[Anchor]
Producer Lee Soo-man, often called the pioneer of K-pop, has returned to South Korea after three years. The rookie girl group he introduced soared to the top of domestic music charts right upon debut.
Reporter Kim Gyeong-hui has the details.
[Reporter]
[♬ NEON / A2O LITE]
This is "Neon," the debut song of the multinational nine-member rookie girl group A2O LITE.
It claimed the number one spot on Melon's Top 100 chart just 29 hours after its release, an unusually rapid record for a rookie group's debut song.
This track also marks producer Lee Soo-man's return to the domestic scene, three years after leaving SM Entertainment.
Previously, when selling his stake in SM to HYBE, Lee had agreed not to produce albums in South Korea for three years.
[Lee Soo-man / Key Producer at A2O Entertainment: "What would be different from the existing ones yet capable of winning fresh affection? I have pondered, sought, and tested that extensively."]
Alongside interest in Lee himself, analysts suggest that key factors to their success included maximizing the appeal of original K-pop—such as a cappella harmonies and flawless, synchronized group choreography—while casting familiar faces reminiscent of BoA or S.E.S.'s Eugene.
[Lim Jin-mo / Music Critic: "There is a Zalpha generation feel to it. They didn't miss out on that, while at the same time subtly returning to the music of the past SMP (SM Music Performance) era."]
With an average age of just 15, including three 13-year-old members making them one of the youngest K-pop groups, their ability to pull off near-extreme vocals and choreography is also cited as a point driving up their appeal among teens and people in their 20s.
[Mimyo / Music Critic: "(It is impressive how) the method of utilizing the members' voices as harmonies is pushed to such an extent that you think, 'No matter how you look at it, this feels more like an instrument than a human voice.'"]
[Lim Hee-yun / Music Critic: "Right now, it seems there is a strong aspect driven by buzzworthiness, but since it is clearly content that condenses the appeal of K-pop, we need to watch a bit longer, but I think they will be able to sustain popularity to some extent."]
Attention is now focused on whether the original K-pop commander, who has successfully grabbed the public's attention, can overcome a substantial three-year hiatus and shake up the K-pop landscape.
(Video Editing: Kim Yoon-sung, VJ: Oh Se-gwan, Design: Cho Su-in, Video Source: Mnet M2, A2O Entertainment)
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