[Dispatch=Lee Myung-ju Reporter] It's long. Over 3 minutes. It's strong. It overwhelms with sharp choreography. It runs. The target point is the climax. And it abandons. There is no easy listening.

A2O Lite has debuted. The first girl group unveiled by producer Lee Soo-man after leaving SM Entertainment. He brought what he does best, not what the times demand.

The result is a new record. Right after releasing 'NEON', it hit No. 1 on 'Top 100' in 29 hours. Since Melon changed its aggregation method in 2021, this is the shortest period for a rookie group to reach No. 1.

A2O Lite swept global charts as well. With their debut song, they reached No. 6 on Apple Music's 'Top 100 Global Today'. They also hit No. 1 on China's QQ Music 'Popular Songs Chart'.

The hit-making strategy Lee Soo-man has maintained felt refreshingly new. Not following the latest K-pop trends, but competing with traditional idol music came across as differentiation.

Compared to other girl group songs, the difference becomes even more evident. Recent K-pop music shows a pattern of shortening to around 2 minutes to fit the 'short-form' environment.

In fact, instead of narrative structure, they have focused on gimmick parts within 30 seconds. This is a hit-making formula that keeps pace with the streaming era.

But Lee Soo-man boldly rejected this trend. He brought in 'SMP' together with Yoo Young-jin. 'NEON' revived dramatic bridges and dance breaks within a solid structure of over 3 minutes.

Performance proportion was also strengthened. Leading with performance director Park Jun-hee, he gathered top-tier choreographers from home and abroad including Park Hye-mi, Kim Ye-ji, Song Hwan-hee, Son Hye-yeon, Loverin, Reddy, and Presley Tucker.

In particular, the opening choreography with participation from member Siri and Aitzing sparked a heated response. The work of dancer Jay Black, with a motion of turning one foot backward, elevated the song's appeal.

Most importantly, they focused on the song itself. Based on electronic sound with an intense beat, the acapella elements stacked densely toward the latter half induced repeated listening.

This is Lee Soo-man's solution that reaches the essence of singing. At a recent venue introducing a new artist project, he emphasized, "I think what singers need most is a good song."

That good music is the key to success. "I hope it feels different from before through the song, through dance, through the music video, and through the performance on stage," he showed confidence.

A2O Lite's launch is successful enough to call unprecedented. Following 'NEON and Beyond' in the 'NEON' lyrics, they are ready to reach out to a wider world.

Meanwhile, A2O Lite is a nine-member multinational girl group. It consists of Young (17, Korea), Oa (13, US/Japan), Ayoon (13, Korea), Aitzing (13, China), Himeki (17, Japan), Rada (15, Thailand), Siri (15, China), Bora (16, Korea), and Merci (15, China).

Young

Oa

Ayoon

Aitzing

Himeki

Rada

Siri

Bora

Merci

<Photo=Dispatch DB, A2O Lite SNS Capture>