[TF Focus] A2O SOUL's Complex Calculations in 'New Synthwave'

A2O SOUL's First Mini-Album 'SUPERSTAR' Released on the 9thGroup A2O SOUL released their first debut album 'SUPERSTAR' on the 9th. The album is filled with the 'New Synthwave' genre, a vocal and melody-centric synth-pop. The photo shows A2O SOUL performing at their debut show held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on October 12th. /Reporter Kim Sung-ryeol[THE FACT|Reporter Choi Hyun-jung] The 'New Synthwave,' which group A2O SOUL has put forward as their unique genre, has become even clearer.A2O SOUL (Moon Sora, Seo Ha, Teo, Gaku, Jun, Hanseong, Lucien, Siwon, Allure, Tai, Sono, Jai, Aiden, Jet) released their first mini-album 'SUPERSTAR' on the 9th and officially began their activities.This album includes a total of 5 songs: 'SUPERSTAR,' which was pre-released on the 13th of last month, 'Dancing in the Dark,' 'While We're Young,' 'Very First Love,' and 'Moonlight Shadow.'The reason A2O SOUL's latest album is drawing attention lies in its genre characteristics. Their genre, named 'New Synthwave,' has a clear objective of modernly reinterpreting the texture of 80s synth-pop.Thanks to this, all 5 songs on the album are developed around synthesizer sounds and melodies, possessing a consistent musical color.What makes A2O SOUL's characteristics interesting is that they are a large-scale group of 15 members. Generally, the main reason for forming large groups of 10 or more members in the K-pop scene is to leverage the strength of performances utilizing a large number of people.In fact, as the number of members in a group increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish individual vocal colors, but conversely, with more members, more spectacular and grand-scale formations and choreography can be created.For example, groups like Super Junior and EXO, which consisted of more than 10 members, showcased by producer Lee Soo-man of A2O Entertainment during his time at SM Entertainment, also focused on delivering grand and large-scale performances based on powerful dance songs at the time of their debut.Of course, A2O SOUL also showcases diverse formations using their large number of members, but it is undeniable that they seem to be putting more emphasis on vocals and melodies due to the nature of their music.And A2O SOUL's direction allows for various interpretations. First, it differentiates them from existing groups.The title track of A2O SOUL's first mini-album 'SUPERSTAR,' 'Dancing in the Dark' (above), like the pre-released single 'SUPERSTAR,' delivers a soft synth-pop sound. This is a characteristic evident throughout the album's tracks. /A2O SOUL YouTube captureInstead of following the existing K-pop grammar of highlighting individual presence by distributing vocal colors, rap, high notes, and performances among members, it can be interpreted as an intention to make the collective vocal color created by 15 people their team's identity. This can also be seen as an intention to create a group with a different identity from groups like Super Junior and EXO, which producer Lee Soo-man himself showcased in the past.Another analysis suggests it is a strategic move with 'A2O SYSTEM' in mind. Previously, at their debut show held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on October 12th, A2O Entertainment explained that according to the 'A2O SYSTEM,' they can operate in various combinations such as units, solo, and projects within a single worldview.This ultimately means that after securing sufficient presence as the group A2O SOUL, they can expand their activities by creating various vocal combinations and units. Therefore, it is possible to interpret that A2O SOUL has chosen a strategy to clearly define the group's musical identity and establish the brand from a long-term perspective.In other words, A2O SOUL is not simply debuting as a 15-member vocal group, but rather a sophisticated system-based group designed to establish its core with future expansion in mind. The genre they promote, 'New Synthwave,' is a choice for this purpose.However, the question of whether 'New Synthwave' necessarily requires 15 members is not entirely resolved. This is because the fundamental point that almost identical harmonies or vocal blends can be achieved with fewer members remains unchanged.Ultimately, another key factor is the fandom. Separate from musical completeness, the ability to maintain a large group while securing competitiveness that is not bound by its size is likely to be determined by the size of the fandom.And this is an area where various external factors such as management, marketing, and content can intervene, and producer Lee Soo-man, who leads A2O Entertainment, is someone who has been exceptionally adept at this in the K-pop scene.This is supported by the fact that when A2O SOUL first appeared and it was revealed they were a 15-member group, a comment saying "We've played this game before" became a hot topic.The analysis that A2O SOUL's genre selection and member composition were intended to build a system that can expand in multiple directions is gaining traction. /A2O EntertainmentIn summary, A2O SOUL is closer to a group that aims to build a system that can expand in multiple directions, targeting both music and fandom. 'SUPERSTAR' is the first step in creating this system.A2O LITE, which debuted alongside A2O SOUL, made a spectacular start by topping various charts with their debut song 'NEON.' Attention is focused on whether A2O SOUL can follow in their footsteps and inject new vitality into the K-pop scene.laugardagr@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]