Lee Soo Man's new girl group A2O LITE has gained attention for an unusual difference in chart performance after their debut song NEON reached No. 6 on Apple Music's global chart but failed to enter the platform's US Top 100.
According to a report by Sports Kyunghyang on October 18, NEON achieved an impressive position on Apple Music's worldwide rankings shortly after its release. However, its performance in the United States showed a noticeably different result.
Data from music chart tracking platform Soundcharts showed that NEON ranked No. 7 globally on October 17, following its earlier peak at No. 6. Despite its high worldwide ranking, the song was not listed in the US Apple Music Top 100 on the same day.
The difference stood out when compared with other songs in the global Top 10.
According to the report, all nine other tracks in Apple Music's global Top 10 on October 17 also ranked within the Top 26 in the United States.
For example, a song by Drake ranked No. 6 globally and No. 2 in the US, while Olivia Rodrigo's track placed No. 8 worldwide and No. 14 in the US. Taylor Swift's song also ranked No. 9 globally and No. 26 in the US.
In comparison, A2O LITE's NEON was the only song among the global Top 10 that did not appear anywhere in the US Top 100.
While the difference has drawn attention, the figures alone do not explain why the song performed differently across markets. Apple Music's global chart reflects listening activity from multiple countries and regions, meaning strong results in certain markets can contribute to a high worldwide ranking even without a similar position in the United States.
In fact, NEON has shown particularly strong chart performance across Asia.
As of October 17, the song ranked No. 1 on Apple Music charts in South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. It also reached No. 2 in Singapore, No. 4 in Malaysia, and No. 8 in Türkiye.
These regional rankings suggest that much of the song's early chart success has come from Asian music markets rather than the United States.
A2O LITE is a nine-member girl group introduced on October 13 by A2O Entertainment, the company led by former SM Entertainment producer Lee Soo Man.
The group's debut track NEON also attracted attention in South Korea after reportedly reaching No. 1 on Melon's Top 100 chart on October 14, approximately 29 hours after its release.
On October 16, A2O Entertainment announced that the song had entered Apple Music charts in 30 countries and regions, highlighting the group's international debut performance.
However, the significant difference between its global and US rankings has become another point of discussion surrounding the rookie group's early achievements.
Reaching No. 6 worldwide while remaining outside the US Top 100 is an unusual result compared with the other leading songs on the same chart, although it does not by itself indicate any problem with the rankings.
For now, A2O LITE's NEON has demonstrated strong early chart performance across several Asian markets. Attention is turning to whether the group can expand its audience in the United States and maintain its position on global music charts.
