Music

K-pop Group FIFTY FIFTY's Legal Battle: A Self-Inflicted Crisis or a Cry for Fairness?

Jul 03, 2023 | by Nobelle Borines

ATTRAKT FIFTY FIFTY's Chart-Topping Hit 'Cupid': What Will Their Royalties Look Like?

The evolution of K-pop has been accompanied by an increase in public knowledge and scrutiny. Industry insiders agree that fans and netizens are more informed than ever, making it crucial to consider public opinion. This is particularly evident in the case of K-pop group FIFTY FIFTY. The days when the public unconditionally sided with artists in disputes over exclusive contracts are long gone. As details of the controversy surrounding FIFTY FIFTY emerged, public opinion, initially silent because the group was deemed too young and inexperienced, gradually turned negative. As a result, FIFTY FIFTY has been accused of "cutting their own goose," a self-inflicted predicament.

The issue began with a plea from FIFTY FIFTY's agency, Attrakt. Last month, Attrakt claimed that external forces were trying to poach members of FIFTY FIFTY, implicating a contracted service provider in the scheme. Attract subsequently identified Warner Music Korea as the 'external force' and The Givers as the 'contracted service provider' and took legal action.

Initially, the majority of netizens perceived the controversy as a tug-of-war between FIFTY FIFTY's agency and their producer over an 'attempted artist poaching.' They sympathized with the awkward situation faced by the rookie group that had only recently debuted.

Hong-Jun Jeon, CEO of Attrakt, did not blame the members. His main concern was the harm that the members of FIFTY FIFTY would suffer due to the situation and hoped for their prompt return to the agency.

However, when FIFTY FIFTY broke their silence and sought an injunction to suspend their exclusive contract with Attract, the nature of the controversy changed. Through legal representatives, FIFTY FIFTY claimed 'opaque accounting' and 'forcing activities despite poor health' as issues with the agency. They also stressed that the decision was made autonomously by the four members without any external interference.

But it's important to note that the K-pop environment is now better understood by the public. Netizens were quick to doubt the members' claims, which ended up worsening the situation for FIFTY FIFTY.

Particularly puzzling was the demand for accounting from a group that had only debuted seven months prior. FIFTY FIFTY did have a hit song, 'CUPID,' which succeeded in charting on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 consecutive weeks. However, this was not their debut album, and their previous debut album, which included four music videos, did not achieve significant success.

Furthermore, overseas chart revenues take a while to be calculated, and FIFTY FIFTY's domestic activities were limited to music programs, with few advertisements and other content. Additionally, one of the members had health issues, forcing the group to halt all activities since May. The demand for accounting when there is little source of income seemed illogical.

FIFTY FIFTY was just beginning to establish their representative song. Therefore, some argue that choosing to dispute with their agency at such a critical juncture for their next album and direction was a strategic blunder, which only ended up fostering negative public sentiment.