Lee Soo-man's ‘Zalpha pop’ and Chinese girl group

Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment and often referred to as the “father of K-pop,” is back with a bold new vision -- introducing “Zalpha pop” through A20 Entertainment, which has offices in California, the US, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

His latest project, A20 May — a group consisting of two Chinese Americans and three Chinese members — debuted in December, signaling not only an effort to pioneer a new musical genre but also a strategic push into the Chinese market.

Given Lee’s long-standing ambition to penetrate China’s entertainment market and contractual agreements that prohibit him from working in the Korean entertainment industry for three years, many are asking whether Zalpha pop is a new genre or simply a rebranded K-pop aimed at circumventing his domestic restrictions.

Zalpha pop is a term Lee coined to represent a type of pop music targeting Generation Z, born in the late 1990s to the early 2000s, and Generation Alpha, born in the 2010s. However, despite the ambitious branding, A20 May has yet to present a distinct musical identity that differentiates it from K-pop.

A20 May's debut single, “Under My Skin (A20),” released on Dec. 20, was an English cover of TVXQ’s “Mirotic.” Similarly, a video featuring A20 Rookies’ subunit LTB (Low Teen Boys), released last November, was a Chinese cover of H.O.T.’s legendary track, “Candy.”

Critics remain skeptical of the concept.

“There’s no original music or content yet that defines 'Zalpha pop,'” pop critic Kim Do-heon said Tuesday. “It feels more like a branding exercise, similar to how Lee introduced different conceptual subgenres in the past, such as during the launch of NCT.”

Another music critic, Lim Hee-yun, was more critical of the term.

“This isn’t a groundbreaking concept. The name itself feels lazy and outdated. If the goal is to look toward the future, why frame it around Gen Z, when even they are no longer the youngest generation? A more forward-thinking approach would be to focus solely on the Alpha generation and beyond,” Lim said.

Lee’s rebranding of K-pop as Zalpha pop has also raised speculation that he is navigating around a noncompete clause he signed with Hybe in 2023. In selling his 14.8 percent stake in SM Entertainment, Lee reportedly agreed to a three-year restriction on producing music in Korea that would be in place until early 2026.

A20 Entertainment is headquartered in Singapore, with branches in the US, Japan and China — avoiding direct involvement in the South Korean market. All of A20 Entertainment’s trainees and newly introduced groups appear to be composed of non-Korean nationals, leading to speculation that Lee is focusing on overseas markets to avoid the contractual restrictions.

“This setup allows him to continue producing idols without technically violating the noncompete clause. But if these artists debut abroad and later begin promoting in South Korea, it will blur the line of whether this violates the agreement,” a local entertainment official said on condition of anonymity.

The K-pop mogul’s decision to launch a Chinese girl group aligns with his long-standing ambition to tap into the Chinese market.

For over two decades, he has worked toward building a presence in China, previously introducing Chinese-focused subunits such as Super Junior-M, EXO-M and WayV under SM Entertainment.

“A20 May is a continuation of Lee’s long-term strategy to break into China, a market where K-pop has yet to fully establish itself as a dominant force,” pop critic Kim said. “He sees China as an untapped market with vast potential and a personal goal to achieve.”

Music critic Lim echoed similar sentiments, saying that China’s massive consumer base and digital landscape align with Lee’s interest in integrating entertainment and technology.

“Lee has always been fascinated with merging entertainment with tech, and China provides the ideal environment for both production and consumption,” Lim said. “Establishing a foothold there makes sense (for Lee) as part of a larger global expansion strategy.”