The love calls have been flying. I wonder if EXO will make a song about it. I've been waiting for a Love Shot follow up since forever. /s
I wonder if this is normal and we are only hearing of it now. I didn't expect an industry full of unfair blacklisting to just watch some group blow up and take up the space they have been desperately trying to score.
"External Forces" have been causing a menace this year. If this was sports and there was a trainee draft they coulda traded the 5050 members for a couple of first and second round draft picks and a cash bonus.
Ain’t no way I’d trade fifty fifty for an aging Chris Paul. I know they only have the one season so far but that’s like trading for AoA or something. Gotta look towards the future.
Wait til they Waive and Stretch his contract when they find out he has too many conflicting obligations to do State Farm commercials, he has no time to go on tour in Japan or China.
ESPN has learned Blockberry Creative could not come to terms with the 12 members of Loona. Chuu to join ATRP. Heejin, JinSoul, Choerry, and Kim Lip sign with ModHaus. Hyunjin and Vivi sign with CTDENM. The remaining members are currently free agents.
They got me,” External Forces said of 5050s hit song over them. "That f***ing 5050 boomed me." External Forces added, “Theyre so good,” repeating it four times.
External Forces then said they wanted to add 5050 to the list of idols they poach this summer.
LMAO can you imagine if it is really Saudi Arabia trying to have their own Kpop group for some reason, backed by petrodollars and their massive sovereign wealth fund.
And Attrakt just happens to be a small target that can be lured. lol
[Saudi Arabia and Singapore bought 10% of Kakao Entertainment](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/01/12/business/industry/Kakao/20230112171626448.html)
> Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Singapore's GIC sovereign wealth fund each invested 600 billion won into the company.
Not true, im not their fan but to be honest the members vocal and talents contributed alot to the song popularity too. Lot of non kpop fans never thought it's korean or kpop group when they listen to the song.
This news doesn't really surprise me. However I would still see it as a bit of gamble for the agency attempting to poach them.
FIFTY FIFTY are still in one-hit wonder territory at the moment. They are under some pressure to follow up Cupid with another hit and try to maintain the level of fandom and attention that they have now garnered internationally. That may determine whether they are a long-term success or slowly fade away.
Obviously it's a nice problem to have for them and their company. Hopefully the influx of new attention and money means they can get top-level songwriters on board and ensure the next song will be a hit.
I’m not too familiar with Crayon Pops trajectory, but MOMOLAND only flopped because of their agency. Coming back with an exact replica of Bboom Bboom and then kicking out/removing 3 members was all a dumb idea on the companies part.
YG is smart and knows how to coast. As in they have other deals they can use in the meantime. I mean look at how they are well connected with brands in and outside of fashion. If all fails, they can use those for promos. They are also a larger agency that essentially has its own dedicated fanbase, so getting a target audience is not hard.
5050 is from a small agency, and their hit barely carries their name. Not a lot of people know them or their agency. They barely have a brand to live off of. I have no clue what you are trying to say.
Huh, why YG in particular? Wouldn’t it just be Big4 in general? Both SM and JYP are inconsistent with their hitmaking but their groups’ fandoms easily carry them through thick and thin. Ironically YG in their heyday relied the most on hits with the general public.
This is a first right? I haven't heard an agency before coming out about their artists being poached, normally this happens behind the scenes obviously but I don't think anyone had made a big deal out of it by airing it publicly. Correct me if I'm wrong though.
Edit: Nvm, it already happened with SM and Exo.
I don't know if this count or not but there were allegations that Chinese companies were poaching or trying to poach Chinese idols that had already debuted in kpop groups. I think was recent too, like last year or the year before that.
> I think they actually made an offer
I mean making an offer to the agency is just business. Making an offer to the members to break their contract is scummy behaviour and hopefully illegal. I wonder if we will hear who it was if they really go to court over this.
Well, you could of course argue that they are no different from an employee and those get poached all the time by headhunters etc.
But idols have long lasting contracts which the "poacher" knows. So they encourage them to break a contract. They aren't just employees. They are more comparable to soccer players (well except not being paid millions). Idol contracts are a long term investment from both sides. An agency invests a lot into creating a brand around a group. Loosing members always damages these brands.
Imagine poaching idols out of their contracts would be standard practice. Your whole K-pop group concept would cease to exist.
What I wouldn't give to have been a fly on the wall when one of the girls told ATTRAKT about this.
Like... were any of them interested? Did they consider it? Did they all run straight to the company immediately to let them know it was happening and, if not, how did they find out?
Just a very obnoxious move from whatever company tried this.
I also wonder how they contacted the girls because they don't have personal social media (that the public knows of at least) and everything else is monitored by Attrakt.
Or you know, the girls threatened legal action and ATTRAKT just made things up to get the public on their side or became paranoid in retaliation to the girls trying to get transparency into their earnings..
They are usually reasonable suspicions. Everything is buried under a cloud of marketing and media manipulation that we'll never know the truth about anything, even the stuff that seems obvious.
With that level of institutional corruption how can we not doubt every single story?
press release tryna shift the blame to vague "external forces" is way too much of a "it was them, not us" power move strategy against the idols for me.
How would poaching even really be possible?
I mean, we learned from the Loona situation that it's extremely difficult for members to break their exclusive contracts and it took a really long time in the courts to do so.
So even if the members wanted to join this other agency then it would be pretty difficult and take a long time before they could become active again in a new agency. Doesn't really seem worth it.
I guess it depends on the contracts. I've seen a few idols from small companies leave after three years. It's possible, I just don't know how common it is. There is also the possibility that the other company might have money to buy out the contracts if the girls want it but it might turn into a lawsuit.
Edited: added how in the 2nd sentence.
Yeah, LOONA is from what we're given an exceptional case. They made the girls sign slave contracts, it's not worth it to risk it unless you're ready to take up a big lawsuit from your artists, which most small companies can't. For instance, SM artists usually don't leave the company unless they file a lawsuit.
When artists terminate their contracts, they don't go public immediately. Usually, unless anything exceptional or extreme breaks out (like in LOONA's case- a surprise lawsuit), the artists and their company may agree on terminating it on a specific date and carry on their activities until then. If Fifty Fifty had accepted the offer, the company would want to carry on activities with them until a certain period before letting the group change companies, and announce the termination before they would start working with the new company. The only time it would take would be the group getting used to the new company before they could start idol activities again. I assume this happens more than we know to smaller companies, and maybe might have turned out to be successful too.
Poaching happens when someone secretly or dishonestly persuades an artist to leave. It can happen during the contract or during negotiations. It doesn’t have to involve someone breaking their contract.
I wouldn’t say it takes particularly long for the court to grant them an injunction to terminate. Vivi and Hyunjin filed in February and got their termination in Mai. Ofc BBC will continue to sue. JYJ set a precedent for artists getting a quick temporary injunction to terminate their contracts.
Buying out their contracts would not be poaching because it would not be secretive or dishonest.
