K-pop often appears to be thriving in the UK: prior to their hiatus, BTS had back-to-back No 1 albums and acts such as boyband Ateez fill arenas, while girl group Blackpink are gearing up to headline a vast outdoor show in Hyde Park this summer. But the reality is hit K-pop songs are rare here, seldom breaking the singles chart – which makes the current Top 20 success of Fifty Fifty all the more unusual.
With their song Cupid set to climb from No 18 to break the Top 10 this week, the quartet are only the second K-pop girl group after Blackpink to break into the Top 40, despite debuting just six months ago. Cupid eschews the genre-clashing chaos of many K-pop hits to focus on a nostalgic sound – sweet but sardonic pop reminiscent of hits by Ariana Grande and Doja Cat, buoyed by the band’s harmonies, a rap by member Keena and, naturally, a massive key change. “Being in a K-pop group with a K-pop song charting in the UK charts is very hard, that’s what we’ve heard,” says Fifty Fifty member Aran. “So it’s a great honour for us.”
