by Thisvi Papanastasiou

E veryone on TikTok, or any kind of social media platform, would surely have heard of the new song Cupid which is currently trending worldwide. However, if you are not a member of HUNNIES, FIFTY FIFTY’s fan club, you might not know a lot about the group. Their rise to fame might seem sudden and a momentary success but that is far from true. FIFTY FIFTY made sure to take over everyone’s heart with their catchy lyrics, adorable visuals and hard work on and off stage. Let’s learn more about the girl group that became a viral sensation and took the world by storm.

FIFTY FIFTY is the only group under the independent record label ATTRAKT. The group consists of four members: Saena, Sio, Aran and Keena who made their debut in 2022. FIFTY FIFTY’s name represents coexistence and their hope to be whole with their fans for a long time. The four girls spent a long time getting ready for their debut by constantly practicing and preparing their album. They released their first EP album THE FIFTY, which included four tracks, on November 2022. Even though they did not receive any music awards during the promotion of the title track, Higher, FIFTY FIFTY was able to establish themselves as one of the up-and-coming fourth-generation girl groups. The Recording Academy proved that by selecting the group as one of the “K-Pop Girl Groups To Watch in 2023.”

The Recording Academy’s selection came true when FIFTY FIFTY released their first album the following year. The group came out with their single album The Beginning: Cupid on February 2023. They recorded the album’s title track Cupid in Korean, as well as, in English as its “twin version.” The song became instantly viral on TikTok because of a fan-made sped-up adaptation of the “twin version.” Cupid became so popular and widely used that it was one of the daily five most-streamed songs globally on Spotify used by fans but, also, by people who had not heard about FIFTY FIFTY before. In addition, the song broke through internationally as it entered the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart thanks to its popularity, catchy lyrics and melody.

The Beginning: Cupid

Even though FIFTY FIFTY have been active for only two years, their accomplishments are not limited to music charts. On April 2023, the group partnered up with Warner Music Record Korea opening up the door to a future at the forefront of the South Korean and international music industry. After their partnership, FIFTY FIFTY made headlines once again when Warner Bros. revealed the girl group in the lineup for Barbie: The Album, the official soundtrack for the movie Barbie. The song is called “Barbie Dreams” featuring American rapper Kali and it is set to be released on July 21st on all streaming platforms.

FIFTY FIFTY has become one of the most popular and sought-after 4th generation K-Pop girl group. The group debuted only two years ago but their popularity skyrocketed and nothing seems to be stopping them from taking over the music industry. It is well-known how harsh the K-Pop is, however, FIFTY FIFTY seems to have nothing to fear as they have found their own color and identity. This is really rare among new K-Pop groups but, one thing is for sure, once you listen to their addictive songs you will become a fan.