A2O MAY makes first Korean music show appearance with 'Love Got Me Ooh'

A2O MAY confirmed their first-ever Korean music broadcast appearance after Love Got Me Ooh was selected as a pre-voting candidate on Mnet's M Countdown.

The five-member group—Tianyu (천위), Sijie (쓰지에), Quchang (취창), Michelle (미쉐), and Cat (캣)—debuted December 20, 2024. All are Chinese or Chinese-American. Lee Soo-man created them overseas after leaving SM Entertainment in 2023 over a management rights dispute. He founded Blooming Grace and its subsidiary A2O Entertainment. A2O MAY is his first group since the split, built entirely without Korean members.

Since debut, they've worked primarily in the US and China. On American radio, their tracks Under My Skin, BOSS, B.B.B (Bigger Badder Better), and PAPARAZZI ARRIVE landed on the Mediabase TOP40 chart eight times—the most entries by a Chinese artist on that chart and the first by an all-Chinese girl group. PAPARAZZI ARRIVE tied Justin Bieber for first place on the US TOP40 Airplay "Most Added" chart. They also reached the Billboard Emerging Artists chart TOP10 and performed at Wango Tango and the official Jingle Ball pre-show in New York.

In China, their first EP PAPARAZZI ARRIVE landed in the upper tier of QQ Music's major charts. Love Got Me Ooh hit No. 1 on QQ Music's new song chart immediately after release. On July 19, it and couple track Rain On My Parade occupied the top two spots on QQ Music's real-time listening popularity chart simultaneously.

Skipping a Korean debut entirely and building a US and China fanbase first represents a sharp departure from the typical K-pop playbook. Off-stage, the group has shot pictorials for Super Elle Beauty and Chanel Beauty, collaborated with Jimmy Choo, attended The Atelier Bridal Collection event, and serves as brand ambassadors for SMFK.

A2O Entertainment also announced plans to publicly introduce a domestic rookie debut team for the first time in the second half of 2026, alongside broader expansion of its global production system.