SM founder's Chinese girl group 'A20 May' enters US, China charts — marking start of global push
Group's debut single, "Under My Skin," lands at No. 39 on US Mediabase chart — a first for a Chinese girl group
A20 May, a new Chinese girl group launched by SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man, is quickly gaining global traction, breaking into music charts in both China and the US ahead of its scheduled performance at the 102.7 KIIS FM Wango Tango festival Sunday.
The multinational group will be the first Chinese act to perform at the well-known festival in Huntington Beach, California, which this year features artists such as Doja Cat, Meghan Trainor and David Guetta.
A20 May's second single, 'Boss,' released April 25, recently entered the No. 8 spot on the Hot Song Chart of QQ Music, China's largest music streaming platform. It also topped the platform's New Song Chart, where it debuted at No. 1 and has remained in the upper ranks — helping it break into the platform's main Top 10 chart.
'Boss' is also gaining attention in the US, where it entered the Mediabase Top 100, a key mainstream radio chart. Following the success of debut single 'Under My Skin,' which peaked at No. 39 on the same chart, A20 May has become the first Chinese act to have two songs in the Mediabase Top 100 at the same time.
The music video for 'Boss' has surpassed a combined 60 million views across Weibo and YouTube, demonstrating the group's growing global reach and the appeal of their signature "Zalpha Pop" sound. Zalpha Pop, a term introduced by Lee, is a genre that blends Gen Z and Alpha Generation sentiments.
A20 May is produced under A20 Entertainment, led by Lee as key producer and visionary leader. The group's concept centers on Zalpha Pop, which aims to reflect the unique spirit of a new generation and foster a deeper cultural connection with fans worldwide.
Following their successful debut in December, A20 May returned in April with 'Boss,' showcasing a refined yet powerful charisma. The track features punchy drums and siren-like synths that build tension, layered with playful sonic textures that add intrigue.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
3 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Weverse Con Festival expands beyond Hybe, Weverse platform
In its third year, iconic concert expands its musical reach Weverse Con Festival, a concert organized by K-pop powerhouse Hybe's fan platform subsidiary Weverse, wrapped up this year's edition over the weekend at the Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon, with its musical diversity and festival structure greatly expanded. Now in its third year, the event, which originally featured only artists under Hybe or the Weverse platform, has broadened its musical palette to include non-Hybe, non-Weverse and even non-K-pop artists in its lineup. This year, rock band Nell, singer-songwriter Lee Mu-jin, musical actress Jeong Sun-ah and Min Kyoung-ah took the stage, offering festivalgoers a broader musical experience. In addition to the daytime performances at the outdoor Discovery Park stage and evening shows at the indoor Inspire Arena, this year saw a new outdoor night concert. Despite the blazing sun Sunday, large crowds gathered in front of the outdoor stage. "I was worried about the heat, but we are so thankful to see everyone smiling, enjoying the show and singing along,' said Siyeon, the vocalist of the band QWER. Musical actress Jeong Sun-ah energized the crowd with music from "Frozen," "The Greatest Showman" and "Wicked." She also delivered a cover of Day6's "Welcome to the Show.' Next up was Kyuhyun, a member of Super Junior and a ballad soloist, who closed out the daytime performances. Appearing on a stage filled with bubbles, he sang "Time with You,' waving endlessly to fans and filling the afternoon with his smooth, tender vocals. The night outdoor segment, Weverse Park Night, kicked off at 6:30 p.m. with a performance by singer-songwriter Lee Mu-jin followed by stages of BTOB's Lee Chang-sub and boy group &Team. Lee Mu-jin sang his latest single "Bird on the Edge' to a guitar accompaniment. Lee Chang-sub began with the rock ballad "Heavenly Fate,' then, taking off his jacket, switched mood with the refreshing band sound of "New Wave.' As night fully descended, &Team took the stage, blending Korean and Japanese versions of its songs to the enthusiastic cheers of its fans. Meanwhile, the indoor Weverse Con continued at Inspire Arena with high-energy performances from rising K-pop groups like Lun8, P1Harmony, UAU and TWS. The venue lit up with glamorous laser and firework effects. Each year, Weverse Con pays tribute to an artist who has left a significant mark on Korean pop music. This year's honoree was BoA, often called the "Star of Asia." Le Sserfim's Chaewon and Eunchae introduced the legendary soloist, saying, "The title of No. 1 created by a girl is not just a ranking. It was a declaration of a new era.' BoA heated up the stage with hits like "My Name," "Atlantis Princess" and "Only One." UAU and TWS joined the tribute by covering her songs "Better' and "Amazing Kiss,' respectively, creating a cross-generational collaboration. "I'm preparing a new album, aiming for an August release. I'm recording diligently and will return with good music,' BoA told the audience, promising another legendary comeback. Le Sserafim kicked off its set with "Chasing Lightning' and "Crazy." Although a back injury kept member Huh Yun-jin off the stage, the remaining four members delivered a seamless performance. "Summer is here. And when you think of summer, you think of Le Sserafim,' they teased, hinting at the group's upcoming Japanese album. The final act of the festival's final day was TXT, headlining Weverse Con Festival for the third consecutive year. They performed a 17-song set including the group's latest track "Love Language,' Yeonjun's solo "Ggum,' Beomgyu's solo "Panic' as well as Soobin and Yeonjun's unit song "The Killa" and the group's other unit track, "Quarter Life." Attendees were pleased with both the overall organization and the musical experience. "This is my second time at Weverse Con Festival. I came for TXT, but I'm really enjoying the other performances and activity booths too,' said Bella, a fan in her 20s wearing a TXT T-shirt. A Chinese K-pop fan holding a fan decorated with TWS members' photos praised the festival's convenience for international visitors. "Even though I don't speak Korean, I had no trouble getting merchandise, buying drinks or finding my way to the concert venues.'
