“They are the moment”: Fans ecstatic as rookies FIFTY FIFTY make history at Billboard Hot 100 chart

Rookie group FIFTY FIFTY made history on March 27 by becoming the fastest K-pop group to ever debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The four-member girl group achieved this incredible feat with their song, Cupid (Twin Version), whose soft, catchy chorus is taking over Instagram Reels and TikTok.

FIFTY FIFTY debuted on November 14, 2022, in an unconventional way with a direct music video for their pre-release track Lovin’ Me. They then officially debuted on November 18 with the first EP titled The Fifty. Meanwhile, Cupid is part of the group’s latest album titled The Beginning: Cupid released on February 23.

The K-pop industry is currently being dominated by ADOR (NewJeans), Source Music (LE SSERAFIM), Starship Entertainment (IVE), YG Entertainment (BLACKPINK) and SM Entertainment (aespa) girl groups.

Despite this, netizens, whether casual listeners or hardcore fans, were ecstatic to find the Cupid girl group taking over the charts.

FIFTY FIFTY becomes the sixth ever K-pop group to enter Billboard Hot 100, fans react

In what appears to be a rare case in the K-pop industry, a rookie girl group from a new entertainment agency has hit it big just four months into their debut year. FIFTY FIFTY, the singers of Cupid, debuted in November under the label ATTRAKT.

The group’s debut collided with the industry being dominated by female idols. However, the four-member girl group quickly rose to the international spotlight with surprisingly just one song.

On March 27, the Cupid singers entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts ranking No.100. While the ranking may seem low, the rookie girl group made history by becoming the fastest-ever K-pop group to enter the Hot 100 charts. Cupid is the title track of group’s latest album The Beginning: Cupid.

Billboard’s Hot 100 chart is regarded as one of the top indicators of a successful artist in the United States. The chart takes into account sales, airplay (radio play) and streaming. It is considered one of the toughest Billboard charts to break through for a K-pop artist, and FIFTY FIFTY recently became the sixth ever artist to do so.

Following the record-breaking Hot 100 achievement, netizens took to Twitter to congratulate FIFTY FIFTY. They commented on the song and the fact that the group created history, and praised the members, Saena, Aran, Keena, and Sio’s vocals.

Fans specifically talked about the growth the "nugu" group had shown, going from a rookie under a not-so-known agency to a Billboard Hot 100 group. The term "Nugu" is usually used to label small or relatively unknown groups.

With their debut on Billboard Hot 100, the four-member girl group joined the ranks of Wonder Girls, BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, and NewJeans. The Cupid singers also became the second fourth-generation K-pop group to do so, igniting more fanfare in the K-pop fandom.

More about FIFTY FIFTY

FIFTY FIFTY is a four-month old K-pop girl group that consists of four members, Saena aka Jeong Se-hyun (19), Keena aka Song Ja-kyung (21), Sio aka Jeong Ji-ho (19), and Aran aka Jeong Eun-ah (19). Saena is the group’s leader.

The four-member group left a lasting impression with their debut album, The Fifty, across the world. The Recording Academy featured them in their list of K-pop Girl Groups to Watch in 2023. Rolling Stone India too counted them as one of the best K-pop debuts of 2022.

About the author

Afreen has been a K-Pop Content Specialist at Sportskeeda since 2021. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, along with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication. Afreen has over 4+ years of working in various positions including being an entertainment content writer with Pinkvilla’s K-pop division Hallyutalk and CineDope, and as a copywriter at Flying Cursor.

As per Afreen, she loves her work because she gets to write about the things she is obsessed with. Her thorough research and following the two-genuine-source rule of journalism helps her produce the most accurate content, along with helping her be up-to-date with the industry.

Afreen has had the privilege to interview The Rose's frontrunner, WOOSUNG, and LIONESSES, K-pop's first openly LGBTQ+ group. She is a big fan of SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, BTS, and The Rose for their hard work, sincerity, and the comic relief their shows provide.

When she is off her shift, Afreen explores the streets of Nottingham in the UK, cooks, and listens to new music.

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