The SM Entertainment founder is betting big on Gen Z and Gen Alpha with A2O Entertainment, launching Chinese girl group A2O MAY as his first act in a bold cross-cultural experiment.
By Chase Karng
At 73, Lee Soo-man shows no signs of slowing down. The architect behind K-pop’s global expansion, the visionary who built SM Entertainment and created acts like Girls’ Generation, EXO, and NCT, is now channeling his energy into a new venture. He is introducing Chinese idol groups to American audiences under a self-proclaimed genre called “Zalpha Pop.”
“My parents gave me good health, and since our house was on top of a hill, I had to walk up and down every day as a child,” Lee said in a recent interview following his induction into the Asian Hall of Fame. “I have also kept the mindset to work hard until the end. Most of all, I have met so many beautiful people like the A2O MAY members.”
That optimism is now being tested with A2O Entertainment, Lee’s Los Angeles-based company founded after his departure from SM. His first act, the five-member girl group A2O MAY, has already achieved several notable milestones. They became the first Chinese idol group to chart on the U.S. Top 40 Radio Chart with pre-debut single Under My Skin, which spent two consecutive weeks on the chart. Later, their official debut single BOSS reached number 32 over five weeks, the highest ranking ever for a Chinese girl group.
The group also made their U.S. stage debut at iHeartRadio’s Wango Tango festival and appeared on KTLA, a major platform for any emerging act. Their latest release, the 14-track EP Paparazzi Arrive, released October 24, shows their range through solo and unit performances and multilingual versions of the title track.
Defining the Undefinable
What exactly is Zalpha Pop? Lee’s answer is simple but circular. “The A2O trainees are Gen Z and Gen Alpha,” he said. “Saying both every time is tricky, so we combined them into Zalpha. The music of A2O and mine represents this generation, what young people are listening to today.”
Industry observers note that while the term is catchy, it is vague as a genre label. The music, from the dubstep-inspired Paparazzi Arrive to the Latin-influenced Sweat and R&B track Melody, does not sound far removed from contemporary K-pop or global pop. The group’s bilingual approach, Chinese and English, and their multicultural lineup, members from Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hawaii, may be more distinctive than the sound itself.
“What Lee Soo-man has always excelled at is packaging and systematizing the idol training process,” said a music industry professional, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The Zalpha Pop label is smart marketing, but whether it is a genuinely new genre or just a rebranding of the K-pop formula with Chinese talent remains to be seen.”
The China Challenge
A2O MAY’s progress in the U.S. market is impressive, given the historical challenges Chinese acts have faced abroad. While K-pop groups have spent two decades building infrastructure, fan bases, and industry networks in the U.S., Chinese idol groups have focused largely on their domestic market, where success does not require Western validation.
The group has achieved major successes at home. Their August single B.B.B. topped QQ Music’s Daily New Songs Chart. They were named Rookie Group of the Year at the 2025 Weibo Music Awards. Their videos have over 30 million views across Weibo and YouTube, helped by viral dance trends like the Jump Rope Dance from BOSS.
Still, sustaining momentum in the U.S. presents a new challenge. Radio chart success does not automatically lead to strong streaming numbers or sold-out shows. Their Los Angeles showcase drew over 1,000 fans, and a CityWalk performance at Universal Studios gathered over 500. These are solid turnouts for rookies but modest compared with established K-pop acts that can sell out arenas.
The SM Alumni Network
Lee is not working alone. Former Girls’ Generation member Sunny joined A2O Entertainment as a producer. She brings firsthand experience as an idol to guide the next generation. In a recent interview at the Asian Hall of Fame ceremony, Sunny highlighted the value of empathy in mentorship. “Because I can tell them about the things I enjoyed and learned from, I can also help them find joy in what they do,” she said. “They can dream more, and through their dreams I get to revisit my own memories.”
Sunny also noted Lee’s focus on technology and AI in the training process. “We have to keep learning about new technologies and AI,” she said. “The things we imagine, technology is catching up to them. Through new technology, we can advance culture, and through culture, we can develop new technology.”
This tech-forward approach aligns with Lee’s long-standing fascination with innovation, from the idol training system to early social media strategies. Whether AI will give A2O an edge or just become industry standard remains to be seen.
What is Next
Lee is not stopping with A2O MAY. “A new global boy group is nearly ready to debut with members from across Asia,” he said. This pan-Asian approach, recruiting talent from multiple countries while keeping a cohesive identity, has worked for groups like NCT, but doing it outside SM’s established infrastructure will be a major test.
The group’s attendance at the premiere of Lee Soo Man: King of K-Pop, the Amazon Studios documentary, symbolized a passing of the torch. On the red carpet, alongside Girls’ Generation and SHINee’s Taemin, A2O MAY represented Lee’s next chapter. He is betting that the formula that conquered one market can be adapted to another.
Whether Zalpha Pop becomes a genuine cultural movement or just a branding exercise is still unclear. Early numbers are promising: radio success, industry attention, and a growing fan base. But lasting impact in the U.S. market requires more than viral hits. It requires consistent output, strong touring, and a clear identity that resonates beyond novelty.
Lee Soo-man built an empire once by systematizing the creation of global pop stars. At 73, he is attempting to do it again with new artists, a new company, and new cultural frontiers.
For now, A2O MAY continues to climb. With over a dozen tracks released in under a year and Lee’s experience behind them, they have resources most rookie groups can only dream of. Whether this is enough to turn Top 40 radio play into lasting American relevance will determine if Zalpha Pop becomes the next chapter in global pop or a footnote in the story of K-pop’s most influential architect.
