As one of the most-streamed girl groups on the scene, FIFTY FIFTY have won over listeners at home and abroad. Last year, the group marked a high-water moment, driven by the success of “Pookie” and robust sales of their mini-album Day & Night.

Since debuting back in 2022, the five-member girl group, Keena, Chanelle Moon, Yewon, Hana, and Athena, have never truly left the spotlight. Their viral track “Cupid” was all over the internet, and the non-stop achievements continue.

In a very competitive K-pop world where evolution is not just valuable but vital, they have never stopped evolving. They experiment, try new sounds, and keep pushing forward, and FIFTY FIFTY have been proving as much, especially with their next EP.

FIFTY FIFTY return this year with their latest EP, Imperfect – I’mperfect, and lead single “STARTRUCK” marks the start of their next journey.

“STARTRUCK” arrives as an intriguing lead single, bright and easy on the ear, yet the lyrics clash with the upbeat production, creating an intentional mismatch. Beneath that bright production lies real emotional chaos, messy and unresolved, and that suits a group steering through a genuinely difficult moment.

The EP’s central idea, “even if I am imperfect, I am perfect,” champions self-acceptance and being enough without erasing every flaw. In theory, that is hardly revolutionary, yet coming from FIFTY FIFTY now, after everything the last few years have thrown at them, it feels less like a slogan and more like a truth they truly mean.

It is, however, too soon to say if the full EP will land as they hope. But they have earned the right to try.

“STARTRUCK” opens with a star appearing and reality cracking like a glitching screen. So what should listeners expect the moment they press play, and what is that opening scene trying to capture?

Keena: When listeners first press play, we wanted it to feel like you’re entering another dimension for a few minutes. The opening is intentionally disorienting and cinematic, almost like reality glitching in real time. The “broken pixels” imagery represents that exact second when your emotions become so intense that everything familiar suddenly feels distorted. We wanted the first moment of the song to capture the rush of becoming completely consumed by a feeling, whether that’s attraction, curiosity, confidence, or adrenaline.

“STARTRUCK” creates a completely different sonic world to your previous work, with heavy EDM production, explosive electronic hooks, echo-soaked vocals, and fierce rap verses. So how did all those pieces come together, and what atmosphere are you trying to create?

Yewon: We really wanted “STARTRUCK” to feel larger than life. In the past, people associated us with softer and dreamier sounds, but this time we wanted to push ourselves into something more aggressive and high-energy while still keeping the emotional feeling that makes FIFTY FIFTY feel like us. The electronic production and synths create this non-stop momentum, while the reverb-heavy vocals make everything feel dreamy, and the rap verses cut through with confidence. Altogether, it creates a retro-futuristic atmosphere that feels both emotional and explosive, almost like you’re dancing through a sci-fi dream.

The lyrics are packed with some pretty wild imagery: maze-like structures, lunar landscapes, a supernova filling your mind, and a countdown with no end. The way you flick between Korean and English is so smooth that language itself becomes part of the disorientation, like it is part of the ride. So what is the concept, and what story is the song trying to tell?

Athena: The song is about the feeling of being so emotionally overwhelmed that reality starts bending around you. We used a lot of cosmic imagery because normal words didn’t fully express that feeling. A tesseract represents being trapped inside a space that keeps shifting, while the moon and supernova imagery symbolise emotions becoming huge and uncontrollable. The transitions between Korean and English were on purpose because we wanted the song to feel fluid, almost like entering a dream where emotions speak louder than logic.

The whole track has this push-and-pull to it, from good or bad, real or fake, to gravity disappearing and reality blurring. So tell us more about that feeling of losing your grip. What is that feeling all about? And in the end, is “STARTRUCK” about being swallowed by something, or just finding the guts to jump?

Keena: We think it’s a little bit of both. Sometimes the strongest emotions are exciting because they feel dangerous. “STARTRUCK” lives inside that tension of fear, confusion, and curiosity, all mixed together. The song starts with uncertainty, but as it builds, it becomes more about surrendering to the feeling instead of resisting it. We wanted it to feel like accepting the chaos rather than trying to control everything perfectly.

The song talks about being starstruck, losing gravity, and going full psycho over someone. So come on, without naming names, has any member ever really lost their cool when meeting someone special?

Yewon: Definitely. We think everyone has had at least one moment like that. Sometimes it’s meeting an artist you admire, sometimes it’s seeing someone unexpectedly, and suddenly your brain completely stops working. Even now, there are still people we look up to so much that we become shy around them. Those moments actually helped us connect emotionally to the song.

“STARTRUCK” arrives as the lead single forImperfect – I’mperfect. So where does the song fit into the EP’s bigger story, and what made you pick this track to kick things off?

Athena: “STARTRUCK” felt like the perfect doorway into this era because it immediately introduces a stronger and more fearless side of us. Imperfect – I’mperfect is all about embracing every version of yourself, even the messy parts, and “STARTRUCK” represents that moment where emotions completely take over before clarity arrives. We knew it would surprise people, and that made us even more excited to lead with it.

So this whole project, “STARTRUCK” and Imperfect – I’mperfect, feels very personal and intentional. Can you tell us how much the members were involved in the process? Was it in writing, production, the concepts, or a bit of everything?

Yewon: We were very involved creatively throughout the process, especially when it came to shaping the emotions and identity of this era. We spent a lot of time discussing what we wanted people to feel from the music and visuals. Even when we weren’t directly writing lyrics or producing, we constantly shared references, ideas, visual inspirations, and keywords. We wanted this project to feel honest to who we are right now instead of trying to repeat something we had already done before.

