Music

Fifty Fifty and the Power of Underdogs: From Obscurity to Billboard Stardom in 2023

Jun 16, 2023 | by Deborah Kim

ATTRAKT FIFTY FIFTY's 'CUPID' Secures Its Place in the UK's 'Official Singles Chart Top 100' for the 11th Consecutive Week

In the world of K-pop, an unprecedented event has transpired, something that no one saw coming. Fifty Fifty, a group that debuted from a small to medium-sized agency last year, has made a miraculous leap onto the American Billboard charts, creating a genuine 'miracle of the underdogs.'

Fifty-Fifty entered the cutthroat world of girl groups with their debut EP 'THE FIFTY' last year, but they didn't receive much attention at the time. Even their new song 'CUPID', released in February, failed to make an entry on domestic music charts, including Melon, and it seemed their light was fading.

But then, a reversal happened. Music fans worldwide were enthralled with K-pop, and specifically, 'CUPID'. The success story of this rookie group, launched by the small agency Attractx that was established just about 2 years ago, is nothing short of a miracle.

◆ Ed Sheeran, Post Malone Outperformed by Fifty Fifty in the Billboard 'Hot 100' Long-Term Chart

Fifty Fifty continues their long run on the Billboard 'Hot 100', the main single chart of the American music media outlet, for ten consecutive weeks. They are also showing impressive performance on the main album chart, 'Global 200', receiving positive responses for both their music and album. Remarkably, in the third week of May, they outperformed international pop stars like Ed Sheeran's new song 'Eyes Closed' and Post Malone's new song 'Chemical.'

So, how did 'CUPID,' which received little attention at the time of its release, capture the hearts of music fans worldwide and make its way to the Billboard charts? The common opinion is that the age-old truth of "good music will always prevail" held true. The soothing melody, members' soft vocals, and the catchy hook points that shine at the right moments made 'CUPID' a perfect easy listening song, one that even non-K-pop fans could comfortably enjoy, facilitating word-of-mouth publicity.

Of course, having a good song is not enough to survive the fierce competition. On the short-form platform TikTok, there's currently a trend of 'Sped Up' versions where the speed of songs is significantly increased. A TikToker created a 'Sped Up' version of 'CUPID', and astonishingly, this video went viral, pulling Fifty-Fifty back into the spotlight.

◆ Bypassing Local Charts and Heading Straight to Billboard, a Testament to K-pop's Power

In Korea, Fifty Fifty's case is considered somewhat unique. The fact that they bypassed the Melon chart, a major domestic music site, and headed straight to the Billboard 'Hot 100', and the fact that despite receiving love from fans worldwide, their success is not as prominent in domestic charts, are some of the reasons.

One music agency representative explained, "Local music charts like Melon can be considered as a local index. It's only natural for songs that hit big in Korea to rank high, and there have been almost no cases where songs on the Melon and Billboard charts overlapped. It's not surprising that Fifty Fifty made it to the Billboard considering songs that hit in Korea and those that hit overseas are different."

Another representative also said, "The fact that they bypassed the local charts and went straight to the international charts is rather a clear case showing how swiftly K-pop is being accepted by global fans."

◆ H1-Key from Small Agency, Charting Success with Authentic Music

H1-Key, from Grand Line Group (GLG), is also being called a 'miracle of the underdogs.' They managed to make a comeback with 'Roses Blooming Between Buildings,' which did not create much of a stir when it was released last January. The song topped the real-time chart of Bugs Music two months after its release, gaining momentum through word of mouth. The song is also receiving attention on global charts, such as China's QQ Music, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Spotify, and Shazam, marking significant achievements.

'Roses Blooming Between Buildings' is a song written by Young K of the band DAY6. It conveys a message of comfort and support to those who dream and hope in the cold, difficult world, aligning perfectly with Haiki's narrative, which started small but ended up shining brightly.

In the K-pop scene, where distinct catchy points are the norm, the lyrical lyrics of this song, hard to find, played a significant role in resonating with many people. This resulted in natural word-of-mouth publicity when several musicians, including former Lovelyz member Mijoo, mentioned the song.

This year, Fifty Fifty and H1-Key, who have created their 'miracles of the underdogs,' are expected to bring about more 'miracles' armed with great musicality, star power, and indomitable will.