T-ara, once considered a legendary K-pop group that dominated numerous music charts with their globally famous hits, has struggled to regain their former glory after a major setback. As the members continue to fight for their careers, Hyomin even had to personally “ask for help” and “beg” junior idol groups to get her solo track onto the charts.
In February 2019, Hyomin released her solo music project titled “Allure.” To promote the new track, the idol personally “tagged” the Twitter (X) accounts of junior idol groups, hoping their fans would help her song climb the charts.
Initially, a Twitter account believed to belong to Hyomin congratulated LOONA’s track “Butterfly” and then asked for support for her own song. Similar requests were made to groups like DREAMCATCHER, MONSTA X, and ITZY. Whether this strategy was successful or not, Hyomin’s track “Allure” did manage to enter the Bugs chart at #46 in its first week.
This action by the account believed to be Hyomin’s sparked significant controversy. Many people were disappointed that the female idol had to rely on junior groups and their fans to help her song gain traction on the charts.
However, many people questioned whether the account was an impersonation of the T-ara member. The “Hyomin” account was created in 2010 and has over 293,000 followers. Additionally, the account stopped updating its activities in May 2022.
The account lacks a verified blue check mark, and engagement on its posts is quite low, with fewer than 50 likes and around 500 comments. Some comments under the posts asking junior groups to support her song expressed doubts about whether the account truly belonged to the idol or was operated by a fan instead.
Hyomin was one of the top idols in the early 2010s when T-ARA ruled the charts with hits like “Roly Poly,” “Bo Peep Bo Peep,” and “Lovey-Dovey.” “Roly Poly” was particularly notable in 2011. At their peak, T-ARA was seen as a rival to Girls’ Generation, 2NE1, and KARA.
However, a bullying scandal involving a member severely tarnished their reputation. Despite being cleared of the allegations after 6 years, T-ARA struggled to reclaim their former glory. On May 13, 2017, they performed with all six members, but Soyeon and Boram left MBK Entertainment just two days later.
T-ARA released their final album, “What’s My Name?” on June 14, 2017, which earned them their first music show win in 5 years. Hyomin, Jiyeon, Eunjung, and Qri left MBK in early 2018, but they stated that the group would not disband.