So take us back to the studio when you were recording “STARTRUCK”. Was there ever a moment where things just became chaotic or fell apart? Something going wrong, someone completely losing it with laughter, or a recording attempt that went so wrong that you all still laugh about it now?

Athena: There were actually a lot of moments like that because the song has such intense energy. We also had moments where we tried really big takes that sounded way too serious, but honestly, those experiments helped shape the final version. Sometimes the “bad” takes end up inspiring the best ideas.

** Imperfect – I’mperfect is a really striking title. It almost sounds like you’re talking to yourself. So tell us what it means to the group, and where did that whole message of self-acceptance come from?**

Chanelle Moon: The title represents accepting yourself exactly as you are instead of constantly chasing perfection. At first glance, Imperfect – I’mperfect feels contradictory, but that contradiction is the whole message. We realised that imperfections are often the things that make someone memorable and real. The concept is about learning to stop apologising for being human. We wanted the title to feel comforting but also empowering.

Everyone’s already talking about the teaser. You’re all standing in a forest holding hands, profiles blurred, and it feels like a whole new world for FIFTY FIFTY. So come on, tell us what the direction is here. What feeling are you trying to capture?

Athena: This era is much more atmospheric and symbolic visually. We wanted the world of Imperfect – I’mperfect to feel mysterious and slightly surreal, almost like stepping into a dream where identity is constantly shifting. The blurred imagery represents uncertainty, while the forest symbolises growth. Compared to previous eras, this one feels more introspective.

The whole album concept is about embracing your flaws. So, to be honest, what is each member’s most chaotic habit? What is this habit that the rest of the group has just learned to tolerate?

Chanelle Moon: We definitely all have habits the others tease us about. Some members constantly lose their phones or AirPods, and someone else starts organising everything at 2 a.m. But honestly, those little imperfect habits are part of what makes our group chemistry feel real and comfortable.

So the message here is simple: you are enough, flaws and everything. But how does that actually come through in the music? And by the time the last track ends, what feeling do you want to leave listeners with?

Yewon: Every track on the EP explores different sides of identity, but they’re all connected through honesty. Some songs feel confident while others are softer. We wanted listeners to feel understood rather than judged. By the final track, we hope people feel like they don’t need to hide parts of themselves to deserve love or happiness.

“STARTRUCK” feels like a bold statement about confidence and identity, whileImperfect – I’mperfectis all about self-acceptance and being real. How do the two connect, and what does that tell us about FIFTY FIFTY at this stage?

Chanelle Moon: We think both are connected through freedom. “STARTRUCK” represents emotional freedom by letting yourself feel intensely without holding back. Imperfect – I’mperfect represents personal freedom by accepting who you are without constantly trying to fit into expectations. Together, they reflect where we are now as artists.

IfImperfect – I’mperfectwere a place, a time of day, a type of weather, or a feeling, what would each member choose and why?

Athena: We think it would feel like midnight after the rain stops, where it’s calm yet reflective, but also strangely hopeful. It feels like standing somewhere quiet after a storm and realising everything doesn’t need to be perfect to still feel beautiful. It’s nostalgic and dreamy at the same time.

So if you look at the whole creative journey behindImperfect – I’mperfect, from the very first ideas about the concept to getting in the studio, figuring out the visuals, and everything else, what did that actually look like? And what surprised you most?

Keena: The process started with conversations about identity and emotion before we even talked about music genres or visuals. We asked ourselves what honesty looks like in sound, styling, visuals, choreography, and storytelling. From there, everything slowly grew together like pieces of a puzzle. What surprised us most was how naturally the themes connected across every part.

Every album has its own vibe and its own challenges. So what did this one take from you as a group? What was the hardest part? And was there a specific moment where everything just started to click?

Chanelle Moon: This process demanded a lot emotionally because we wanted everything to feel sincere. We pushed ourselves vocally and creatively because some of the themes felt very personal. The moment everything clicked was probably during the final stages of filming and hearing the mastered tracks together for the first time. Suddenly, the whole world of the EP felt complete and connected.

So imagine, if you could hop in a time machine and go back to the very first day FIFTY FIFTY formed. Knowing everything you know now, what one piece of advice would each of you give to your younger self?

Chanelle Moon: We would probably tell ourselves not to be so afraid of uncertainty. At the beginning, it’s easy to think you need to have everything figured out immediately, but growth takes time. We would also remind ourselves to enjoy the small moments more because those memories become really meaningful later.

You are always reinventing yourselves, from “Cupid” to “Pookie” to “STARTRUCK” and nowImperfect – I’mperfect. So tell us, where does this EP sit in the group’s bigger story, and what does it say about what’s next for FIFTY FIFTY?

Keena: This EP feels like an important turning point for us creatively. It’s more experimental, more layered, and more fearless than anything we’ve done to date. Instead of trying to stay inside one sound, we wanted to keep evolving naturally. Imperfect – I’mperfect represents growth and self-discovery in our own artistic identity. It feels like the beginning of a much bigger chapter.

Now that “STARTRUCK” is out in the world and the album is on its way, what is the one thing you hope listeners, whether they’ve been here from the start or are just discovering you, take away from this album cycle and remember long after the last track is over?

Yewon: We hope people walk away feeling less afraid of being themselves. This era is about embracing imperfections and vulnerability. We want listeners to feel like they don’t need to hide the messy or imperfect parts of themselves to be worthy. If these songs can make someone feel understood or empowered even for a moment, then that means everything to us.

“STARTRUCK” is out now, follow via @we_fiftyfifty

Words by Belinda Yohana

Images Sony Music Korea