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T-ara's Tears Have Become Pearls Girl Group T-ara welcomed their 4th anniversary recently. Once having enjoyed top popularity, this gemstone-like girl group has suffered hurt. The arrival and departure of some members (Hwayoung and Areum) and unconfirmed conjecture was discussed fervently. Their popularity that was not easily accumulated over the years seemed to have been destroyed in an instant. They seem to match the “5 year crisis” that idol groups commonly face in the Korean music industry where idols’ contracts [last around 5 years]. To say that they are not burdened must be a lie. After the controversy that broke out in July last year, T-ara did not respond to any Korean media interviews. Because they believed that if they silently continued their own way, one day, their fans will understand them and any momentary misunderstandings will be resolved. In this case, we are not here to pick at their scars. To talk about T-ara’s past, present, and future – something that they will have to face sooner or later – we carefully conducted our interview. T-ara’s Eunjung who found courage to meet with Billboard Korea said “We cried a lot.” But they still continue to smile brightly. Q: If you were to think back to the past 4 years? A: We don’t feel like it’s already been 4 years. It still feels like we are rookies who’ve just reached 2 years. Compared to the actual number of years, we’ve been busy with a lot of activities. Other than music broadcasts, member’s individual acting activities, sub-unit activities, and musicals, we’ve lived such busy lives that we couldn’t even sleep a lot, time just passed by in the blink of an eye. Thinking about being able to achieve today’s position and to receive our fan’s love… Our fans’ congratulations have made our shoulders feel heavier, and our sense of responsibility has grown as well. In the future, we will be more careful about every word we say and everything we do. Q: The most memorable activity is? A: Bo Peep Bo Peep. It was a song that showed off the charisma that only belonged to us. The first time we put on the tails on our costume and wore the cat paws, we really didn’t like it. We wanted to be a cool and pretty girl group, and we wondered, do we really have to do this? But it was through this song that we achieved our first number 1 and even made it to Japan’s Oricon chart. If we used this song as a starting point, all of T-ara’s other concept and music were never too over the top. It was the song that allowed other countries to know our name. Q: From debut to now, things that have changed and things that have not changed are: A: The way we think has changed, and we’ve become more mature. When we first debuted we did not have our own goals, we were just like kids who did whatever our company told us to do. Now, we will positively think about everything we do, and we also understand the preciousness of fate that allows us to meet even the strangers who pass by us for a second. The things that have not changed is, even though we are no longer that young, the members still love to joke and play. Everyday is a continuation of a sitcom. This is what motivates us to stand on stage happily. Q: Thoughts about the “5 year crisis” that idol groups face A: Our crisis seems to have come a bit early. Haha. This seems to turn out for the better, it’s as if such a crisis does exist as people say. Although the sayings about members’ conflict and bullying will follow us around like labels, we think that as long as it is not true then it is fine. We won’t worry too much about it. If such sayings were true, then it would be very distressful, but the stories are all different from reality. It is not something that we can resolve even if we worried about it. The motivation for the T-ara who has become mature. T-ara is truly the “Korean Digital Sales Queens.” Lovey Dovey was number 1 on Gaon Chart in the first half of 2012, defeating Big Bang. In 2011, they also achieved number 1 on Gaon's Annual Aggregate Digital Chart through Roly Poly. That year, their Japanese debut track “Bo Peep Bo Peep” also made it onto the Oricon weekly chart. Even when involved in endless controversies, T-ara’s music and stage performance were also recognized. “Sexy Love,” which was hesitantly released when T-ara was surrounded by a lot of rumours, and the summer track “Bikini” also charted and achieved a “long run.” Their recently released second Japanese album “Treasure Box” also charted number 1 on Oricon on the day it was released. Q: What is the secret to popularity? A: There is no special secret. First, we have to thank the composers who give us good songs. And also the fans and company staff who support us by telling us “everything will be better,” they’ve given us a lot of motivation. As a result, we gained confidence. We work hard on stage to compensate for our inadequacy, these all seem to have a combined effect. When speaking about T-ara’s energy, we have also borrowed from the popularity of the retro dance and the shuffle dance. Unknowingly, our performances are able to show off “T-ara’s image” and “T-ara’s concept.” To have a defined colour and flavour, we are really happy. Q: Don’t you feel tired to have such active overseas schedules? A: Although getting used to the time difference is always difficult, it is the most difficult when the food doesn’t suit our tastes. In the end sleep become our best medicine. Actually, every member seemed to have lost weight without intentionally dieting. Like a normal girl group, we eat well and don’t pick and choose when it comes to food. Q: What do you do when you rest? A: Watch