Fifty Fifty: ‘We’ll Continue to Show Our Best Selves’

I believe Fifty Fifty taps into the zeitgeist of contemporary youth culture and the charm of musical nostalgia, manifesting itself as a rising star in K-pop, or, should I say, in global pop music. Last year, the act was on a roll with the hit “Cupid” off its debut single album, The Beginning: Cupid, featuring a Korean, an instrumental, and an English “Twin” version of the song. A “sped-up” rendition of the latter quickly caught on, with “Cupid” landing Fifty Fifty on both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100.

The band, which had an initial lineup of four members until Saena, Aran, and Sio left in 2023, made a comeback this year releasing its second mini album, Love Tune, including Keena plus new members Chanelle, Yewon, Hana, and Athena. Hana says, “Love Tune combines the meaning of ‘Love’ from various love stories with ‘Tune,’ as in tuning into a radio channel. Just like the stories that play on different radio stations when you tune in, this album contains various love stories we encounter in everyday life. We would be grateful if you could listen closely to the messages of love that we express in our voices.”

Fifty Fifty—a name representing half stark reality and half utopia—is also a wish to unite with its fans. “Cupid” kicked off the desire, connecting the artist and listeners all over the world. It was also on our list of the 10 best K-pop songs of 2023. The comforting carefree retro tune grabs you with its freshness, varied pop sensibilities, and soul. “Cupid” is a beautiful reminiscence of our youth, a first crush, and the silly things that follow. Love Tune, however, is more sophisticated music exploring the subtleties and profundities of love. “From the love that cheers you on to the love you share with friends or those around you, we’ve tried to capture these different aspects of love,” Hana elaborates. “Both the title track and the B-sides showcase the harmony of our five voices,” Keena adds.

“Great Harmony” is clearly “the ingredient” that immediately correlates with band music. Creating a unique sound requires a band with a harmonious, cohesive attitude. Chanelle asserts, “While expressing individual personalities within the group is important, we believe that, for now, it’s more important to first show the world our group’s unique color.” “As we begin this journey with new members,” Keena states, “we feel grateful for the opportunity to showcase our group as a team of five to the public. We’ve also been thinking about creating as many opportunities as possible to share our music and voices with more people.” 

Chanelle mentions exploring and listening to a wide variety of music to gain inspiration from different sounds. “While recording, I’m also studying how to produce better vocals and how to convey more emotion in my singing.” Who are your industry idols? I ask. “The idols who inspire us the most are, in fact, all the senior artists who are still active today,” Yewon says. “K-pop is as famous as it is now because of them. Watching their performances is what helped me nurture my dreams.”

Fifty Fifty’s shared dream is to build an excellent roster of albums. “If given the opportunity, we’d love to hold concerts or go on tours both domestically and internationally, so we can meet our fans from all around the world,” Athena and the others add as they wrap up the interview. “We feel empowered to keep working hard because we have so many supportive fans. We’ll continue to show our best selves and strive to be artists who enjoy and love music. We appreciate all the love and support you give us, and we look forward to your continuous encouragement. Thank you!”