[Dispatch=Reporter Lee A-jin] "What is different?"

Producer Lee Soo-man is introducing new rookie groups. Having worked in the K-pop market for a long time, he found answers to questions he has continuously posed. He has organically incorporated this into both boy groups and girl groups.

He sought differentiation starting with technology. He went beyond the existing dimensions of photography and video. He brought technology that allows fans to view and experience artists from the viewpoints they desire, breaking away from fixed positions and angles.

He also pursued novelty in music. Based on the judgment that the essence of a singer ultimately lies in music, he put forward genres not heard in existing K-pop. The goal is to present a new trend to the market.

A2O Entertainment held "Welcome to Soulite from A2O Soul A2O Lite" at the Kintex Hall 2 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on the 12th. The company held a time to first introduce its rookie group projects.

◆ Expanding Fan Experience Through Technology

First, Producer Lee Soo-man presented the company's vision. The core concept is "Culture Technology." The focus was placed on implementing new experiences by incorporating rapidly advancing technologies such as AI into content.

The representative technology is "4DGS" (4-dimensional Gaussian Splatting). Artist movements are recorded as data according to time and various viewpoints. A2O Entertainment plans to use this to provide fans with more vivid content such as music videos.

Producer Lee Soo-man has attempted to combine technology and content since the past. He recalled, "In the music videos of Girls' Generation, SHINee, and TVXQ!, we used hundreds of cameras to capture members appearing to be suspended in the air from multiple angles."

He continued, "Gaussian Splatting took that concept a step further. Viewers can view the space and everything within it from the position and angle they desire. I want to define it as moving from 'a camera that films change' to 'a camera that creates.'"

Extended Reality (XR) technology was also applied. In cooperation with Samsung Electronics, a new viewing experience was created. Lee Soo-man elaborated, "Fans can enter the space where the artist is and view them from the position and viewpoint they want."

This technology also leads to two-way communication. Through a communication application, fans can have video conversations with artists. A talk show where multiple fans and artists communicate in real-time was also planned.

◆ ACE

New artists were also revealed. Following the five-member girl group A2O Mae introduced in 2024, two new teams were added. A 15-member boy group A2O Soul and a 9-member girl group A2O Lite.

Both groups consist of members of various nationalities. Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, American, and mixed ethnicity. The average age range is the mid-to-late teens.

The three groups share a worldview called "ACE" (A2O Cosmic Epic). The setting is a vast universe with everything in place. At its center is the planet "Soulite," where love, excitement, and the sense of being alive gradually fade.

Artists embark on a journey to recover the fading Soul from this place. They plan to unfold the narrative of the worldview through music and performance. While drawing each group's own story, they complete a single worldview.

The members of each team are not limited to their fixed groups. They engage in various forms of activity including units, solos, and projects. Depending on which members meet and what music they present, the narrative of the worldview expands in diverse directions.

◆ A2O LITE

On this day, the rookie groups took the stage. A joint performance dominated the atmosphere from the start. Dance members from each group including Aichin and Siri from A2O Lite took the stage. They showcased dances in genres they were confident in, such as popping and locking.

Afterwards, A2O Lite appeared. They depict the process of each girl's emotions and colors advancing as one light. The debut song "Neon" signals the beginning of that journey.

It expressed bold aspirations to advance to and beyond where dreams lie. Most notably, they put their own genre "Zalpa Pop" front and center. It is characterized by futuristic electronic sounds reminiscent of science fiction films and addictive melodies.

Members appeared in white outfits reminiscent of spacesuits. From the start, intense dance breaks captured attention. Despite the repeating electronic sounds, the stage was never tedious.

Sharp, precise group choreography followed without pause. The dynamic formation changes highlighted by arm and wrist angles were striking. Bold attitude and detailed choreography harmonized to heighten the completeness of the performance.

◆ A2O SOUL

A2O Soul depicts their journey after leaving "Soulite" and arriving on Earth, searching for their lost Soul. The Soul they seek is emotions that make people alive, such as happiness, love, excitement, and passion.

The debut song is "Superstar." They presented a new genre "New Synthwave" highlighted by synthesizer sounds. The lyrics contain longing and yearning toward superstars.

The overall song carries a wistful and emotional atmosphere. Ethereal melodies harmonized with tender vocals. They distinctly differentiate their musical color from the futuristic-sounding A2O Lite.

The performance fully utilized the strengths of a large-scale group. Different members took the stage for each part, showcasing diverse movements and choreography. As it progressed toward the second half, vocals and performance exploded, displaying clear dramatic structure.

Meanwhile, A2O Soul and A2O Lite will release their debut singles through various music streaming sites on the 13th at 6 p.m.

<Photos by Photographer Lee Ho-jun>