenny pushed back on the premise. “For me, ‘after’ isn’t something I focus on,” he explained. “I focus on the now. I want to envision my present all the way to the end.” For him, ambition lives in the present. Stretch the now as far forward as it can go. Build from here. 

Seok’s answer turned inward. He hopes to maintain balance on tour, especially mentally. Growth, for him, includes understanding his internal self-more clearly as the external world gets louder.

Three answers. One theme. Intentional evolution. Not overnight reinvention. Not spectacle for spectacle’s sake. Growth that compounds. 

The Hometown Echo 

For Nathan, Bentonville was more than a tour stop. It was origin meeting outcome. He was discovered online. Before 1VERSE, he planned to study computer science in college. It was practical. Stable. But it wouldn’t have made him happy. Now, standing on stage in his hometown, he spoke about wanting to influence others from small towns to pursue their dreams, even if the path feels unconventional. 

When he addressed the audience, something shifted. Pride thickened the air. Phones lowered. People watched with their actual eyes. It did not feel like celebrity. It felt like possibility. 

Building Foundation, Not Hype 

When asked about their artistic identity and ambitions, none of the answers felt rehearsed. 

They spoke about authenticity. About responsibility to 5tars. About mental health. About influence.

About longevity. 

That word lingers: longevity. 

And if their single “Shattered” represents anything, it is not fragmentation. It is an expansion. It is the moment something breaks open to reveal how much further it can stretch. 

Creative Shifts and Expanding the Map 

I asked them: The Shattered Tour feels like something breaking open creatively. What’s shifting for you right now? 

Kenny described an early idea that now feels prophetic. The group launched a voting app where fans could choose cities they wanted 1VERSE to visit. 

The question behind it: How do we expand K-pop into places that are harder to reach?

Bentonville answered that. 

Seok reflected on how, before their debut, most of their connection with their fandom (aptly called “5tars”) lived online. Now they experience it in person. And that difference is profound. 

You could see it in the room. 

When they performed “Shattered,” the song shifted depending on who was singing which section. The energy recalibrated with the crowd. Each city has its own emotional frequency.

Their cover of ATEEZ’s “Guerrilla” felt explosive, reshaped by fan reaction in real time. And then there’s their own single “Multiverse.” 

“For me,” Kenny said, “it feels different each time because it provokes emotions and memories. It depends on where you are in life.” 

That’s not performance. That’s dialogue. 

Vulnerability on Stage 

“Fans connect through vulnerability,” I told them. “What have you learned to stop hiding?” 

Kenny laughed. “We highlight our mistakes. Each city has its own unique problems, so we learned to love our flaws.” 

Instead of concealing these moments, they lean into them. It humanizes the show. Makes every night singular. 

Then I asked them: When the lights go down after a show, what hits first? “Nostalgia,” Aito said. “I already miss the stage. I can still feel it.” 

Kenny’s first thought is more practical. “Did I pack my mic?” he joked. Tour life has a way of swallowing things whole. Seok’s answer lingered longest. “Bliss,” he said. The cheering gives him energy. He promises himself to do better each time, to reciprocate the love fans give — for them, not for himself. 

That distinction says everything. 

The Architecture Behind the Art 

Michelle Cho and Joseph Lim are not simply overseeing a group. They are curating a movement. 

In conversation, their clarity stands out. Branding is intentional. Market expansion is strategic. Narrative is cohesive. There is no frantic chasing of trends. 

Early fan-voted cities. A carefully measured American launch. And now an upcoming European Tour in 2026, including Milan, Bordeaux, Berlin, Huskvarna, Paris, Helsinki, London, Belgrade, and Frankfurt. 

This is not a random expansion. It is designed for growth. 

Joe Lim’s direction preserves each member’s individuality while maintaining cohesion. Michelle Cho’s leadership is evident in the consistency of vision and long-term positioning. Every step feels aligned.

Becoming 

Finally, I asked: Who are you becoming on this tour that fans didn’t meet at your debut? 

Aito spoke first by describing this tour as something akin to an anime arc. Dramatic. Character-driven. A journey where each member carries their own battles, yet the whole team holds “main character energy.” 

Seok answered thoughtfully. “I was always an honest person,” he said, “but I’m learning how to articulate and show that better. It seeps out more now.” 

That is not a dramatic transformation. 

It is refinement. And refinement is what lasts. 

An Absence, Still Present 

Though member Hyuk is currently on hiatus, his presence remains woven into the group’s creative fabric. His contribution to “Shattered” continues to resonate throughout the set, a reminder that 1VERSE’s identity is collaborative at its core. 

There was no sense of omission on stage. Instead, there was quiet acknowledgment — an understanding that growth sometimes includes space. In an era where transparency matters, that balance between respect and forward motion felt deliberate. 

Even in the absence, the foundation holds. 

The Verdict 

1VERSE’s first American tour was not about proving they belong. It was about demonstrating who they are becoming. They are not building hype. They are building a foundation. 

From Bentonville to Europe, the map continues to widen. 

This amazing group is proof of ambition without arrogance. Vulnerability without fragility. Strategy without losing heart. 

This was not a return. It was a beginning. And beginnings built this deliberately tend to endure.