K-pop has witnessed a new 'miracle'.

Girl group Fifty Fifty is now the role model among small and medium-sized K-pop agencies. They are proving their worth in an industry where the so-called 'K-pop Big 4' - HYBE, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and YG Entertainment - have swept up all the top talent, making it difficult to find quality A&R (Artists and Repertoire) staff.

Moreover, Fifty Fifty's success is an ongoing testament to their limitless potential. They have been consistently outperforming renowned K-pop artists such as BTS, NewJeans, and Leseraphim on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Charts.

Their debut single, "The Beginning: Cupid," released on February 24th, produced a chart-climbing hit, 'Cupid', that reached 8th place on the UK Official Singles Top 100 and 19th on the US Billboard Hot 100. This is a record-breaking achievement for a single song by a K-pop girl group.

The popularity of their music has led to a significant surge in their fanbase. According to 'K-pop Radar', a fandom data service by the music startup Space Oddity, Fifty Fifty's YouTube subscribers, social media followers, and Spotify followers have seen a dramatic increase over the past month, comparable to top groups such as Blackpink, Le Sserafim, and Stray Kids who enjoy a global fandom.

The incredible success of Fifty Fifty, a group that didn't receive much attention pre-debut, is owed to the unwavering dedication of their agency's CEO, who sold everything from luxury watches to cars to support them.

In a recent interview with 'Sports Seoul', co-CEOs Jeon Hong-joon (60) and Choi Seung-ho (60) revealed the struggle behind releasing Fifty Fifty's 'physical album'. They confessed to selling a luxury watch and car due to insufficient funds.

Jeon explained, "We had to pay a royalty fee in advance to the Korea Music Copyright Association for the release of the 'physical album', but we were short of money. Without hesitation, I sold my Rolex watch that I'd owned for 10 years to a second-hand luxury shop."

Despite paying the royalty fee, they faced another hurdle - the cost of album jacket printing. This time, Jeon had to sell his car, but the funds were still short. The management's Director, who had been with them for a long time, also sold his car.

"Fortunately, our Director didn't hesitate for a second to offer his car," Jeon said, "Thanks to him, we managed to release the 'physical album', albeit a bit later than planned." He laughed, adding, "I recently told him to choose whatever car he wants."

Both Jeon and Choi, recognized as 'old boys' in Yeouido, are often asked about the secret behind Fifty Fifty's success, especially since they're both reaching the age of 60 this year, an age typically considered a bit distant from the K-pop idol scene.

Jeon, who managed Cho Kwan-woo and Yoon Mi-rae in the past and discovered then-rapper Bobby Kim, says he recommends people to listen to the US 'Billboard Hot 100' three times a day to understand the latest pop music trends. He meticulously studies the trending pop music, which nowadays seems to favor pop songs that don't exceed three minutes, just like 'Cupid'.

In addition to the members' talents, they also focused on character education and English lessons. Jeon stated, "

Copyright © 2023 Kpop Reporter. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.