FIFTY FIFTY Quietly Drops Compilation Album, ‘The Beginning’

Girl group FIFTY FIFTY, best known for their chart-topping track “Cupid,” dropped a compilation album targeting the U.S. market. This comes amidst the members’ ongoing dispute with their agency. However, Attrakt Entertainment remains optimistic that things will work out.

‘The Beginning’ is a U.S. exclusive

The Beginning arrived on streaming services last September 22. The album has five versions of “Cupid,” including a sped-up version, an English version, and a collaboration with American actress and singer Sabrina Carpenter. “Cupid,” which debuted last February, became the longest-charting song by a K-pop girl group on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. All in all, the compilation features 11 songs, including “Higher,” “Login,” “Lovin’ Me,” and “Tell Me” from their previous EP, THE FIFTY.

When asked about the The Beginning, Attrakt CEO Jun Hong Joon told StarNews, “There’s no new recording. We released it as a U.S. exclusive album. We only remixed and remastered it to resonate with the American style.”

The release of a new album amidst the dispute garnered immense attention from netizens. CEO Jun shared, “Before the dispute in May, I met with the CEO of Warner Records in the U.S. and verbally agreed. After returning to Korea in June, we believed the members would return soon and continued the project. We signed the contract in early July, and at the beginning of August, I shipped about 156,000 copies to the U.S. for distribution, and that’s the album that was unveiled on domestic streaming platforms today.”

What will happen to FIFTY FIFTY?

In August, FIFTY FIFTY sought to terminate their exclusive contract with Attrakt. Unfortunately, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of the agency. “It’s hard to say there was a breach in providing settlement data, and it’s challenging to see sufficient evidence of neglect. Ending the contract with The Givers is not a breach,” said the court. FIFTY FIFTY has since appealed that decision.

Attrakt previously accused FIFTY FIFTY of “tempering” (reaching out to other companies before their contract ends) and has blamed the third-party production company, The Givers. In retaliation, Attrakt filed a criminal complaint against The Givers’ CEO, Ahn Sung Il, and Director Baek Moon on charges of business obstruction and electronic record destruction. 

CEO Jun thinks FIFTY FIFTY should return to Attrakt now that the case has been dismissed. “It’s heartbreaking that they are still being gaslighted by CEO Ahn,” he said. “Tempering needs to be eradicated. It shouldn’t set a bad precedent in the K-pop market. Laws should be revised to strengthen punishments in line with reality.” – K-Pop News Writer

Featured Image: Attrakt’s Jun Hong Joon explained to media outlets how the album came to be. Source: Spotify.