Fresh faces, same hit sound: New look Fifty Fifty debuts with a 'Love Tune'

Fifty Fifty made its long-awaited comeback to the stage on Friday with its second EP, “Love Tune,” and lead track, “SOS.”

Fifty Fifty members pose for a photo during a press showcase held at the Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul on Sept. 20. [YOON SO-YEON]

From the controversial “Cupid” (2023) to the sensational “SOS,” girl group Fifty Fifty is back with a brand-new lineup of fresh faces, but still with the same sound, making its return feel more like a comeback rather than a redebut.

Fifty Fifty made its long-awaited comeback to the stage on Friday with its second EP, “Love Tune,” and lead track, “SOS.” The Yes24 Live Hall music venue was jam-packed with more reporters than a usual K-pop showcase, during which the five members calmly conveyed their feelings about starting a new chapter of their careers after all the scandals and woes.

“So much effort has been put into today, and I'm honored and happy to be able to show you everything that we've been preparing for,” Keena, the only original member of Fifty Fifty, said. “I've felt a lot of things and thought about a lot of things during the long break. But thanks to everyone who supported me, I could keep holding onto the opportunities I've been given and get to be here right now.”

Friday’s showcase was the band’s first meeting with local reporters after recruiting four new members to join founding member Keena — Chanelle Moon, Yewon, Hana and Athena — after the three former members — Saena, Sio and Aran — were kicked out of the band and the agency, Attrakt, last October.

“The long break allowed me to think back on myself,” Keena said. “I never got the time to do that before, but as I got to reflect back, I told myself that I should carry on practicing and bettering my music as a musician and as someone who loves music. I thought that the best I could do was to deliver a kind of music with more sincerity, which I really hope that people will see.”

Members of girl group Fifty Fifty perform ″Starry Night,″ a B-side track of their second EP ″Love Tune″ during a press showcase held at the Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul on Sept. 20. [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

Members of girl group Fifty Fifty perform ″SOS,″ lead track of the group's second EP ″Love Tune″ during a press showcase held at the Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul on Sept. 20. [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

The band, after debuting in November 2022, became one of the most talked-about groups in K-pop after all four initial members claimed that the agency was mistreating them, immediately after the group stormed up the music charts. The members asked the court to null their exclusive contracts.

Long story short, the court sided with Attrakt, which kicked three of the members out. The agency is now going after Warner Music Korea, which tried to poach the four members from Attrakt.

“I really felt the need for proper communication,” Keena said, when asked by a reporter what lesson she learned from the whole scandal. “Going through everything, the communication hit differently to me. I've been trying to communicate better and not only my story, but listening to other people's stories.”

Girl group Fifty Fifty at the showcase for its second album, ″Love Tune,″ on Sept. 20 at the Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul [NEWS1]

Fifty Fifty came back with four new members who were cast through an audition process. Members Moon and Yewon took part in the JTBC audition show series, “R U Next?” in 2023.

“Becoming a singer has been my lifelong dream,” Moon said. “I've been preparing for so long to show you a good performance. To be able to perform as a member of Fifty Fifty is just such an honor. I'll cherish this moment forever."

The new members felt no pressure about joining a group with an established name but a completely new lineup. In fact, it felt “perfect," like "destiny,” according to the members.”

Girl group Fifty Fifty at the showcase for its second album, ″Love Tune,″ on Sept. 20 at the Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul [NEWS1]

“It felt like destiny,” Moon said, when asked about the members having such a short amount of time to bond and practice. “We just fit each other so well. The members told each other to comfort each other.”

“I’ve been dreaming of becoming a singer for such a long time, and to be able to do this with such perfect members is a dream come true for me,” Yewon said, echoing her bandmate.

“Love Tune” comes a year after Fifty Fifty’s last release, “The Beginning” (2022), a compilation of remixes and songs sung by the original members without any new tracks. It is also the first major project under the Fifty Fifty name since its meteoric single “Cupid," which put the group’s name on the global music map.

Girl group Fifty Fifty at the showcase for its second album, ″Love Tune,″ on Sept. 20 at the Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul [NEWS1]

“Love Tune” contains six tracks: lead track “SOS,” prerelease track “Starry Night,” the English versions of the two aforementioned tracks and new tracks “Push Your Love” and “Gravity.” To continue the dreamlike synth pop vibe of “Cupid,” Fifty Fifty once again teamed up with “Cupid” music producer Adam von Mentzer to give a true Swedish pop influence to the dance track.

“We end up judging ourselves in other people’s eyes and we signal ourselves with an ‘SOS’ in those moments,” Hana said. “This song is about loving and cherishing ourselves amid everything.

The cover for Fifty Fifty's album ″Love Tune″ [ATTRAKT]

Despite the ordeals that came Fifty Fifty’s way, “SOS” wasn’t exactly a cry for help but the group’s endeavor to cheer anyone working toward their dreams, according to Yewon.

“We each take different paths toward our goals and dreams, during which we need the time to look back on ourselves but we don’t get to,” she said. “I wish to suggest this song to everyone walking toward their dreams, like students, or anyone else.”

Fans have been asking whether Fifty Fifty could remake its past songs with the voices of the new members. The members refrained from spilling the tea, but asked that people stay tuned for “a variety of things” that the group has in store for the audience.

“We are preparing a lot of things, which I hope you all look forward to,” Keena said. “But for now, we made our comeback with ‘Love Tune,’ so we would really appreciate it if you'd focus on that for now.”

Correction, Sep 22 : An earlier version of this article misstated that Athena participated in "R U Next?" in 2023.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]