A Fifty-Fifty Chance: The Past, Present, and Future of the World’s Newest K-pop Sensation FIFTY FIFTY
In an industry with a 50-50 chance of success, K-pop girl group FIFTY FIFTY has definitely made a name for themselves, leaving many to wonder how they gained fame as quickly as they did.
Formed by an independent label, Attrakt, FIFTY FIFTY debuted on Nov. 18, 2022, with their first extended play titled “The Fifty.” Prior to their official debut, they released music videos for two songs on the album: “Lovin’ Me” on Nov. 14, 2022, and “Log In” on Nov. 15, 2022. 15 The group consists of four members Keena, Saena, Sio, and Aran, who were all 18 years old at the time of their debut (with the exception of Keena, who was 20). Named one of the “Best K-pop Debuts of 2022” by various sources, their debut was well-received by casual listeners and critics alike.
On Feb. 24, FIFTY FIFTY released a single titled “The Beginning: Cupid.” It contained three tracks: “Cupid”, “Cupid - Twin Version”, and “Cupid - Instrumental.” The music video for “Cupid” gained around two million views in its first week of release. Soon after the song’s release, a fan-made sped up version of “Cupid - Twin Version” went viral on TikTok, with millions of people using the song in their videos and participating in dance challenges.
Consequently, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100, making them the fastest K-pop group to do so. It reached a peak position of 17, which is the highest a female K-pop act has reached on the chart, excluding collaboration songs.
As organic as FIFTY FIFTY’s success seems to the general public, industry insiders reported that their label, Attrakt, invested a significant amount of the group’s budget into TikTok marketing. Attrakt’s CEO reportedly invested around $6 million into the group’s TikTok promotions. With this much money being invested into the promotions, it was inevitable that people would eventually find the song. However, the musicality and longevity of “Cupid” are what propelled it onto charts like the Billboard Hot 100.
“Cupid - Twin Version” has now gained over 500 million plays on Spotify, while the “Cupid” music video has also gained 100 million views on YouTube. Thanks to Attrakt’s TikTok marketing strategy, FIFTY FIFTY quickly propelled to stardom, breaking records just four months after their debut.
On Jun. 19, the four members of FIFTY FIFTY filed an injunction against Attrakt. They also filed trademarks for the group name and their own stage names in Korea. According to the group’s legal representative, the company violated contract terms. Later, Attrakt filed trademarks for the group’s name in the U.S., the U.K., Japan, and China. The lawsuit was revealed to the public after Attrakt accused Warner Music Korea and The Givers’ CEO, Ahn Sung-Il, of attempting to convince the members to break contract terms and move to a different agency. Attrakt filed criminal charges against Ahn Sung-Il for fraud, breach of duty, and obstruction of business.
Because of the lawsuit, FIFTY FIFTY’s appearance at KCON LA 2023 was canceled. The filming of the music video of their “Barbie” soundtrack song, “Barbie Dreams,” was also suspended. As the lawsuit is still ongoing, the group’s future remains uncertain. Will they disband, or will they find a way to turn the situation around?