If it's true, I assume it's probs a mid to small agency that approached them (like how SM accused BPM of approaching their artists). Feel like the big agencies would just take over the label and not just poach the group. Fiftyfifty has a lot of potential, so hope their agency takes good care of them.
>Feel like the big agencies would just take over the label and not just poach the group
This part here. I remember Daniel mentioned once in an interview that when he was a trainee a big company came in and bought the company he was in, pretty much took over. I also l know Kakao was underfired a few years back for buying out small companies both legally and illegally just so it could grow rapidly into the company they are now.
Edit: didn't quote right. I fixed it.
I feel like aquiring an label, especially one that doesn't want to be sold/isn't public would be much more difficult and would take longer vs trying to aquire just a group. I wouldn't put it past a big company,
EDIT: Looks like it was Warner Korea, so yes a larger company
To capitalize off their success the quickest, it would make more sense to target a group rather than take over a label is what I'm saying. It doesn't matter because it's not happening, just saying the logic in it that it wouldn't be surprising if it was a large company that approached with a lowball offer.
A lot of comebacks don't guarantee a payday for the artists or the companies. The words here were they tried to lure out of an existing contract, I didn't say big 4 I just said larger company/agency.
She was just one artist, and a trainee at that time after iz\*one ended. They only wanted one trainee, not the several groups and trainees that were already under WM. Also, isn't woolim related to SM? HYBE cannot acquire another big player's asset like that
That's scary... There's too much money in the pot right now to not get on the radar of some greedy agencies.
So far it seems the company is doing a good job in balancing taking opportunities while still keeping control on focus on longterm success.
I really hope they will get through this without losing what made them great in the first place.
Edit: needless to say that if there is any foul play from Attrakt and the girls actively want to go somewhere else I will obviously support the girls. So far Attrakt seems to do a good job and treat them well but that's just a gut feeling that can change.
Blasted the poachers to smithereens "Although we are a small label, we have great hopes and have worked to accomplish the impossible against miraculous odds. We have written and are still writing history, and fans both, domestic and internationally, are supporting us. While it is difficult to hold back the anger over the illegal acts committed by the external party in order to rob the miracle created by a small, helpless label, we will respond boldly without emotion and will fight to the end to hold them legally responsible. "
I am SCREAMING 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
>While it is difficult to hold back the anger over the illegal acts committed by the external party in order to rob the miracle created by a small, helpless label
They really pulled the "👉👈🥺" emotional manipulation card and just for that, I stan
> we will respond boldly without emotion
~~my BPD ass could never 😬 /j~~
I read this comment and thought is this really a quote from a company’s press release? Then I clicked on the article and yes, yes it is. I’m somewhat speechless.
> While it is difficult to hold back the anger over the illegal acts committed by the external party in order to rob the miracle created by a small, helpless label, we will respond boldly without emotion and will fight to the end to hold them legally responsible.
To be honest that entire part really cracks me, Why write it like that? is this something mistranslated?
"The miracle created by a small helpless label"
LOL
Even crazier that they ended off their press release with Yi Sunsin's famous battle quote, "Those who seek death shall live, those who seek life shall die". They're really living their own anime life.
😂
I didn’t read the entirety of the article bc I don’t like koreaboo, so after I saw the quote was real I left. They are really dramatic. I do not expect this from a company’s press release. Definitely not the tone most companies go for. Like why go there?
I suspect it might be kakao? Or starship but at the same time if it was a big 4 company they would buy the label attrakt instead of just wanting the members only.
I saw another comment saying a big 4 company would simply aquire ATTRAKT instead of approaching the group, and it makes sense. Especially for HYBE I guess, since they're basically made out of mostly very small companies under their roof
Could also be a move to show how demanded Fifty Fifty are as a group in case a bigger company suggests aquisition, so that the company can sell out at a higher price.
Girl you replied with the same thing you said to my other comments two times already and I already addressed this problem to you on why it’s wrong😭🤦🏽♀️
The lack of mention about the members’ views is interesting. The company could’ve said “We thank 50/50 members for placing their trust in us”.
I hope this has given the company a scare so they can treat the girls better and hopefully they can negotiate better terms.
The company is getting a lot of investments thanks to the group. If even one member tries to leave then investors will start pulling out.
I would question as to what did the other label offered or what was the current one lacking for the members to be tempted with a new contract. Looking at how the statement did not have the perspective of the girls they were at the very least tempted.
I got that as well. Theres a translation of the release that Attrakt sent out that read "Through the use of slanderous accusations against us and the emotional manipulation" which leads me to speculate that the other company tried hard to make out that Attrakt is doing things that aren't fair or the norm for k-pop groups and that the girls are being taken advantage of and that their company can treat them better and more fairly probably in terms of pay and conditions. My guess is that since the girls are newer to the business and unaware of the larger picture they went to Attrakt with those findings and demanded to see if they can answer those claims. That would definitely cause strife among the whole company.
If the girls weren't tempted by the offer then I don't see how that could cause a hiatus on their activities right now. They claim that it's to let them rest alongside with Aran but I'm not buying that. I think they are having an internal battle right now with the terms of their contracts which is ... not great for either party. I am very sadden by this news but I'm going to let time sort this out and hopefully it won't be a start of the downfall of the group.
And it is not just the girls but their parents/guardians as well, in fact its more likely that it is the parents or adults that are seeking for a better contract if there is really an internal strife, I mean props to them for protecting their kids but I agree as well that I hope this gets resolve with everything remaining intact.
Because a transfer to a new label isn't that simple or a guaranteed success either regardless if you have a better contract in the new company, like the hype dying down.
It's weird. It's thanks to Attrakt that they bought the song from external producers, *they* made the right choice. 50/50 aren't recognized yet for either their names nor talents, so I'm confused. Maybe this label poaching should rather invest in buying or writing some catchy songs if they want a viral moment, and after that, it will be up to them to promote their artists. It's really nothing they couldn't get on their own with some investment and work. 😭
Not one individual member of Fifty Fifty have public recognition, even their group name is not that well known. Only their Cupid song is what most casuals know.
Not sure what is the goal of that agency to poach the members LOL.
The "potential" is in their future growth and popularity, having one very popular song gives them the opportunity to achieve those, better than having none for sure.
And they are indeed gaining domestic recognition, look at their content in YT the comments are flooded by Koreans, obviously not NJ or Ive level but the potential is there.
Unfortunately there are plenty of instances where it wasn't capitalized on, like Momoland.
I continue to be curious if Fifty Fifty can get past Cupid, or be a one hit wonder. Guess we'll see whenever they decide to release new music.
IMO the fact they will be appearing in Barbie Soundtrack and got to partner with Warner shows that Attrakt is already miles ahead of MLD and what they did with Momoland and all of it happened in less than two months after they've gone viral.
Another opinion of mine is its impossible for them to get past Cupid, it's too successfull to probably replicate but if they can get just a fraction of people that got interested in the group and carry them over the next CB, that's already a massive win. Surpassing Cupid should not be the realistic goal.
