FIFTY FIFTY, a rookie girl group that was once met with great anticipation, finds itself at the center of a growing controversy that has significantly impacted public perceptions. The recent developments surrounding the group have caused a significant shift in the opinions held by the general public.

FIFTY FIFTY was considered one of the top viral girl groups of 2023 as they emerged onto the global music scene with their track "Cupid." FIFTY FIFTY debuted in November of the previous year with their EP, titled 'THE FIFTY.' Their journey in the music industry quickly gained momentum, reaching notable milestones along the way. Within a remarkable span of 130 days since their debut, FIFTY FIFTY achieved a remarkable feat by entering the prestigious Billboard HOT 100 chart in just a few months of their debut. This achievement set a new record for the fastest ascent by a Korean artist to the Billboard HOT 100. The group's popularity continued to surge as they maintained their presence on the chart for five consecutive weeks, solidifying their position in the industry. With promising potential, the girl group seemed poised for success and a bright future in the industry.

However, the positive perception of FIFTY FIFTY took a sharp turn with the recent development of a controversy. On July 5, it was reported that the girl group had already registered the trademarks for FIFTY FIFTY and their stage names without their agency's knowledge. According to the report, the members of FIFTY FIFTY applied for a provisional injunction to suspend their exclusive contract with their agency, ATTRAKT, on the same day the trademark was registered.

Additionally, ATTRAKT CEO Jeon Hong Joon shared with Dispatch that he solely put up with the costs by selling his imported car, his luxury items, and even cracking into his retirement.

He broke down the cost of launching the girl group, from the cost of their dorms to various lessons needed to train the members. He shared, "But I didn't want my artists to feel small. I got them a dorm in Gangnam. 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms. The rent was ~ $2,075 (USD) a month. I hired them instructors for every area they needed training in." According to Jeon Hong Joon, FIFTY FIFTY received lessons in vocals, music theory, rap, dance, English, health and fitness, and even acting. The lesson fees amounted to ~ $23,000 (USD) per month. These costs are excluding the music video production, in which Jeon Hong Joon invested over 1 billion KRW (~ $770,000 USD). 

The new insight has shed light on the recent controversy and sparked a debate in various online communities. With Jeon Hong Joon's latest statement on the cost of FIFTY FIFTY's dorm, netizens began comparing the girl group dorms over the years.

One netizen brought to attention the size of FIFTY FIFTY's dorm compared to the dorms of the other girl groups over the years.

The netizen pointed out that FIFTY FIFTY was lucky enough to be given a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment to share among four members but popular girl groups such as GFriend, Lovelyz, SECRET, and more started off in 1-bedroom apartments where the members had to all sleep in one place.

The netizen wrote, "GFriend put two bunk beds in one room and didn't have room to move. Eight members of Lovelyz slept in one room with blankets on the floors. The Rainbow members lived in a one-bedroom apartment that was in the basement and used foil as curtains."

The creator of the online community post also pointed out that even NewJeans, the top 4th generation girl group right now, shares two bedrooms among the five members.

Other netizens joined the online community and commented, "They are so ungrateful, they were treated so well from the beginning," "So, this three-bedroom apartment was even located in (luxurious) Gangnam. It was a super nice apartment for the group," "Wow, he invested so much in the girls and this is how they repay him?" "Even Girls' Generation members shared rooms. Three members shared one room when they debuted," "A three-bedroom apartment in Gangnam area?" "Long time ago, these girl groups suffered and lived in cramped spaces and got better dorms as they succeed in the future," "Wow, they had really nice dorms. They really are so ungrateful," "They became the prime example on why agency can't treat their rookie groups so well, lol," "These girls kicked away their chance to become successful by being so ungrateful," "The more I find out about FIFTY FIFTY's controversy, the less I like the group," "Even TXT lived in a one-bedroom apartment," and "Wow four members got to share 3 bedrooms. They should have known what they had was good and did better."