As Fifty Fifty re-debuts, former members prepare for debut of their own

K-pop

As Fifty Fifty re-debuts, former members prepare for debut of their own

Published: 07 Sep. 2024, 07:00

YOON SO-YEON
yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr

Girl group Fifty Fifty with its original member Keena, center, and four new members at the Hotel Shilla in central Seoul on Aug. 27 [NEWS1]

Girl group Fifty Fifty is getting ready to start the second chapter of its career with four new members and a whole new look. But so is another bearing the Fifty Fifty flag — the three former members from Fifty Fifty.

The news of Fifty Fifty’s four original members and their quarrel with the group’s agency, Attrakt, was one of the biggest stories in K-pop last year: A K-pop quartet from a newly formed agency lands its song on the Billboard chart within months of its debut, but the members sue the agency for mistreatment, only to get the court and the public to take the agency’s side.

It seemed like the battle was over after three of the former members were kicked out of the group and Attrakt held an audition to look for new members to start fresh, but the conflict apparently continues with the three former members signing with a new agency, suing Attrakt — once again — and getting ready to reboot their singing career.

Still, the anticipation and cheers for Fifty Fifty 2.0 grow stronger as the market patiently awaits the now-quintet’s grand re-debut on Sept. 20.

A scene from girl group Fifty Fifty's new song ″Starry Night″ [ATTRAKT]

The Fifty Fifty-two

The revamped Fifty Fifty will release its new album “Love Tune” on Sept. 20 with original member Keena and four new members: Chanelle Moon, Yewon, Hana and Athena.

The album comes a year after the girl group’s last album, “The Beginning,” a compilation of remixes and songs sung by the original members without any new songs. It is also the first major project under the Fifty Fifty name since its meteoric single “Cupid “(2023) that put the group’s name on the global music map.

Fifty Fifty released a prerelease track titled “Starry Night” on Aug. 30, giving a sneak peek into the new album. As of Friday, the music video had garnered 410,000 views, with comments showing support for the group and the agency's CEO, Oscar Chun, rather than simply complimenting the music itself.

The market is also responding positively. Sony Music Entertainment Korea signed a music distribution deal with Attrakt on Aug. 22, also pushing up the stock prices of Yes24, which is a part owner of Attrakt along with clothing manufacturer Hansae.
“We are preparing to give fans a well-made album so that Fifty Fifty and the agency may pay back all the love and support we have received,” Attrakt said.

The list of the tracks will be released on Monday, followed by highlights of tracks on Sept. 13 and music video teasers on Sept. 13 and 16.

Former members of girl group Fifty Fifty, from left: Sio, Aran and Saena [NEWS1]

Used to be Fifty Fifty

What seemed like a peaceful and smooth resurgence of Fifty Fifty was interrupted by the news of three former Fifty Fifty members — Saena, Sio and Aran — joining a new agency under IOK Company and demanding 301 million won ($226,000) from Attrakt in a lawsuit on Aug. 23 as a countersuit to the 13-billion-won suit that Attrakt filed against the three members as compensation for damages caused by their controversial exodus.

All four original members of Fifty Fifty filed for an injunction against Attrakts’ exclusive contracts on June 2023, less than a year after the quartet’s debut in November 2022, citing unfair treatment and unpaid profits. The court dismissed the case on Aug. 28, 2023, but the members appealed. Keena dropped her case and reconciled with Attrakt on Oct. 16, 2023, and the three other members were kicked out of the group and the agency three days later.

Attrakt filed for 13 billion won in compensation from the three former members and their parents on Dec. 19, 2023.

Former members of girl group Fifty Fifty [IOK COMPANY]

The three members had been keeping a low profile ever since they were ousted from Attrakt until Aug. 12, when IOK Company’s subsidiary Massive E&C signed a contract with the three members to make them debut as “a new global idol group” that will debut as early as the latter half of this year.

IOK Company is an agency specializing in actors, home to Ko Hyun-jung, Kim Ha-neul, Shin Hae-sun and Zo In-sung. The company aims to begin its K-pop presence with the former Fifty Fifty members.

A court hearing was set for Aug. 29 but was pushed back. A new date has not been announced yet.

The five original members of boy band TVXQ in 2004 [JOONGANG ILBO]

The fifty-fifty chance

As chaotic as it may seem, the case of a group splitting up and former members uniting in a new group isn’t entirely new in K-pop.

In 2009, three members of SM Entertainment’s then-biggest boy band TVXQ — also the biggest boy band in Korea until the late 2000s — filed for an injunction against their exclusive contracts with the agency, claiming their contract terms were unfair. The band consequently broke up into the current TVXQ with members U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin and a trio named JYJ consisting of former TVXQ members Kim Jun-su, Kim Jae-joong and Park Yoo-chun.

The three members released two albums and endeavored to keep their careers going as a K-pop group, but they ended up seeking solo careers after failing to secure a spot on television when TV promotions were crucial for K-pop stars.

Girl group Fifty Fifty with three of its former members and current member Keena, far left, in April 2023 [NEWS1]

Girl groups Loossemble and ARTMS were also formed from former members of girl group Loona after the court sided with the members in their battle with their previous agency, BlockBerry Creative. ARTMS made its official debut in May with its first album, “Dall,” and Loossemble last September with “Loossemble.”

The success of the resulting groups may initially depend on the public sentiment regarding how they separated from the group, but according to pop music critic Lim Jin-mo, at the end of the day, it’s the quality of the music that will decide their fate, not their ethics.

“It’s true that the K-pop market is increasingly highlighting things outside of music like personality, but it’s still the music that matters the most for a K-pop group,” he said. “The Fifty Fifty girl group has shown that it will continue its unique pop style with ‘Starry Night,’ and the agency has been successful in bringing high-quality music in the past, so that’s something that we can look forward to once again.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]