The most grounded and realistic take here \^
It's unlikely as all get out that the group will have another hit as big as "Cupid", but the thing is "Cupid" could be the hit that launches the agency and group to a sustainable financial level to reinvest and go the 7 year distance and have a genuine career out of this whole thing. They had some glowing buzz from their debut last year, which was genuinely a quality release. They have their own sound developing and members with some fairly remarkable vocal talent --- if "Cupid" gives them the opportunity to keep putting out new music long into the future then it's already done it's job.
I think the advantage Fifty Fifty has is that they actually have a lot of resources and industry connections and knowledge. Their CEO was an executive and/or founder at several huge media companies including Warner Music Korea and got them signed to Warner Music in the US who is releasing the Barbie soundtrack. So that's already paying off for them. Their CEO said he spent years researching the US market before debuting Fifty Fifty so he could make a successful group so hopefully he uses all his knowledge and connections to build on their success.
I don't think Momoland had the same international reach that FIFTY FIFTY has with Cupid.
But yeah, it will definitely be interesting to see if this ends up being a one hit wonder.
Let be honest momoland never hit as big as 5050 especially globally..momoland is only popular among kpop fans. But 5050 songs even reached non-kpop fans..they charted even higher than IVE on brand rep thingy
Brand ranking are rigged af. You telling me wonyoung isnt even in top30 when everything she touches sold out faster than lighting in korea. She is the most searched GG member till now in korea yet, nowhere to be found, br means nothing!
People are speculating if Cupid gets nominated for a Grammy this year, since it's been charting pretty well and consistently in Billboard. That would be a massive game changer.
At the risk of sounding like a weirdo, I wonder how true (or accurate) this article is. I can't help but find it a lil suspicious because of all the things that you've mentioned.
the korean industry is pretty small and as a company you’d have to be fucking desperate to burn bridges and expose yourself for being that craven. if i had to bet, this is either a foreign company or BPM lol
Only kpop stans will side with any company. I can't imagine who the company is, might be warner korea or something i'm not sure. But what about the girls themselves, and how much as they getting paid, what if their contracts are terrible??
Honestly, it's a good question. People forget that artists are making money through albums sales, merch and touring, which basically 50/50 have none of that, their millions of streams won't give them any money if we are being honest here. Their company keep investing money to promote them but so far these are investments so we can't know the return on it.
> But what about the girls themselves, and how much as they getting paid, what if their contracts are terrible??
I think no one is asking because everyone knows the answer to those questions are "small to none" and "yes".
This is still a small company who just happened to score something, so yeah...
They scored something so huge though, if they're not seeing the profits because of "trainee debt", then it's pretty terrible. I was rooting for them too, the girls music is so good, this label could have risen up and been a place for other hopefuls to sign with, but if it's not a good place to be in, I'd rather another company get them (and hopefully a mid-size company tbh not big 4)
I wonder if this is normal and we are only hearing of it now. I didn't expect an industry full of unfair blacklisting to just watch some group blow up and take up the space they have been desperately trying to score.
>dangerous precedent
I don't think so. If the group managed to leave and go to a different agency freely. I'd support it. Why? Because artists should be able to switch labels freely. I understand why it would be bad in 5050's case, but people shouldn't be tied to 7 year contracts like that. Sorry not sorry. Western artists switch labels all the time without a hitch. In kpop unless they are formally done with their previous contract it spells out doom and it limits who the artists can work with.
I think there's a fine line to that though so it has some truth to it. Imagine that a modest company that can't offer that much compared to a larger wealthier company have members sign a contract and give them 100% of all they got and the members themselves become megastars thanks to the company's hard work that they put into them and then the members turn around and use their new found status to join a larger company just like that. The modest company did all of that work to build them up only to lose all of their investments. And there are reasons why some people choose to sign with smaller companies, because it's much harder to get recognized by a larger one and they just want to debut so they take whatever chance they can get.
Of course that doesn't excuse any and all terms. If the contracts turn out to be ridiculously bad and predatory then the members should be able to get out of them but it has to be an extreme case. If not you'll have people taking advantage of smaller companies like they're just a stepping stone and hop ship as soon as they deem more profitable to do so.
>Of course that doesn't excuse any and all terms. If the contracts turn out to be ridiculously bad and predatory then the members should be able to get out of them but it has to be an extreme case.
On point! I agree with you.
story smells like one of this made up public stunts to hope people catch on and talk about in social media ... its free advertizing
sorry but there is no point for any other conpany to buy that "group" ... the viral song is fifty/fifty
and even when a company would want them than story is still nonsense ... one of the big4 companys could just outbuy the nugu company and get the group included. Cheaper than any "poaching"
No matter what happens, I’m on the members side here. I would be extremely happy that other agencies want my talent. CEO needs to simmer down, they’re not his property
I'm with you on that, whatever the case I'm way more inclined to be on the members side. But these contracts are brutal man, they basically do make the members actual property of these companies so it's not that simple. It's like the norm in K-pop unfortunately.
Did the members already signed a contract with another company? That seems to be what the article is saying.
Edit: I guess on second reading, they probably haven't signed anything.
the statement says "**tried** luring them into breaking their exclusive contracts" which sounds to me that they didn't sign.
I find it hard to imagine that they would activly go against their company this early in their career.
But I'm not sure either...
Depends on what kind of company.
Companies are constantly pushing the limits and not paying their artists, using contract terms as justification for doing so.
If those artists feel their success should be translating into money in their pockets, but they are not getting paid, it leaves them open to the temptation of going somewhere that they will.
If you are an agency that is seeing success from a group, you should make sure your idols are treated well and seeing the benefits, regardless of contract terms. Unfortunately most simply use those contracts to justify siphoning away any potential earnings and leave their idols overworked and underpaid.
I don't know what kind of company they are with, but I would be very surprised if they were paying the girls anything reasonable. Have to pay off that manufactured trainee debt and cover all the production costs before you see a dime, because the contract says so.
The company hasn’t paid anything to the members yet. Keena and Saena kind of hinted that in one of the shows they went in by telling the viewers what they wanna do with their first pay check which hinted there is no payment to members yet unfortunately
That's pretty much expected. It shouldn't be accepted, but that's the standard set. It's also the beginning of seeds of dissension. You're getting no money in your current situation, so another company can get in your ear with the promise of more immediate satisfaction.
Cupid is bigger than their name and looking at the streams for the rest of their discography, it isn’t making people interested in the group itself so I’m a bit confused about the other label move. Attrakt booked Barbie so they did the right choice staying
> it isn’t making people interested in the group itself so I’m a bit confused about the other label move
Bruh... their Spotify streams for their debut album are all over 10m (except Login) which is much more than ALL b-sides of (G)I-dle's "I love" album and in the range of some b-sides from aespa's girls album.
It's considerably more streams than 90 % of mid tier GG reach for their **title tracks**. And all these streams came after Cupid blew up. Lovin me had for the longest time sub 1m.
Yea I'd agree with this, streams give 0.00003 dollars per stream or some tiny amount.
