FIFTY FIFTY caused quite the stir last year – at first for all the right reasons, and then all the wrong ones. Following their acclaimed debut mini-album ‘Higher’ in 2022, they kicked off 2023 with their viral TikTok hit ‘Cupid’. It quickly propelled them to the upper echelons of music charts around the world and even landed them a song on the Barbie movie soundtrack. But as the saying goes: the higher you climb, the harder you fall. The group and their agency soon became embroiled in a messy, still-ongoing legal battle, resulting in the departure of three of its four original members.
Now, FIFTY FIFTY are back with their mini-alum ‘Love Tune’ and a promising new line-up comprising original member Keena, former HYBE trainees Yewon and Chanelle Moon (a fan-favourite in R U NEXT?, the show that formed ILLIT), as well as newcomers Hana and Athena. The newly minted quintet wasted no time re-introducing themselves, dropping the pre-release single ‘Starry Night’ last month, a glittery but unexceptional first step in their new journey.
As pretty and pleasant as it is, ‘Starry Night’ does little to showcase the talent or personality of the group’s new members. There’s also the overly processed vocals that are a clear contrast to the raw, crystal clear voices that made ‘Cupid’ (and other previous FIFTY FIFTY songs) such standouts. The same can be said of closer ‘Gravity’, a serviceable if forgettable mid-tempo ballad.
The pensive, low-key ‘SOS’, which is also the lead single of ‘Love Tune’, fares much better. The group’s sensitive, delicate delivery gorgeously captures the image its lyrics paint, a cry for help on yet another sleepless night brought forth by the bitter ache of yearning. Another strong offering is opener ‘Push Your Love’, a playfully dreamy and upbeat love song where the new members sound far more at home with the track’s lively, flirtatious tone.
As a whole, ‘Love Tune’ is a thematically consistent and decently performed pop record with few major faults. However, it hardly distinguishes itself from the wave of pleasant, easy-listening K-pop songs that have swept through the industry since the success of ‘Cupid’, with none of the songs feeling particularly unique to this newly minted quintet. It’s also hard to look past the comparisons to the original line-up of FIFTY FIFTY, especially when so little was done to transform their sound and image in this rebranding exercise.
