Lee Soo-man’s new girl group reaches No. 1 with debut single ‘Neon’ in just 29 hours, though critic questions whether early buzz will last
A2O Lite, the new girl group produced by Lee Soo-man and A2O Entertainment, topped Melon's Top 100 chart just 29 hours after releasing its debut single, setting a record for the fastest debut song to reach No. 1 since the chart was revamped in 2021.
The nine-member group's debut single, "Neon," reached No. 1 at 11 p.m. Wednesday. The milestone came considerably faster than NewJeans' debut single "Attention," which took eight days to top the chart in August 2022.
"Neon" entered Melon's Top 100 at No. 77 at 10 p.m. Tuesday before climbing to No. 10 by 9 a.m. Wednesday. It reached No. 2 by 9 p.m. and held that position for another hour before overtaking I-dle member Soyeon's "I'm Gonna Toesa" at 11 p.m.
The achievement also surpassed the previous record held by coed group AllDay Project, whose debut single "Famous," released in June 2025, took three days to reach No. 1.
The chart measures the most popular songs on Melon, one of South Korea's largest music streaming platforms, combining recent and daily streaming activity.
A2O Lite's stay at the top, however, was brief. "Neon" slipped to No. 6 in the early hours of Thursday, and Soyeon's song reclaimed the top spot.
The debut has drawn particular attention as Lee's first girl group targeting the domestic market since departing SM Entertainment in early 2023, the company he founded and helped establish as a K-pop powerhouse. He launched A2O Entertainment in 2024 and debuted the Chinese girl group A2O May in December that year.
Lee introduced A2O Lite alongside 15-member boy group A2O Soul at a joint showcase Monday in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, marking his return to Korean music production following the expiration of his three-year noncompete agreement with Hybe in February.
The track was produced by Yoo Young-jin, Lee's longtime collaborator at SM, whose credits include work with H.O.T., BoA, TVXQ, Girls' Generation, Shinee and Aespa.
Music critic Lim Hee-yun cautioned that the group's rapid chart success may have been driven more by curiosity surrounding Lee's comeback and extensive social media promotion than by established public demand.
"It happened in such a short period of time that I think the buzz played a major role," Lim told The Korea Herald. "Lee Soo-man is a name everyone knows, and he's returning after a long absence. There also seems to have been considerable social media marketing."
Lim also noted that "Neon" carries the recognizable SM sound associated with acts such as F(x) and Aespa, reflecting Yoo Young-jin's involvement in its production. While that familiar style may appeal to longtime K-pop listeners, he said its broader popularity remains uncertain.
"Whether the content itself has satisfied the wider public is something we still need to see," Lim said.
jaaykim@heraldcorp.com