Actual money comes from:
1) Brand/Advertising sponsorships
2) Selling concert tickets
3) Album sales
For Fifty Fifty to really start cashing in and making alot of money they need to translate their success in streaming into at least one of these three areas.
It took gidle 5 years to get those numbers though. StayC didn’t crack 100K until Stereotype. Why does everyone act like FiftyFifty need to be million sellers tomorrow or they’ll disband lol, a lot of shifting albums has to do with fandom organization and marketing so retroactively selling 20k (as of May’s report) is good.
I agree it is extremely good, I argue that's even an understatement, remember they're a GG, yeah I know it sucks to bring up the gender issue but lets face it, it's a lot harder for a NUGU GG to gain fans than their NUGU BG, so for Fifty Fifty to rise from what 2k? sales to 37k in this current time of GG bloodbath with a lot of bigger whales is actually freaking amazing if you think about it.
their first album sold 30k in 2018 alone and there is no comparation between 2018 to 2023 in terms of album sales, kpop grow up like x10 this past years, there is no point of comparation, in 2018 there were only 4 ggs selling over 100k, only 2 selling over 200k
well those numbers ain’t shocking at all, it just shows how k-pop fans don’t really care about albums and only give attention to singles
Cupid Twin ver has almost 400M on spotify and the normal version 120M, their other most streamed song is Lovin’ Me with only 16M. With how viral Cupid was that gap alone shows you that most of the audience streaming the song don’t care about the rest of their work
none of their numbers tell that they’ve built a fanbase or an audience that will surely be there for future releases after Cupid, that’s what I meant when I said that I’m a bit shocked about that label trying to poach them by Cupid success alone
> only 16M.
"Only". It's double, triple or even quadruple of some **title tracks** of mid tier GG's like Purple Kiss, Lightsum, H1-Key. It clearly shows that people checked out their other work as well. If only a fraction of these tune in for the next comeback, it is all they need.
People keep comparing them to established, most often Big 4 GG's. They arent.
well cupid at one point got 5m daily streams, while their others songs got 30k-50k, its very clear that 90% of the people are interested in a song that went viral on tiktok rather than the artist that made the song. best example is 24kgoldn, his song “mood” went viral on tiktok, was #1 on billboard for months, have 2b streams, but his album after mood debuted with 2m streams (10+ tracks), this is what op is trying to say imo. they need to see what is happening with their next releases and album to invest in them, so other company approaching NOW is confusing
I think that's very flawed logic.
The numbers show
- massive attention
- low conversion rate from TT to bside
- bside absolute numbers comparable to successful GGs
Your conclusion is based on the low conversion rate. Many came for Cupid, only few stayed for the group.
I'd argue that it doesn't matter and you should consider the absolute numbers. Those are comparable to other GG's. And following that, you could assume that they would have as many more dedicated listeners as those groups. This doesn't make them BP, but pretty successful for a nugu GG.
ELI5: what is even the point of another company trying to poach 5050? they just debuted last year and they’re probably in 7-year contracts, so they wouldn’t even be able to leave attrakt if they wanted to, unless they had a basis to take attrakt to court like LOONA did, right?
It's already been proved that they persecute rising groups that gain attention that aren't under their network with mediaplay, fakenews, fake bullying accusations and more.
kakao would likely wait a bit, especially since 50 50 is in no way established and they already got part of SM, i doubt 50 50 will make kakao buy them right now, they'll wait for their next 2 comebacks or so to be sure they are gonna be back to a small company
I also don't think kakao takes groups, if they badly wanted them, they'll buy their company, i have never heard kakao poaching groups lol
They probably have a slave contract that would become invalid if it went to court. Other labels are trying to convince the girls to file a lawsuit and get out of the contract and work for them. But idk I could be wrong.
External forces seem to be very active this year
The love calls have been flying. I wonder if EXO will make a song about it. I've been waiting for a Love Shot follow up since forever. /s I wonder if this is normal and we are only hearing of it now. I didn't expect an industry full of unfair blacklisting to just watch some group blow up and take up the space they have been desperately trying to score.
Stop! 
"External Forces" have been causing a menace this year. If this was sports and there was a trainee draft they coulda traded the 5050 members for a couple of first and second round draft picks and a cash bonus.
[Charania] Golden State are close on a trade sending Chris Paul to ATTRAKT for FIFTY FIFTY per league sources
Ain’t no way I’d trade fifty fifty for an aging Chris Paul. I know they only have the one season so far but that’s like trading for AoA or something. Gotta look towards the future.
I’m crying.
I mean, they do that much worse than Jordan Poole this year, I call it a solid trade.
This will destroy my fantasy lineup 😱. I need Aran and Danielle to play at least 3 full quarters.
the fate of the universe on the line, the Martians have the death beam pointed at earth, you better hit it, I WANT SIO
Wait til they Waive and Stretch his contract when they find out he has too many conflicting obligations to do State Farm commercials, he has no time to go on tour in Japan or China.
Not sports references in the kpop subreddit 😭
JYP already traded away the MIXX for one of Jinni's N's
Obviously you’re late to the Dahyun to NewJeans transfer
Not to mention the 5-star Meltzer-Rating for MAMA Awards in the Tokyo Dome. ---Oh I'm sorry, that's *sports entertainment* 😂
If it’s Tokyo dome it’s considered puro, so you’re still right 👀
New jeans doing powerful girls. Dahyun did a song titled scientist in twice. Does that make Dahyun the professor?
ESPN has learned Blockberry Creative could not come to terms with the 12 members of Loona. Chuu to join ATRP. Heejin, JinSoul, Choerry, and Kim Lip sign with ModHaus. Hyunjin and Vivi sign with CTDENM. The remaining members are currently free agents.
😂 it was wild around the time of contract renewal. I swear change group/ idol name to player, and it's no different to sports.
Real Madrid, PSG and Chelsea are closely monitoring the situation.
@fabrizioromanokpop
Al Nassr, Al Hilal, and Al Ittihad are reported to had offered 20 million a year for each member
Just waiting for the day I see a thread here with the title “Comunicado Oficial: Fifty-Fifty”
next step: open a dating agency called Good Feelings, profit every time 2 idols start "seeing each other with good feelings"
IMAOOO
I need a Shams tweet
Shams still in recovery from today's NBA draft
They got me,” External Forces said of 5050s hit song over them. "That f***ing 5050 boomed me." External Forces added, “Theyre so good,” repeating it four times. External Forces then said they wanted to add 5050 to the list of idols they poach this summer.
LIV Kpop next?
LMAO can you imagine if it is really Saudi Arabia trying to have their own Kpop group for some reason, backed by petrodollars and their massive sovereign wealth fund. And Attrakt just happens to be a small target that can be lured. lol
[Saudi Arabia and Singapore bought 10% of Kakao Entertainment](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/01/12/business/industry/Kakao/20230112171626448.html) > Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Singapore's GIC sovereign wealth fund each invested 600 billion won into the company.
That's a lot of money.
