A2O LITE Tops Melon TOP100 Just 29 Hours After Debut, Setting the Fastest Record for a Debut Song

(MHN reporter Jeong Jun-hwa) Rookie group A2O LITE has rewritten K-pop history by reaching No. 1 with its debut song in just 29 hours.

A2O LITE’s debut song ‘NEON’ topped Melon’s TOP100 chart as of 11 p.m. on the 14th. It climbed one spot from its previous ranking, pushing Soyeon’s ‘I’ll Quit’ down to No. 2. This came 29 hours after the song was released at 6 p.m. on the 13th.

This is the fastest record among debut songs that have reached No. 1 since Melon reorganized its TOP100 chart in August 2021. The previous shortest record was held by ALLDAY PROJECT. ALLDAY PROJECT released its debut song ‘FAMOUS’ on June 23, 2025, and reached No. 1 at 11 p.m. on the 26th, three days later. Melon previously described this as the “shortest time to reach No. 1 with a debut song since the TOP100 reorganization.”

‘NEON’ first entered the chart at No. 77 on the TOP100 at 10 p.m. on the 13th, the day of its release. The following day, at 9 a.m. on the 14th, it had risen to No. 10, while it ranked No. 2 on HOT100 at the same time. It remained at No. 2 on the 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. charts before reaching No. 1 on the 11 p.m. chart.

The difference in speed is clear when compared with other rookie groups. NewJeans released the audio for its debut song ‘Attention’ on August 1, 2022, and reached No. 1 on TOP100 eight days later, on the 9th. ILLIT reached the top before two weeks had passed with ‘Magnetic,’ released on March 25, 2024.

This record is even more significant when considered under the current TOP100 calculation method. The current TOP100 rankings are updated hourly by combining usage over the past 24 hours with usage over the past hour. A brief surge in usage during a single hour is not enough to reach No. 1. A song must be played consistently for more than a day after its release. In 2016, when a real-time chart based on hourly usage was used, BLACKPINK’s ‘Whistle’ reached No. 1 the morning after its release, but the calculation criteria were different then.

At the debut showcase on the 12th, producer Lee Soo-man said, “Before looking for ‘what is different,’ I hope you first allow yourself to feel that it is ‘good.’” The chart results are being interpreted as the public’s response to his pledge to focus on ‘good songs.’

A2O LITE will perform on a music program for the first time on Mnet’s ‘M Countdown’ on the 15th.