A rookie girl group introduced by SM Entertainment founder and producer Lee Soo-man for the first time in three years has topped a music chart just one day after their official debut.

A2O Entertainment, founded by producer Lee Soo-man, released the debut song "NEON" by the new girl group A2O Lites on the 13th.

As of 11 p.m. on the 14th, the song claimed the No. 1 spot on Melon's Top 100 chart. It is highly unusual for a rookie group's track to reach the top of a major music chart just a day after its release.

Instead of following the recent K-pop trend of short tracks under three minutes, A2O Lites' "NEON" is a relatively long song running 3 minutes and 28 seconds. It prominently features elements reminiscent of classic K-pop, including powerful knife-like choreography, high notes, a cappella sections, and a dance break.

The song was produced by Yoo Young-jin, who previously collaborated with producer Lee Soo-man during his SM Entertainment days on music for H.O.T., BoA, TVXQ, Girls' Generation, SHINee, and aespa.

The members' visuals have also been drawing attention, with Aicing bringing to mind BoA's debut era, and Oa evoking memories of S.E.S.'s Eugene and former Girls' Generation member Jessica.

While offering a sense of familiarity with images reminiscent of former SM artists, the group is composed of members from various nationalities including South Korea, China, Japan, and Thailand, suggesting a focus on the global market.

A2O Lites is the first rookie girl group introduced by Lee Soo-man since his return to the domestic K-pop front lines after three years.

After selling his stake in SM Entertainment to HYBE and leaving the company in 2023, Lee entered into a non-compete agreement restricting him from producing domestic albums for three years.

Following the expiration of this agreement in February of this year, he established the new agency A2O Entertainment and has continued activities targeting the global market.

In 2024, he introduced A2O May, a girl group composed entirely of local Chinese members.

This time, he has captured the attention of the public and the industry by simultaneously debuting the nine-member girl group A2O Lites and the 15-member boy group A2O Soul.

(Photo: Yonhap News)