Looking back on 14 years of T-ara’s career, this is truly one of the bravest groups in the K-pop world
“We overcame all the hardships together like a family. Whenever I see all of you, I always feel so touched”
T-ara is a rare girl group that is still active when reaching the 14th year of their career. Most members are in their 30s and fans are also in their 30s and 40s. Fans who have been together with the group for a long time gather and look back on the hardships that T-ara members have been through.
4 members of T-ara, Ji-yeon, Hyo-min, Eun-jung and Qri, have been working nonstop until now. First of all, we cannot leave out the impressive performance of Ham Eun-jung, who is meeting viewers of all ages on terrestrial channels. She plays Oh So-ri in KBS’s daily TV series “Love Twist”. In this drama, So-ri is a CEO and a mother who raises a child who was not born by her. With her strong acting voice tone, Eun-jung successfully portrayed the role of a “working mom” in her 20s and 30s despite her young age. With the character So-ri becoming the image of a daughter and daughter-in-law that mothers wish to have, Ham Eun-jung’s public recognition also soared.
Leader Qri is the member who contributed the most to T-ara’s great teamwork. She has played the role of the eldest sister and the mediator among the members for more than a decade. She connected the team’s voices and performances well as a vocalist and a dancer. In addition, she also impressed everyone with her classic beauty which shone during the days of the “Haduri selfie” trend, which was optimized for T-ara’s unique trot music concept. Qri is an indispensable member of T-ara.
Apart from being a singer and an actress, Hyo-min has also proved her talent in various fields, such as entertainment shows about cooking. In fact, she is called the “golden hand” of the entertainment industry for holding various certificates in cooking. Hyo-min didn’t lose to anyone as a broadcaster. In particular, she recently competed with Yoon Eun-hye, a former member of Baby VOX, on the cooking show “Cook King”. The PDs also praised Hyo-min’s considerate personality and cooking dexterity. She’s really an all-rounder.
The youngest member Ji-yeon recently attracted attention with her happy and satisfying personal life and career. She is going to marry baseball player Hwang Jae-kyun in December this year. Ji-yeon, who has secured her brand name with her “cat-like” beauty during her past activities, is a person who can do well as an actress and also as a solo singer. In addition, she is also well-known as a close friend of singer IU and the late Sulli. In an entertainment show in the past, she honestly confessed the worries and mental stresses she had when living as a celebrity, drawing sympathy and support from fans.
The former members are also shining on their own paths. So-yeon also plans to get married with football player Jo Yoo-min. She is currently a celebrity under Kim Ho-joong’s agency – Think Entertainment. Meanwhile, Hwa-young has emerged as an actress by playing several lead roles in mini-series and daily dramas.
T-ara debuted in 2009 and has maintained the brand name without disbanding. The public’s affection for them is ultimately ‘recognition’. As for the current generation of M, they are also a very friendly girl group at first, they have performed together at universities or in military camps. Every time T-ara appears on TV, comments like “the hottest girl group” dominate the internet thanks to its wide recognition.
At one point, T-ara was on the verge of disbandment. The rumors about the discordant relationship between the members and former member Hwa-young made the public angry with the group. The fierce dispute with CEO Kim Kwang-soo in the past has caused the girl group to face unprecedented difficulties. The hard-working members chose to endure such hardships rather than call out on TV. They did not stop their individual careers until the public hate disappeared. As a result of patience, the four pieces of T-ARA, who appeared as guests on JTBC’s entertainment program “Famous Singer 2 – Battle Again” on the evening of April 22nd, presented a stage, which is reminiscent of their past hits. In response, one pop culture critic hinted, “T-ara’s enthusiasm, which does not glorify the past nor pity the present, is what the public love the most”.
There are many idols who have endured hardships in various events since their unfamiliar days. Maybe T-ara was the one who started them. It’s amazing how a group from a small company could compete with Girls’ Generation and dominated the music industry with hit songs “Roly Poly”, “Bo Peep Bo Peep” and “Lovey Dovey”. They have carried out the schedule harder than anyone else in many parts of the country for over 10 years. The team spirit of the members becomes even stronger when they know that whatever small success they have now is a continuation of T-ara.
MBK Entertainment, which is currently marked as T-ara’s agency, was established by former CEO Kim Kwang-soo, but in fact, all employees and company structure have been transferred to PocketDol Studio. What is the reason for still staying under an agency with only a name left? It seems to come from T-ara’s tough vitality. Having been in the entertainment industry for such a long time, they have bravely erased the criticism that once “went over the hill”, and the pity from the public. Perhaps even a series of negative views were also made into a material to highlight their image. Only then can a positive justice be made. T-ara is truly a representative group in the K-celebrity world that has such a strong will to survive.
