Amid Contract Dispute, K-pop Sensation FIFTY FIFTY to Reap Multi-Billion Won Royalties by Month-End
Amidst an ongoing exclusive contract dispute with their agency, Attrakt, K-pop group FIFTY FIFTY is set to receive a multi-billion Won settlement by the end of the month.
On the 11th, TenAsia's investigation revealed that FIFTY FIFTY is due to receive royalties for their hit song 'Cupid' by the end of July. Notably, the scale of the settlement to be received from global music platforms like Spotify is believed to be in the billions of Won, according to industry insiders.
A key spokesperson told the media, "The distribution company, Interpark, is in the process of finalizing the settlement, which is expected to be at least in the billions of Won." Industry predictions say the amount will comfortably exceed 3 billion Won. At one point, some in the music industry even speculated that FIFTY FIFTY's end-of-month settlement could surpass 10 billion Won. Given that this settlement amount could be pivotal evidence in the ongoing court case, it's no surprise that it's drawing significant industry attention.
FIFTY FIFTY's 'Cupid' skyrocketed to #19 on the Billboard Main Singles Chart 'Hot 100' after its release, marking the group as the fifth K-pop girl group to make the list. Their quick rise to the Billboard Hot 100 is the fastest ever for a K-pop idol group after debut. The song also reached #8 on the UK Official Singles Chart 'Top 100'.
In addition to Spotify, the song made major charts in Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and India. Especially, 'Cupid - Twin Version' surpassed 300 million streams on Spotify.
Currently, FIFTY FIFTY is in conflict with their agency. Attrakt claims external forces are shaking their relationship, while the members believe the trust relationship with the agency has been broken. In response, the first public hearing related to FIFTY FIFTY's exclusive contract termination was held at the Seoul Central District Court on the 5th.
At the time, FIFTY FIFTY claimed suspicions of embezzlement by Representative Jeon Hong-joon, expressing their intention to file criminal charges. They revealed, "From December last year, when the music distribution company paid an advance, until April, the revenue from albums and music was effectively omitted as it was recorded as zero Won in the settlement data."
They also stated, "The members never agreed to this transaction structure, and we suspect the former representative committed embezzlement through this. We're considering even a criminal complaint."
Subsequently, it was reported that FIFTY FIFTY had secretly registered a total of 60 trademarks related to the group without the agency's knowledge. The registration fee alone was 15.36 million Won, and the fact of registration was revealed on June 19 when they applied for a suspension of the effect of the exclusive contract. Industry insiders have criticized the group's actions ahead of the legal dispute. However, Attract's Representative Jeon Hong-joon hopes for an 'amicable agreement' with the members.
On the 27th of last month, Attract reported to the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul that they had filed charges against three people, including Representative An Seong-il of The Givers, who they claimed to be the 'external force', for business obstruction, destruction of electronic records, fraud, and embezzlement. The court will receive related materials from both sides by the 26th and then make a decision.
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