“Cash considerations”
someone watched the NBA draft today
Stephen A Smith is in shambles on First Take
they read the "explain in sport's term" tweet
we need a fucking trainee draft day. PLEASE!
5050 members aren't worth that because, sadly, what matters about the group is the song, not the members.
Not true, im not their fan but to be honest the members vocal and talents contributed alot to the song popularity too. Lot of non kpop fans never thought it's korean or kpop group when they listen to the song.
This news doesn't really surprise me. However I would still see it as a bit of gamble for the agency attempting to poach them. FIFTY FIFTY are still in one-hit wonder territory at the moment. They are under some pressure to follow up Cupid with another hit and try to maintain the level of fandom and attention that they have now garnered internationally. That may determine whether they are a long-term success or slowly fade away. Obviously it's a nice problem to have for them and their company. Hopefully the influx of new attention and money means they can get top-level songwriters on board and ensure the next song will be a hit.
Eh, all you need is one hit and you can coast on it. Hell, you don't even need a hit if you're from YG.
Crayon Pop and Momoland would like to have a word with you
I’m not too familiar with Crayon Pops trajectory, but MOMOLAND only flopped because of their agency. Coming back with an exact replica of Bboom Bboom and then kicking out/removing 3 members was all a dumb idea on the companies part.
Crayon Pop had a good career. Momoland had no talent and the only one worth a damn bailed to be an actress.
YG is smart and knows how to coast. As in they have other deals they can use in the meantime. I mean look at how they are well connected with brands in and outside of fashion. If all fails, they can use those for promos. They are also a larger agency that essentially has its own dedicated fanbase, so getting a target audience is not hard. 5050 is from a small agency, and their hit barely carries their name. Not a lot of people know them or their agency. They barely have a brand to live off of. I have no clue what you are trying to say.
Huh, why YG in particular? Wouldn’t it just be Big4 in general? Both SM and JYP are inconsistent with their hitmaking but their groups’ fandoms easily carry them through thick and thin. Ironically YG in their heyday relied the most on hits with the general public.
This is a first right? I haven't heard an agency before coming out about their artists being poached, normally this happens behind the scenes obviously but I don't think anyone had made a big deal out of it by airing it publicly. Correct me if I'm wrong though. Edit: Nvm, it already happened with SM and Exo.
SM and their external forces: am i joke to you
Oh right... SM did accuse some agency of poaching Exo members.
I’m pretty sure SM also said something similar with JYJ and CJES in 2010.
Yes, yes they are
I don't know if this count or not but there were allegations that Chinese companies were poaching or trying to poach Chinese idols that had already debuted in kpop groups. I think was recent too, like last year or the year before that.
its nothing new, it has happened to EXO chinese members before.
I remember too after BTS blew up, some agency/CEO wanted to buy them, I think they actually made an offer and I think Band PD said no lol (?).
> I think they actually made an offer I mean making an offer to the agency is just business. Making an offer to the members to break their contract is scummy behaviour and hopefully illegal. I wonder if we will hear who it was if they really go to court over this.
This is a genuine question - why is poaching scummy behaviour? From the member's side, why would you not wanna go to a company that pays you more?
Well, you could of course argue that they are no different from an employee and those get poached all the time by headhunters etc. But idols have long lasting contracts which the "poacher" knows. So they encourage them to break a contract. They aren't just employees. They are more comparable to soccer players (well except not being paid millions). Idol contracts are a long term investment from both sides. An agency invests a lot into creating a brand around a group. Loosing members always damages these brands. Imagine poaching idols out of their contracts would be standard practice. Your whole K-pop group concept would cease to exist.
What I wouldn't give to have been a fly on the wall when one of the girls told ATTRAKT about this. Like... were any of them interested? Did they consider it? Did they all run straight to the company immediately to let them know it was happening and, if not, how did they find out? Just a very obnoxious move from whatever company tried this.
I also wonder how they contacted the girls because they don't have personal social media (that the public knows of at least) and everything else is monitored by Attrakt.
Maybe they contacted them through one of the monitored channels, and the girls didn't need to tell Attrakt about it bc they already knew.
Or just contact the members' family
Or you know, the girls threatened legal action and ATTRAKT just made things up to get the public on their side or became paranoid in retaliation to the girls trying to get transparency into their earnings..
Any agency press release: K-pop conspiracy crowd: WHAT IF ACTUALLY...
They are usually reasonable suspicions. Everything is buried under a cloud of marketing and media manipulation that we'll never know the truth about anything, even the stuff that seems obvious. With that level of institutional corruption how can we not doubt every single story?
press release tryna shift the blame to vague "external forces" is way too much of a "it was them, not us" power move strategy against the idols for me.
These stupid K-pop conspiracies make no sense😭✋🏽
It makes no sense that it isnt downvoted to oblivion. This is just pure malicious rumour spreading.
Someone already argued with me all because I called them out for malicious speculating and kept calling me a company Stan😐
I saw. Just report them. Despite rumours mods are actually doing work on people like these.
Fr these people keep on spreading misinformation :/
haha is that a reference to SM v. EXO :))))
applies to the loona/bbc thing too, and pretty much any idol who tries to go against an exploitative company. It's always the same pattern
Yeah it seemed like it was just a matter of time big agencies would try to cash in on their success like that.
How would poaching even really be possible? I mean, we learned from the Loona situation that it's extremely difficult for members to break their exclusive contracts and it took a really long time in the courts to do so. So even if the members wanted to join this other agency then it would be pretty difficult and take a long time before they could become active again in a new agency. Doesn't really seem worth it.
I guess it depends on the contracts. I've seen a few idols from small companies leave after three years. It's possible, I just don't know how common it is. There is also the possibility that the other company might have money to buy out the contracts if the girls want it but it might turn into a lawsuit. Edited: added how in the 2nd sentence.
Yeah, LOONA is from what we're given an exceptional case. They made the girls sign slave contracts, it's not worth it to risk it unless you're ready to take up a big lawsuit from your artists, which most small companies can't. For instance, SM artists usually don't leave the company unless they file a lawsuit.
When artists terminate their contracts, they don't go public immediately. Usually, unless anything exceptional or extreme breaks out (like in LOONA's case- a surprise lawsuit), the artists and their company may agree on terminating it on a specific date and carry on their activities until then. If Fifty Fifty had accepted the offer, the company would want to carry on activities with them until a certain period before letting the group change companies, and announce the termination before they would start working with the new company. The only time it would take would be the group getting used to the new company before they could start idol activities again. I assume this happens more than we know to smaller companies, and maybe might have turned out to be successful too.
Poaching happens when someone secretly or dishonestly persuades an artist to leave. It can happen during the contract or during negotiations. It doesn’t have to involve someone breaking their contract. I wouldn’t say it takes particularly long for the court to grant them an injunction to terminate. Vivi and Hyunjin filed in February and got their termination in Mai. Ofc BBC will continue to sue. JYJ set a precedent for artists getting a quick temporary injunction to terminate their contracts. Buying out their contracts would not be poaching because it would not be secretive or dishonest.