Korea Herald
6 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Seventeen sets this year's first-week sales record
The fifth studio album from Seventeen sold the most copies in its first week of any K-pop album this year, said agency Pledis Entertainment on Monday. LP 'Happy Burstday' logged over 2.52 million units in the period, after exceeding 2 million on the day of release, also a first this year. The album topped a series of music charts abroad, including Oricon's Daily Album Ranking while main track 'Thunder' landed atop Melon's Top 100. The 16-track album does mark the band's 10th anniversary but is a 'bold claim that Seventeen isn't just celebrating the past but charging headfirst like a buffalo into a new territory,' wrote Billboard magazine. It is 'a stepping stone between the past and future, celebrating their growth over past decade and the transformation that's yet to come,' said NME magazine.
![[Interview] Smithsonian will continue to flourish: NMAA director Chase F. Robinson](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F02%2Fnews-p.v1.20250601.5e4b4e8d412a48e5a33de471abde2194_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Korea Herald
7 hours ago
- Korea Herald
[Interview] Smithsonian will continue to flourish: NMAA director Chase F. Robinson
Director says Smithsonian embodies American ideals of curiosity, research, engagement in recent interview amid US administration's crackdown on DEI When Chase F. Robinson, director of Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art, visited Seoul in 2022, he expressed his hope to bring the donated works by the late Samsung Chair Lee Kun-hee to the US. Fast-forward to 2025, the exhibition, the first-ever overseas exhibition of Lee's donated work as a collection, will finally arrive at the musueum in Washington. Titled "Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared," the exhibition will run from Nov. 8 to Feb. 1, before traveling to Chicago and London. 'The scale of his collecting in the quality and comprehensiveness is really impressive. This juxtaposition of traditional and modern art will be really interesting to people,' the director said during an interview with The Korea Herald on May 23. Among the works to be exhibited in the US will include a dozen works of art designated as Treasures and National Treasures by the Korean government, which Robinson mentioned as the highlight of the exhibition. Lee's collection of some 23,000 pieces, majorly donated to the National Museum of Art and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in 2020, spans from artifacts to modern and contemporary art. 'Korean art does not have the visibility in the United States, because it is a relatively new field compared to Japanese and Chinese art,' the director said. "But it has started to change." The museum recently acquired two Korean works of art, donated to the museum, at the end of last year: a Buddhist sculpture from the 18th century and a folding screen named 'The Happy Life of Guo Ziyi (Gwak Bunyang Haengnak-do),' also likely painted in the late 18th century by a court artist. The director, who was appointed to head the museum in 2018, said the museum has grown extensively in the past five years in terms of its staff and budget, and fundraising has improved considerably — some of which has come from international engagement. 'It is a time of a lot of political and cultural change,' he said when asked about the US President Donald Trump's administration cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 'The Smithsonian was opened in 1846 and NMAA opened in 1923. I am really confident that we are going to continue to flourish.' A few days after the interview, Trump said Friday that he had fired Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery, which is part of the Smithsonian Institute, calling her a 'strong supporter' of diversity, equity and inclusion in a social media post. In March, the US president issued an executive order on the Smithsonian, blaming that it has come under the 'influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology' and 'promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.' Robinson said there are many other parties and delegation — not just the government — involved to run the Smithsonian Institute. 'The Smithsonian, as you may know, has a unique status — we were set up as a trust — so we are governed separately from the US government. So the board of regents is the governing body, and it is a combination of private citizens and government officials. "The vice president is on the board of regents, and the chief justice of the Supreme Court is on the board of the regents, and there are congressmen. On the other hand there are lots of citizens and private citizens," he said. Robinson said the museum has a responsibility to serve American public because much of its funding comes from the government, which is why the museum tries to represent 'all the extraordinary kind of diversity' in art in their exhibitions and programming. 'We try to embody the best American ideals of curiosity, research, openness, respect and engagement,' he said. yunapark@
