"Old fans are thrilled"... Lee Soo-man's debut of a new girl group sparks mixed reactions as it evokes 'SM sensibility' [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

As Lee Soo-man, former chief producer of SM Entertainment (hereinafter SM), unveils his new girl group A2O LITE, reactions within the K-pop fandom are divided.

On the 12th, at the A2O Entertainment global debut show 'WELCOME TO SOULITE From A2O SOUL A2O LITE' held at Exhibition Hall 2 of the Goyang ILSAN KINTEX in Gyeonggi Province, the nine-member multinational girl group A2O LITE and the 15th-member boy group A2O SOUL officially launched their activities.

On this day, A2O LITE debuted with a performance of their new song 'Neon.'

Immediately after the stage was revealed, interest in A2O LITE was intense. Member Ai-ching, who took the stage with long brown straight hair, drew attention for her dance lines and atmosphere reminiscent of BoA in her early debut days, while member Oh-a was noted for her appearance resembling Jessica, a former member of Girls' Generation. Additionally, their music style, which evokes memories of F(x), also became a topic of discussion.

In response, some fans expressed enthusiastic support, stating, "We can see SM's past musical color again" and "The unique color of SMP is welcome." They expressed delight at being able to feel the 'SM sensibility' again after a long time.

In particular, unlike the recent trend in the K-pop market where short-length songs are gaining attention, reactions emerged noting that the track's runtime of over three minutes, which includes a dance break and bridge section, evokes memories of Lee Soo-man-style K-pop from the past.

On the other hand, fans supporting current SM-affiliated artists expressed dissatisfaction with the trend where nostalgia for past SM leads to an atmosphere that belittles existing artists. One netizen pointed out, "Fans of current SM artists do not miss Lee Soo-man, but because the 'old fans' are getting excited, the backlash is splashing onto us."

Opinions were also divided regarding the approach of linking a rookie group to past artists. Some view that the new group should be evaluated based on its own charm and music rather than by mentioning BoA, Girls' Generation, F(x), and others.

Thus, views on the emergence of A2O LITE are split between reactions welcoming the color of past SM and reactions feeling resistance to the trend of comparing current SM with the past.

Meanwhile, Lee Soo-man was subject to a three-year restriction on domestic entertainment management activities due to a non-compete agreement signed when he sold his SM shares to HYBE in 2023, but this agreement was lifted earlier this year, allowing him to resume domestic activities.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original