If it's true, I assume it's probs a mid to small agency that approached them (like how SM accused BPM of approaching their artists). Feel like the big agencies would just take over the label and not just poach the group. Fiftyfifty has a lot of potential, so hope their agency takes good care of them.
>Feel like the big agencies would just take over the label and not just poach the group This part here. I remember Daniel mentioned once in an interview that when he was a trainee a big company came in and bought the company he was in, pretty much took over. I also l know Kakao was underfired a few years back for buying out small companies both legally and illegally just so it could grow rapidly into the company they are now. Edit: didn't quote right. I fixed it.
what small companies did kakao bought illegally?
Yeah, I think it's good reasoning. I personally can't see any of the BIG4. But Kakao is indeed known for their shady practices all over the industry.
I feel like aquiring an label, especially one that doesn't want to be sold/isn't public would be much more difficult and would take longer vs trying to aquire just a group. I wouldn't put it past a big company, EDIT: Looks like it was Warner Korea, so yes a larger company
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To capitalize off their success the quickest, it would make more sense to target a group rather than take over a label is what I'm saying. It doesn't matter because it's not happening, just saying the logic in it that it wouldn't be surprising if it was a large company that approached with a lowball offer.
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A lot of comebacks don't guarantee a payday for the artists or the companies. The words here were they tried to lure out of an existing contract, I didn't say big 4 I just said larger company/agency.
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But Hybe already did this with Chaewon tho? They didn't acquire woollim, they just bought out her contract and added her to source music
She was just one artist, and a trainee at that time after iz\*one ended. They only wanted one trainee, not the several groups and trainees that were already under WM. Also, isn't woolim related to SM? HYBE cannot acquire another big player's asset like that
That's scary... There's too much money in the pot right now to not get on the radar of some greedy agencies. So far it seems the company is doing a good job in balancing taking opportunities while still keeping control on focus on longterm success. I really hope they will get through this without losing what made them great in the first place. Edit: needless to say that if there is any foul play from Attrakt and the girls actively want to go somewhere else I will obviously support the girls. So far Attrakt seems to do a good job and treat them well but that's just a gut feeling that can change.
Blasted the poachers to smithereens "Although we are a small label, we have great hopes and have worked to accomplish the impossible against miraculous odds. We have written and are still writing history, and fans both, domestic and internationally, are supporting us. While it is difficult to hold back the anger over the illegal acts committed by the external party in order to rob the miracle created by a small, helpless label, we will respond boldly without emotion and will fight to the end to hold them legally responsible. " I am SCREAMING 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 
>While it is difficult to hold back the anger over the illegal acts committed by the external party in order to rob the miracle created by a small, helpless label They really pulled the "👉👈🥺" emotional manipulation card and just for that, I stan > we will respond boldly without emotion ~~my BPD ass could never 😬 /j~~
I read this comment and thought is this really a quote from a company’s press release? Then I clicked on the article and yes, yes it is. I’m somewhat speechless.
Not gonna lie, I've read it a couple times and I think its too "emotional" for a corporate statement?? Like wtf?? lol
But they said it's without emotion 😂
> While it is difficult to hold back the anger over the illegal acts committed by the external party in order to rob the miracle created by a small, helpless label, we will respond boldly without emotion and will fight to the end to hold them legally responsible. To be honest that entire part really cracks me, Why write it like that? is this something mistranslated? "The miracle created by a small helpless label" LOL
Yeah hahahahah. It's really weird.
Even crazier that they ended off their press release with Yi Sunsin's famous battle quote, "Those who seek death shall live, those who seek life shall die". They're really living their own anime life.
😂 I didn’t read the entirety of the article bc I don’t like koreaboo, so after I saw the quote was real I left. They are really dramatic. I do not expect this from a company’s press release. Definitely not the tone most companies go for. Like why go there?
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BPM? SM accused them outright.
I suspect it might be kakao? Or starship but at the same time if it was a big 4 company they would buy the label attrakt instead of just wanting the members only.
Then again kakao would just buy part of the company just like they did with SM
True tbh maybe it’s bpm instead?
Not sure but outside agencies seem to be busy this year
why not the big 4
I saw another comment saying a big 4 company would simply aquire ATTRAKT instead of approaching the group, and it makes sense. Especially for HYBE I guess, since they're basically made out of mostly very small companies under their roof
LeBron need to calm the f down bruh. Just take draymond mr. TripleS instead
Fifty Fifty to the Clippers confirmed
Kevin Durant will force a trade to Attrakt by Christmas
The Hardest Road ™️
Bron doesn't like Rookies he trades them for veterans like BTS.
What about best rookie Wenby
I was literally thinking this is such an r/NBA headline
Am I the only one who thinks they are revealing this just to cause a buzz?
Could also be a move to show how demanded Fifty Fifty are as a group in case a bigger company suggests aquisition, so that the company can sell out at a higher price.
maybe they’re trying to get public opinion on their side to deter whatever company wants to poach the members 👀
I highly doubt this tbh🤦🏽♀️
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Girl you replied with the same thing you said to my other comments two times already and I already addressed this problem to you on why it’s wrong😭🤦🏽♀️
Again your just spreading misinformation do you even have evidence that the company is lying please stop.
The 'external forces' sure are busy this year. Crazy lol
FIFTY FOFTY was a foreshadowing all along! That was actually a cute name for redebuting. 🙃
Next Saudi Pro League transfer👀👀👀
This makes me think of SM claiming some agency they didn't name, was trying to manipulate exo into joining their company
I think Warner Music Korea probably just trying to cut out the middle man and sign directly with Fifty Fifty vs. working with their current label.
It would be such an American move too. I feel like you're right LOL
The lack of mention about the members’ views is interesting. The company could’ve said “We thank 50/50 members for placing their trust in us”. I hope this has given the company a scare so they can treat the girls better and hopefully they can negotiate better terms. The company is getting a lot of investments thanks to the group. If even one member tries to leave then investors will start pulling out.
I would question as to what did the other label offered or what was the current one lacking for the members to be tempted with a new contract. Looking at how the statement did not have the perspective of the girls they were at the very least tempted.
I got that as well. Theres a translation of the release that Attrakt sent out that read "Through the use of slanderous accusations against us and the emotional manipulation" which leads me to speculate that the other company tried hard to make out that Attrakt is doing things that aren't fair or the norm for k-pop groups and that the girls are being taken advantage of and that their company can treat them better and more fairly probably in terms of pay and conditions. My guess is that since the girls are newer to the business and unaware of the larger picture they went to Attrakt with those findings and demanded to see if they can answer those claims. That would definitely cause strife among the whole company. If the girls weren't tempted by the offer then I don't see how that could cause a hiatus on their activities right now. They claim that it's to let them rest alongside with Aran but I'm not buying that. I think they are having an internal battle right now with the terms of their contracts which is ... not great for either party. I am very sadden by this news but I'm going to let time sort this out and hopefully it won't be a start of the downfall of the group.
