FIFTY FIFTY Take Love Into Their Own Hands in Dreamy Comeback Single, ‘Cupid’
Rookie K-pop group FIFTY FIFTY just made their first-ever comeback with the release of their new single album, The Beginning: Cupid, and it's clear that some very big things are in store for them.
The quartet, consisting of SAENA, ARAN, KEENA and SIO, was deeply involved in the creation of the title track, "Cupid," with an upbeat yet dreamy sound that tackles the contrast that can exist between our hopes and dreams and the letdown that can come with reality. The song, complete with a music video full of pastel and neon tones, is about the group realizing that relying on Cupid for love will never get them what they want—and once they take things into their own hands, they finally start becoming the women they were always meant to be. The single album also includes an English version of the track, further showcasing their talents while teasing their upcoming debut album. The future is bright for FIFTY FIFTY, and we had the pleasure of chatting with the group all about their journey and the new song in the interview below.
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Sweety High: What is the story behind "Cupid"? What inspired you to write it?
SIO: The album of this song acts as a prequel to the debut album, showing our inner selves as we are about to embark on a new journey.
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SAENA: The Cupid that we know plays an important role in connecting the love between two people. However, Cupid in this song not only fails to do so, but also makes FIFTY FIFTY feel that love is not real despite the two chances given to him. The lonely FIFTY FIFTY solely relies on Cupid for love but blames him when things don't go well as planned.
KEENA: But as soon as we take the initiative to be in charge of our own fate, we come to realize that we no longer need Cupid. That's when we overcome fear and transform into the new version of ourselves, breaking away from Cupid that we used to depend on.
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ARAN: It started with the idea of expressing our current moments where we're putting in a lot of effort after our debut. We wanted to show our strong and independent growth process as we continue to move forward.
SH: What does the song mean to you, and what do you hope it will mean to your listeners?
SIO: Cupid can be interpreted in various ways, and one of them symbolizes wishes without effort. Just like how nothing can be gained without effort, the song shows FIFTY FIFTY relying on Cupid to win love without putting any effort into it.
SAENA: We wanted to convey a message of winning love through our own efforts without taking a shortcut or getting help from someone like Cupid, further revealing the will of FIFTY FIFTY along with our love for our fans.
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SH: Why did "Cupid" feel like the perfect song for your latest comeback?
ARAN: From our last album THE FIFTY, we showed the real world and the ideal world of FIFTY FIFTY. If "Higher" portrayed a dream of an ideal future to be unfolded, "Cupid" shows our imperfect past as it marks the start of our journey, maturing and growing into our own selves.
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KEENA: We also wanted to deliver a message that behind the glamor of an artist is a constant struggle. No pain, no gain.
SH: Why did you feel like a post-Valentine's Day release for this song felt just right?
SAENA: This is a very good question! In the U.S., people celebrate Valentine's Day on Feb. 24. In South Korea (and in several other Asian countries as well), we have another similar day called White Day that takes place on March 14 where people also celebrate romance and love.
SIO: Our release date for "Cupid" is on Feb. 24, which takes place right about in the middle of Valentine's Day and White Day.
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ARAN: Given that our name is FIFTY FIFTY, we wanted to do something fun and release it somewhere in between, hoping this song could be celebrated on both days.
KEENA: I thought it was a brilliant idea when I first heard about this!
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SH: What was your process for recording the song in both English and Korean? Do you feel that the different languages give the song a different feel at all?
SAENA: Oh yes, absolutely! I think each language gives off a unique vibe of its own. Because English is not my first language, it was difficult to pronounce words that contained the letters R and L. Fortunately, I was able to quickly adapt and record well thanks to our team of veteran staff members.
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SIO: Recording in Korean was pretty smooth, but English was definitely challenging. I had to pronounce the words properly and express my emotions clearly at the same time.
KEENA: I agree with SIO. I had no difficulty recording in Korean, but the English version was definitely a lot more confusing because the chorus part was all in English. Throughout the recording process, I realized that it's the small nuances that make a huge difference. Details do matter!
ARAN: We had to pay attention to the very small details when recording two versions. The most challenging part was recording variations of accents for each line. I was concerned at first, but I was relieved when I realized that the result came out better than I expected!
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SH: Is there anything you'd like to add?
FIFTY FIFTY: Thank you, Sweety High, for giving us the opportunity to talk about our upcoming album. It was fun to revisit some of the fun moments we had throughout the preparation process. We'd also like to thank all of our fans for their love and support as always! Please look forward to our new song "Cupid."
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If you can't get enough of K-pop, also be sure to click HERE to read our interview with AB6IX's PARK WOOJIN on his new single, "Self Portrait."