A2O Soul, A2O Lite Debut: Showcase Oct. 12, Singles Oct. 13

by Hannah / Oct 09, 2026 08:38 PM EDT

A2O Entertainment, the label Lee Soo-man founded after leaving SM Entertainment, will debut a boy group and a girl group in the same week. A2O Soul and A2O Lite hold a global debut showcase, "Welcome to Soulite From A2O Soul A2O Lite," on Monday, Oct. 12, then release their first digital singles, "Superstar" and "Neon," at 6 p.m. KST on Tuesday, Oct. 13, the company said Thursday.

It is Lee's first domestic music project since his three-year noncompete agreement with HYBE expired in February. He accepted the restriction in 2023, when he sold his stake in SM to HYBE. The showcase streams worldwide through M2 and Mnet Plus, and Lee is scheduled to outline A2O's production vision and its plans to use emerging entertainment technology.

Debuting both groups at once departs from the usual K-pop sequence, in which an agency builds one rookie group's identity and fan base before introducing the next. A2O plans to connect the two acts' music, performances and narratives through a shared fictional universe while keeping their identities separate. The concept will be unveiled at Monday's showcase.

Yoo Young-jin is overseeing music and performance production for both groups. He spent 28 years at SM as a senior producer and nonexecutive director, with credits that include aespa's "Next Level" and "Black Mamba," NCT 127's "Sticker" and NCT Dream's "Hot Sauce."

Lee has described the company's name as short for "Alpha to Omega." In an interview released through A2O, he said, "The future is technology and humanity."

For readers who know Lee only by reputation: he founded SM in 1995 and built the idol-training system behind H.O.T., S.E.S., TVXQ, Girls' Generation, Shinee, Exo, NCT and aespa. He also pushed the interconnected-universe storylines and the expandable, multi-unit structure that NCT made standard.

After leaving SM, he set up A2O Entertainment with headquarters in Singapore and operations in Los Angeles. Its first group, A2O May, debuted on Dec. 20, 2024, with five Chinese members aimed at overseas markets. A2O says the group's "Under My Skin" made it the first Chinese group on the U.S. Top 40 radio chart. In Korea, the label opened a branch in Seoul's Cheongdam district and has run a weekly walk-in audition at its Gangnam office since March.

Monday's showcase is where A2O says the shared universe gets its first explanation. The company has not said what time the showcase begins. The first songs follow on Tuesday at 6 p.m. KST, which makes the gap between the concept reveal and the music about a day.