Thai Teen Rada Debuts in K-Pop Group A2O LITE
The user wants a short summary (1-2 sentences, 120-220 chars max 240) for a news deck. Must be in English only. No quotes, labels, markdown. Just the summary text. Key facts: Thai singer RADA (15) debuts as only Thai member of 9-member K-po
Thai singer Rada Kanjanapruk has debuted in K-pop as the only Thai member of A2O LITE, a nine-member girl group comprising artists from five countries. At 15, she brings extensive vocal training and performance experience, including an early role as young Anna in the Thai-language version of Frozen 2. Rada, born 11 April 2011, performs under the mononym RADA. The group released its debut single 'NEON' on 13 October after a member showcase in Goyang, South Korea. A2O LITE is one of two new groups launched by A2O Entertainment, founded by former SM Entertainment chief Lee Soo-man.
Rada's move to Korea follows years of musical training. In 2021, at age 10, she won first place in the Young Singers classical category at the American Protégé International Vocal Competition and was invited to perform at the winners' recital at Carnegie Hall in New York. She also received a Platinum Trophy Award at the 1st Bangkok Classical Music Festival in July 2019, when she was eight. Her voice work as young Anna in the Thai dub of Frozen 2 gave her another early credit. Rada is also a pianist and began singing lessons at age four; A2O LITE profiles describe her as the group's main vocalist.
Rada is the group's sole Thai member. The other eight members hail from South Korea, China, and Japan, alongside Oa, who is Japanese-American. The multinational lineup places Rada among a growing number of Thai performers entering K-pop, while her classical competition experience and Thai-language dubbing work give her a distinctive path into the industry.
The single 'NEON' quickly drew attention in South Korea, reaching No. 1 on Melon's Top 100 chart about 29 hours after release before dropping to sixth place the next morning. The early chart result gives A2O LITE a high-profile start as Rada begins her career with the group.
