K-pop often feels like more than a genre, encompassing far more than the music released in every debut or comeback. Watching a K-pop concert, therefore, feels like more than a live rendition of music.

Though it was a rainy Thursday evening, when ONEUS — Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwanwoong, and Xion — took the stage at The Apollo Theater, their energy was high, matched only by the fans who had gathered ...