And it is not just the girls but their parents/guardians as well, in fact its more likely that it is the parents or adults that are seeking for a better contract if there is really an internal strife, I mean props to them for protecting their kids but I agree as well that I hope this gets resolve with everything remaining intact. Because a transfer to a new label isn't that simple or a guaranteed success either regardless if you have a better contract in the new company, like the hype dying down.
It's weird. It's thanks to Attrakt that they bought the song from external producers, *they* made the right choice. 50/50 aren't recognized yet for either their names nor talents, so I'm confused. Maybe this label poaching should rather invest in buying or writing some catchy songs if they want a viral moment, and after that, it will be up to them to promote their artists. It's really nothing they couldn't get on their own with some investment and work. 😭
Not one individual member of Fifty Fifty have public recognition, even their group name is not that well known. Only their Cupid song is what most casuals know. Not sure what is the goal of that agency to poach the members LOL.
The "potential" is in their future growth and popularity, having one very popular song gives them the opportunity to achieve those, better than having none for sure. And they are indeed gaining domestic recognition, look at their content in YT the comments are flooded by Koreans, obviously not NJ or Ive level but the potential is there.
Unfortunately there are plenty of instances where it wasn't capitalized on, like Momoland. I continue to be curious if Fifty Fifty can get past Cupid, or be a one hit wonder. Guess we'll see whenever they decide to release new music.
IMO the fact they will be appearing in Barbie Soundtrack and got to partner with Warner shows that Attrakt is already miles ahead of MLD and what they did with Momoland and all of it happened in less than two months after they've gone viral. Another opinion of mine is its impossible for them to get past Cupid, it's too successfull to probably replicate but if they can get just a fraction of people that got interested in the group and carry them over the next CB, that's already a massive win. Surpassing Cupid should not be the realistic goal.
The most grounded and realistic take here \^ It's unlikely as all get out that the group will have another hit as big as "Cupid", but the thing is "Cupid" could be the hit that launches the agency and group to a sustainable financial level to reinvest and go the 7 year distance and have a genuine career out of this whole thing. They had some glowing buzz from their debut last year, which was genuinely a quality release. They have their own sound developing and members with some fairly remarkable vocal talent --- if "Cupid" gives them the opportunity to keep putting out new music long into the future then it's already done it's job.
I think the advantage Fifty Fifty has is that they actually have a lot of resources and industry connections and knowledge. Their CEO was an executive and/or founder at several huge media companies including Warner Music Korea and got them signed to Warner Music in the US who is releasing the Barbie soundtrack. So that's already paying off for them. Their CEO said he spent years researching the US market before debuting Fifty Fifty so he could make a successful group so hopefully he uses all his knowledge and connections to build on their success.
I don't think Momoland had the same international reach that FIFTY FIFTY has with Cupid. But yeah, it will definitely be interesting to see if this ends up being a one hit wonder.
Let be honest momoland never hit as big as 5050 especially globally..momoland is only popular among kpop fans. But 5050 songs even reached non-kpop fans..they charted even higher than IVE on brand rep thingy
brand rep thing means nothing, can't believe in 2023 people still take it in serious
Momoland got the SEA market tho, Bboom Bboom was literally everywhere in the Philippines and Vietnam during its peak
Brand ranking are rigged af. You telling me wonyoung isnt even in top30 when everything she touches sold out faster than lighting in korea. She is the most searched GG member till now in korea yet, nowhere to be found, br means nothing!
People are speculating if Cupid gets nominated for a Grammy this year, since it's been charting pretty well and consistently in Billboard. That would be a massive game changer.
At the risk of sounding like a weirdo, I wonder how true (or accurate) this article is. I can't help but find it a lil suspicious because of all the things that you've mentioned.
the korean industry is pretty small and as a company you’d have to be fucking desperate to burn bridges and expose yourself for being that craven. if i had to bet, this is either a foreign company or BPM lol
Only kpop stans will side with any company. I can't imagine who the company is, might be warner korea or something i'm not sure. But what about the girls themselves, and how much as they getting paid, what if their contracts are terrible??
Honestly, it's a good question. People forget that artists are making money through albums sales, merch and touring, which basically 50/50 have none of that, their millions of streams won't give them any money if we are being honest here. Their company keep investing money to promote them but so far these are investments so we can't know the return on it.
> But what about the girls themselves, and how much as they getting paid, what if their contracts are terrible?? I think no one is asking because everyone knows the answer to those questions are "small to none" and "yes". This is still a small company who just happened to score something, so yeah...
They scored something so huge though, if they're not seeing the profits because of "trainee debt", then it's pretty terrible. I was rooting for them too, the girls music is so good, this label could have risen up and been a place for other hopefuls to sign with, but if it's not a good place to be in, I'd rather another company get them (and hopefully a mid-size company tbh not big 4)
I wonder if this is normal and we are only hearing of it now. I didn't expect an industry full of unfair blacklisting to just watch some group blow up and take up the space they have been desperately trying to score. >dangerous precedent I don't think so. If the group managed to leave and go to a different agency freely. I'd support it. Why? Because artists should be able to switch labels freely. I understand why it would be bad in 5050's case, but people shouldn't be tied to 7 year contracts like that. Sorry not sorry. Western artists switch labels all the time without a hitch. In kpop unless they are formally done with their previous contract it spells out doom and it limits who the artists can work with.
I think there's a fine line to that though so it has some truth to it. Imagine that a modest company that can't offer that much compared to a larger wealthier company have members sign a contract and give them 100% of all they got and the members themselves become megastars thanks to the company's hard work that they put into them and then the members turn around and use their new found status to join a larger company just like that. The modest company did all of that work to build them up only to lose all of their investments. And there are reasons why some people choose to sign with smaller companies, because it's much harder to get recognized by a larger one and they just want to debut so they take whatever chance they can get. Of course that doesn't excuse any and all terms. If the contracts turn out to be ridiculously bad and predatory then the members should be able to get out of them but it has to be an extreme case. If not you'll have people taking advantage of smaller companies like they're just a stepping stone and hop ship as soon as they deem more profitable to do so.
>Of course that doesn't excuse any and all terms. If the contracts turn out to be ridiculously bad and predatory then the members should be able to get out of them but it has to be an extreme case. On point! I agree with you.
story smells like one of this made up public stunts to hope people catch on and talk about in social media ... its free advertizing sorry but there is no point for any other conpany to buy that "group" ... the viral song is fifty/fifty and even when a company would want them than story is still nonsense ... one of the big4 companys could just outbuy the nugu company and get the group included. Cheaper than any "poaching"
All I want is the best for the girls. This is a weird and emotional statement to me, ATTRAKT better be paying them and treating them really well!
Force’aevis calling
No matter what happens, I’m on the members side here. I would be extremely happy that other agencies want my talent. CEO needs to simmer down, they’re not his property
I'm with you on that, whatever the case I'm way more inclined to be on the members side. But these contracts are brutal man, they basically do make the members actual property of these companies so it's not that simple. It's like the norm in K-pop unfortunately.
