Lee Soo-man's new girl group A2O Lite tops Melon chart

A2O Lite reached No. 1 on Melon’s Top 100 chart in Korea 29 hours after releasing its debut single “Neon,” before falling to sixth place the following morning. The nine-member girl group was produced by former SM Entertainment chief Lee Soo-man and launched by A2O Entertainment. “Neon” stands out from many recent K-pop releases with its 3-minute-28-second length, synchronized choreography, coordinated outfits, high notes and dance break.

“Neon” was released at 6 p.m. Tuesday and topped Melon’s chart by 11 p.m. Wednesday.

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, Soyeon’s “I’m Gonna Toesa (feat. Kian84)” had returned to No. 1.

Lee Soo-man introduced A2O Lite and 15-member boy group A2O Soul at a media showcase in Goyang, near Seoul, on Monday.

Lee returned to the domestic K-pop market after a three-year non-compete agreement expired earlier this year following his February 2023 sale of SM Entertainment shares to Hybe.

“Neon” was produced by Yoo Young-jin, who previously worked with Lee on music for H.O.T., BoA, TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, SHINee and aespa.

Published Oct 15, 2026 8:51 am KST

A2O Lite members perform at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Newsis

A2O Lite, the first girl group produced by former SM Entertainment chief Lee Soo-man, reached No. 1 on Korea's largest music streaming platform shortly after releasing its debut single, before falling to sixth place hours later, data showed Thursday.

The group's debut digital single, "Neon," had topped Melon's Top 100 chart by 11 p.m. on Wednesday, 29 hours after its release at 6 p.m. the previous day, according to music industry experts.

It is unusual for a rookie group to top the chart within less than two days of a song's release, although it dropped to sixth place the following morning. As of 10 a.m. Thursday, Soyeon's "I'm Gonna Toesa (feat. Kian84)" returned to No. 1.

A2O Lite is a nine-member group launched by A2O Entertainment, the company founded by Lee after he left SM Entertainment. Lee simultaneously introduced A2O Lite and 15-member boy group A2O Soul at a media showcase in Goyang, near Seoul, on Monday.

He returned to the domestic K-pop market after a three-year non-compete agreement expired earlier this year. He agreed to the restriction when he sold his stake in SM Entertainment to Hybe in February 2023.

A2O Lite's achievement has drawn attention because "Neon" departs from the prevailing success formula of the recent K-pop industry.

Recent releases often feature songs under three minutes long designed for dance challenges on short-form video platforms, along with styling that highlights each member's individuality. "Neon," by contrast, is a relatively long track with a length of 3 minutes and 28 seconds. It emphasizes sharp synchronized choreography, coordinated stage outfits, high notes and a dance break — elements reminiscent of earlier generations of K-pop.

The song was produced by Yoo Young-jin, who worked with Lee at SM Entertainment on music for acts including H.O.T., BoA, TVXQ, Girls' Generation, SHINee and aespa.

The group has also generated online buzz for its members' appearances, as it gives a sense of familiarity by evoking former SM Entertainment artists. Some users said Aijing resembles BoA during her debut era, while others compared Oa to former S.E.S. member Eugene and former Girls' Generation member Jessica.

A2O Lite consists of multinational members from Korea, China, Japan and Thailand.

A2O Lite 出道单曲《Neon》发行仅 29 小时便登上韩国 Melon Top 100 排行榜榜首，次日清晨跌至第六位。这支九人女子组合由前 SM 娱乐公司社长李秀满担任制作人，A2O 娱乐公司推出。《Neon》时长 3 分 28 秒，编舞整齐划一，服装搭配协调，高音部分以及精彩的舞蹈段落使其在众多近期 K-pop 歌曲中脱颖而出。

《Neon》于周二下午 6 点发行，并在周三晚上 11 点登上 Melon 排行榜榜首。

截至周四上午 10 点，Soyeon 的《I'm Gonna Toesa (feat. Kian84)》重回榜首。

周一，李秀满在首尔附近的高阳市举行的媒体发布会上介绍了 A2O Lite 和 15 人男子组合 A2O Soul。

李在2023年2月将SM娱乐公司的股份出售给Hybe后，于今年早些时候结束了为期三年的竞业禁止协议，重返韩国流行音乐市场。

《Neon》由柳英镇制作，他之前曾与李合作，为 HOT、BoA、东方神起、少女时代、SHINee 和 aespa 等艺人制作音乐。

发布于2026年10月15日上午8:51（韩国标准时间）

A2O Lite成员周一在京畿道高阳市KINTEX会展中心演出。Newsis

据周四公布的数据显示，前SM娱乐社长李秀满打造的首个女子组合A2O Lite在发布首支单曲后不久便登上了韩国最大音乐流媒体平台排行榜的榜首，但几个小时后便跌至第六位。

据音乐行业专家称，该组合的首支数位单曲《Neon》在周三晚上 11 点登上了 Melon Top 100 排行榜榜首，距离前一天下午 6 点发布仅 29 小时。

新人组合在歌曲发行不到两天内就登顶榜首实属罕见，尽管第二天早上就跌至第六位。截至周四上午10点，Soyeon的《I'm Gonna Toesa (feat. Kian84)》重回榜首。

A2O Lite是由A2O娱乐公司推出的九人男子组合，该公司由李敏镐离开SM娱乐公司后创立。周一，李敏镐在首尔附近的高阳市举行的媒体发布会上，同时推出了A2O Lite和15人男子组合A2O Soul。

今年早些时候，他与韩国艺人签订的三年竞业禁止协议到期后，他重返韩国流行音乐市场。2023年2月，他将自己在SM娱乐公司的股份出售给Hybe时，同意了这项限制。

A2O Lite 的成就引起了人们的关注，因为《Neon》这首歌打破了近期 K-pop 产业盛行的成功模式。

近期发布的歌曲通常时长不足三分钟，旨在迎合短视频平台上的舞蹈挑战，同时注重展现每位成员的个性。相比之下，《Neon》则是一首相对较长的歌曲，时长3分28秒。它强调精准的同步编舞、协调的舞台服装、高音以及一段舞蹈间奏——这些元素让人想起早期K-pop的风格。

这首歌由柳英镇制作，他曾与李在SM娱乐公司合作，为HOT、BoA、东方神起、少女时代、SHINee和aespa等艺人制作音乐。

该组合成员的外貌也引发了网络热议，因为她们的造型让人联想起SM娱乐公司之前的艺人，给人一种亲切感。一些网友表示，Aijing长得像BoA出道时期的样子，而另一些网友则将Oa比作前SES成员Eugene和前少女时代成员Jessica。

A2O Lite 由来自韩国、中国、日本和泰国的多国成员组成。