This is "NEON," the debut track of the multinational nine-member rookie girl group A2O LITE.

It climbed to No. 1 on MelOn's Top 100 chart just 29 hours after its release, an extraordinarily fast record for a rookie group's debut song.

This song also marks the domestic return of producer Lee Soo-man, who left SM Entertainment three years ago.

Previously, when Lee sold his stake in SM to HYBE, he entered into an agreement not to produce music domestically for three years.

[Lee Soo-man / Key Producer, A2O Entertainment: I have spent a lot of time pondering, searching, and testing what could be different from the past yet receive new love.]

Alongside the attention directed at Lee himself, critics note that the success was driven by maximizing the charms of original K-Pop—such as a cappella harmonies and flawless synchronized choreography—while casting familiar faces reminiscent of BoA or S.E.S.'s Eugene.

[Lim Jin-mo / Music Critic: There is that Zalpha generation vibe. They didn't miss 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 key point drawing attention from teens and those in their 20s.

[Miyyo / Music Critic: The way they use the members' voices in harmony is so intense that you think, 'No matter how you look at it, this feels more like an instrument than a human voice'—that is impressive.]

[Lim Hee-yun / Music Critic: While it seems that buzz is driving a lot of it right now, it is clearly content that condenses the charm of K-Pop, so we will have to keep an eye on them a bit longer, but I think they will be able to sustain their popularity to some extent...]

Attention is now focused on whether the original K-Pop commander, who has successfully captured public interest, can overcome a hiatus of three not-short years and shake up the K-Pop landscape.

Return after three years and unprecedented records... Will the 'original K-Pop commander' change the landscape? (October 17, 2026, 8 News)

Reported by Kim Kyung-hee | Written by Bae Jun-휘 | Video Editing by Kim Yoon-sung | VJ: Oh Se-gwan | Design: Cho Su-in | Video Source: Mnet M2, A2O Entertainment | Produced by SBS Digital News