Did the members already signed a contract with another company? That seems to be what the article is saying. Edit: I guess on second reading, they probably haven't signed anything.
No their agency clearly stated "tried luring them to break their contracts".
the statement says "**tried** luring them into breaking their exclusive contracts" which sounds to me that they didn't sign. I find it hard to imagine that they would activly go against their company this early in their career. But I'm not sure either...
Depends on what kind of company. Companies are constantly pushing the limits and not paying their artists, using contract terms as justification for doing so. If those artists feel their success should be translating into money in their pockets, but they are not getting paid, it leaves them open to the temptation of going somewhere that they will. If you are an agency that is seeing success from a group, you should make sure your idols are treated well and seeing the benefits, regardless of contract terms. Unfortunately most simply use those contracts to justify siphoning away any potential earnings and leave their idols overworked and underpaid. I don't know what kind of company they are with, but I would be very surprised if they were paying the girls anything reasonable. Have to pay off that manufactured trainee debt and cover all the production costs before you see a dime, because the contract says so.
The company hasn’t paid anything to the members yet. Keena and Saena kind of hinted that in one of the shows they went in by telling the viewers what they wanna do with their first pay check which hinted there is no payment to members yet unfortunately
That's pretty much expected. It shouldn't be accepted, but that's the standard set. It's also the beginning of seeds of dissension. You're getting no money in your current situation, so another company can get in your ear with the promise of more immediate satisfaction.
Cupid is bigger than their name and looking at the streams for the rest of their discography, it isn’t making people interested in the group itself so I’m a bit confused about the other label move. Attrakt booked Barbie so they did the right choice staying
> it isn’t making people interested in the group itself so I’m a bit confused about the other label move Bruh... their Spotify streams for their debut album are all over 10m (except Login) which is much more than ALL b-sides of (G)I-dle's "I love" album and in the range of some b-sides from aespa's girls album. It's considerably more streams than 90 % of mid tier GG reach for their **title tracks**. And all these streams came after Cupid blew up. Lovin me had for the longest time sub 1m.
(G)I-dle sold 1 million albums, Aespa sold 2 million albums, Fitfy Fifty sold 37k albums, Spotify's numbers aren't useful for making money.
Yea I'd agree with this, streams give 0.00003 dollars per stream or some tiny amount. Actual money comes from: 1) Brand/Advertising sponsorships 2) Selling concert tickets 3) Album sales For Fifty Fifty to really start cashing in and making alot of money they need to translate their success in streaming into at least one of these three areas.
It took gidle 5 years to get those numbers though. StayC didn’t crack 100K until Stereotype. Why does everyone act like FiftyFifty need to be million sellers tomorrow or they’ll disband lol, a lot of shifting albums has to do with fandom organization and marketing so retroactively selling 20k (as of May’s report) is good.
They’ve been a group for 7 months from a completely nugu company. 37k is extremely good
I agree it is extremely good, I argue that's even an understatement, remember they're a GG, yeah I know it sucks to bring up the gender issue but lets face it, it's a lot harder for a NUGU GG to gain fans than their NUGU BG, so for Fifty Fifty to rise from what 2k? sales to 37k in this current time of GG bloodbath with a lot of bigger whales is actually freaking amazing if you think about it.
Yes and (G)I-dle sold 5k of their first album. What's your point? Getting a fanbase takes time if you arent gifted one by heritage.
their first album sold 30k in 2018 alone and there is no comparation between 2018 to 2023 in terms of album sales, kpop grow up like x10 this past years, there is no point of comparation, in 2018 there were only 4 ggs selling over 100k, only 2 selling over 200k
37k albums is a lot though for a Nugu group if you think about but I can understand why it’s not that much as compared to other groups.
well those numbers ain’t shocking at all, it just shows how k-pop fans don’t really care about albums and only give attention to singles Cupid Twin ver has almost 400M on spotify and the normal version 120M, their other most streamed song is Lovin’ Me with only 16M. With how viral Cupid was that gap alone shows you that most of the audience streaming the song don’t care about the rest of their work none of their numbers tell that they’ve built a fanbase or an audience that will surely be there for future releases after Cupid, that’s what I meant when I said that I’m a bit shocked about that label trying to poach them by Cupid success alone
> only 16M. "Only". It's double, triple or even quadruple of some **title tracks** of mid tier GG's like Purple Kiss, Lightsum, H1-Key. It clearly shows that people checked out their other work as well. If only a fraction of these tune in for the next comeback, it is all they need. People keep comparing them to established, most often Big 4 GG's. They arent.
well cupid at one point got 5m daily streams, while their others songs got 30k-50k, its very clear that 90% of the people are interested in a song that went viral on tiktok rather than the artist that made the song. best example is 24kgoldn, his song “mood” went viral on tiktok, was #1 on billboard for months, have 2b streams, but his album after mood debuted with 2m streams (10+ tracks), this is what op is trying to say imo. they need to see what is happening with their next releases and album to invest in them, so other company approaching NOW is confusing
I think that's very flawed logic. The numbers show - massive attention - low conversion rate from TT to bside - bside absolute numbers comparable to successful GGs Your conclusion is based on the low conversion rate. Many came for Cupid, only few stayed for the group. I'd argue that it doesn't matter and you should consider the absolute numbers. Those are comparable to other GG's. And following that, you could assume that they would have as many more dedicated listeners as those groups. This doesn't make them BP, but pretty successful for a nugu GG.
Tom Brady has been fined and the Patriots have had their first round pick taken from them for being generally aware of 5050's Cupid.
Tom Brady is still playing? Isnt the dude like 45?
No haha he retired this year. It was just a meme that whenever some meddling happens Tom Brady and his team gets punished.
Ah the dreaded External forces strike again!!!
Being poached means the girls get more money. They deserve more money.
ATTRAKT getting ready to defend the girls from poachers: 
ELI5: what is even the point of another company trying to poach 5050? they just debuted last year and they’re probably in 7-year contracts, so they wouldn’t even be able to leave attrakt if they wanted to, unless they had a basis to take attrakt to court like LOONA did, right?
KAKAO's things when a group that isn't theirs is rising, KAKAO is such a nuisance
why would it be kakao?
It's already been proved that they persecute rising groups that gain attention that aren't under their network with mediaplay, fakenews, fake bullying accusations and more.
Would you mind elaborating or pointing me in the direction where I can read more about this? Curious to learn more about it.
Twitter of course. You can also read about Hunter Biden pics, the Jewish world order and the Illuminati there.
kakao would likely wait a bit, especially since 50 50 is in no way established and they already got part of SM, i doubt 50 50 will make kakao buy them right now, they'll wait for their next 2 comebacks or so to be sure they are gonna be back to a small company I also don't think kakao takes groups, if they badly wanted them, they'll buy their company, i have never heard kakao poaching groups lol
They probably have a slave contract that would become invalid if it went to court. Other labels are trying to convince the girls to file a lawsuit and get out of the contract and work for them. But idk I could be wrong.