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

The Korea Times - Oct 15, 2026

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 Entert

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