A2O Entertainment, led by the return of SM founder Lee Soo-man, has announced the simultaneous debut of both a boy group and a girl group set for October 12, 2026.

A2O LITE, the girl group, consists of nine members: OA, AYUNE, YOUNG, RADA, AIJING, MERCI, HIMEKI, XILI, and VORA. Multiple trailers have been shared on the group's new social media accounts, featuring some of the members and an audio clip teasing their electronic pop debut digital single “NEON.”

A2O SOUL, the boy group, consists of 15 members: MOON, TAI, GAKU, AYDEN, SEOHA, SORA, LUCIEN, ZET, TEO, ZAI, SONO, ALURE, JUNE, SEE-ONE, and HANSUNG. Three Google Earth-inspired clips have been shared on the group’s new social media accounts, revealing the name of their debut digital single “SUPERSTAR” but not its audio.

Both of the groups will release a music video for their debut song on October 12 at 6PM KST, with the songs themselves releasing exactly a day later. Both will also participate in a joint debut showcase, <WELCOME TO SOULITE From A2O SOUL ATO LITE>, performing publicly for the first time via M2 and Mnet Plus before performing on MCountdown later in the week.

Immediately, these debuts are unique in their simultaneous nature. Having two groups debut under the same company at the same time is a new approach, tying the groups not only to the A2O Entertainment name but also to each other. It introduces multiple possibilities, from collaboration to competition.

The A2O Entertainment label itself also prompts intrigue. The company is owned by Lee Soo-man, who is known within the industry as the founder of SM Entertainment and one of the pioneers of the global Korean Wave. He established SM Studio after his own initials in 1989, which was later renamed as SM Entertainment in 1995, and oversaw projects from artists like Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, EXO, and NCT as an executive producer. He sold his stake in the company to HYBE in 2023 – but after three years, he is making a return to the K-pop industry as the founder and CEO of A2O.

A2O LITE and A2O SOUL are not the first to debut under the new company. In 2024, five-member Chinese girl group A2O MAY debuted with the digital single “Under My Skin.” The group established its own genre, named “Zalpha Pop” after Generation Z and Generation Alpha, rather than contributing to K-pop directly, and primarily promoted in China and the U.S. carrying this electronic pop, hip-hop sound. Their debut EP PAPARAZZI ARRIVE reached number 40 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart in November last year.

The two new groups have been tagged by the “Zalpha Pop” label, but initial announcements have immediately made it clear that Lee Soo-man intends to concentrate on Korea once more. Both groups contain Korean members and are debuting in Korea, with a traditional debut showcase in front of the Korean press and an early presence on national music shows.

Following the success of A2O MAY and backed by Lee Soo-man’s legacy, A2O LITE and A2O SOUL will draw attention. Curiosity is rising over the CEO’s plans for the groups as they act as representative of his return to K-pop, as well as over their unique double debut and the development of the “Zalpha Pop” genre.

“NEON” by A2O LITE and “SUPERSTAR” by A2O SOUL will be available to stream on global music platforms on October 13, 2026, and viewers can watch the groups’ debut showcase on M2 and Mnet Plus.