“Cupid” (Twin Version) by Fifty Fifty, Monday, July 24, 2023

In 1958, Connie Francis released the song "Stupid Cupid" written by Howard Greenfield and Neil Sedaka. The song-writers were part of the historic Brill Building in New York City, which churned out pop and rock standards for a post-Jazz age music scene. With a few charting hits before, 21-year-old Connie Francis delivers the upbeat song with a youthful rock 'n' roll energy. The rhyming of "stupid" and "cupid" makes listeners think back to schoolyard chants they sang back in elementary school. But the juxtaposition of the god of love and the quality of lacking intelligence are not exclusive to a 1958 song. 

I GAVE A SECOND CHANCE TO CUPID. Earlier this year, a new K-pop group FIFTY FIFTY (피프티피프티) released their second single, "Cupid." Like many K-pop groups, FIFTY FIFTY were trained for two years before their debut in 2022. The girl group consists of four members, signed to a small Korean label Attrackt. Being a startup with only one act signed, the label poured money into the girl group. The marketing worked. "Cupid" has become a viral hit around the world thanks to TikTok and Instagram. It topped music charts in New Zealand and Vietnam. An English version of the track has been added to multiple Spotify playlists and the simplistic song about being screwed over in love has made its way around the world and has given FIFTY FIFTY their fifty minutes of fame. With groups like BTS topping the Hot 100 then going on hiatus because of the requirement of conscription, it makes sense for K-pop to start marketing girl groups. But in the case of FIFTY FIFTY, this rise to fame wasn't without controversy. While the girl group still seems to be on an upward trajectory  internationally, Korean netizens and music fans have a mixed reaction to the girl group's fame.

I LOOK FOR ARROWS EVERY DAY. When Attrackt was founded, the label originally partnered with KAMP, a production company that would market Attrackt's acts internationally. However, KAMP pulled out of the deal but a new group of promoters formed called The Givers, lead by a producer from KAMP, Ahn Sung-il. The production team spent time raising funds and training FIFTY FIFTY in the skills needed to be a successful group from rapping to acting and speaking and singing in English. Once FIFTY FIFTY became a successful group with their first single hitting Billboard's Hot 100, the members of the group sued Attrackt for violating their contracts, medical neglect, and lack of financial transparency. However, the label filed charges against Ahn and three others for obstruction of business, breach of duty, and fraud. Attrackt claims copyright of the song "Cupid," while Ahn insists that she owns the copyright after purchasing it from a third party. The case was filed in June and it's still ongoing with both sides insisting that the other is lying. The court battles, however, have stalled promotion from their Korean label and their overseas distributor Warner Music Korea, resulting in the cancelation of the music video for the group's follow up single, "Barbie Dreams" from the recently released film Barbie and what will happen to the group in the future is up in the air.  
 




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