movies, eat good food. When we are in Japan, we often go to Harajuku but we have not been there recently because we’ve been busy. Q: Isn’t this just the right age for dating? A: Although the work we have now is good, we still want to date. Just like a normal university student, a romantic stroll around campus while holding hands, a date in the library. It seems like the more we are not able to do it, the more we want to do it. My ideal type is someone who has a manly side, but who also has the soft side of someone young, someone who is kind and well-mannered. Appearance is not important. It’ll be great if it is someone who is able to let other people feel his charisma and charm that is unique to him. Q: What kind of artists do you want to be remembered as? A: The strengths of artists who have been active for 1 year and those who have been active for 10 years are different. I hope when people think about T-ara, they will smile and say “Ah they really had a difficult time then” or “They were really great then”, I hope that we can be a familiar and warm group in their memories. A group that is able to show off different styles like a chameleon. Or even to the point of getting critiqued by people “Do you have a split personality?” A group that doesn’t stop changing and is able to show and convey a message through their music. Q: To T-ara, CCM’s present Kim Kwang Soo is: A: The only person who can make us happy and feel tired at the same time. He has weakened a lot. He used to always lecture and scold us, but recently he asks us for our opinion and shares with us his difficulties. He has the feel of the powerless arms of a father who is growing old. His emotions are also becoming very rich and abundant, it seems like it is time for us to take care of him instead. Q: A word to your fans? A: Thankful. For always believing and watching over us no matter what. To be able to lay aside right or wrong and to believe and wait for someone is really something that is not easy. We don’t look at our fan club as one group, but now we see each fan individually, one person by one person. They are all precious. Even for those who cannot support us as fans until the end, we won’t feel sad or resentful. We won’t forget those people who have given us love up to this day. T-ara has become stronger, their hearts steadier. They are no longer a girl group that has an extravagant exterior, but have become a pearl that shines quietly and faintly. The beginning of a glistening pearl is also created from a wound. Famous Korean poet Jeong Ho Seung said “A beautiful gemstone can only be created with time, brimming sincerity, and the embracing of trauma.” It is time for the future of T-ara, who will soon enter the US market, to catch the eyes of the public once again. Original article: http://www.billboard.co.kr/?c=v&m=v1&idx=37066 Translated by via Chinese Subs by TCN: http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2556657897

T-ara N4, December US Billboard Debut T-ara began subunit activities in the beginning of this year through T-ara N4 and QBS. Their styles are different. T-ara N4 is targeted at the American/European market while QBS is targeted at Asian countries like Japan and China etc. Eunjung explained "If you say that you can feel the unique and true colors of the 6 members of T-ara when we are together, then the subunits are a different side of us." T-ara N4 gathered together the "strong" women and their music is filled with a strong and hip hop atmosphere. QBS is the opposite, very feminine, and is made up of the members who fit the image of white dresses by the sea and under the blue sky. Eunjung smiling, said "Both images are very good," "Because we can't do both at the same time, we don't feel greedy about the subunits." The subunit that has received special attention is T-ara N4. They have knocked on the doors of the US market, and received the praise of hip-hop star Chris Brown. Previously in May, they went to America and set up their future music activities with Chris Brown and T.I etc. At their interview with Billboard Korea, T-ara revealed for the first time parts of their plan for the US market. Their US album is starting to take shape. Their debut date may be December of this year. In their single album, two new English songs will be recorded along with the new version of Jeonwon Diary. The English version of Jeonwon Diary was arranged by Chris Brown personally. The title song has not yet been determined, but it should be one of the new songs. Jiyeon said, "We've finished recording it and it is a very exciting and electronic dance genre song," "There will be a featuring by a pop star which will surprise people." Their contract is signed with America's Empire Records. There are still some who remain doubtful and refuse to believe this, turning up their noses at the news of T-ara entering the US market and even making fun of their outdoor performance when they were invited by Chris Brown, saying that they've only performed on a small stage and whether all this hype is an exaggeration. At this, T-ara did not have any response. Because of some controversies, their music achievements has been downplayed and belittled. T-ara lightly said, "Theres nothing we can do about this, it seems like it is something we must face," "If we were to explain, why not perform to our best instead, and make those who like our music believe us. We cannot force the public to like us." Very frustrated. Not every performance is a large scale performance. "Whether the performance venue is big or small doesn't matter. Even if there is only one person in the audience, standing on stage itself is something to be happy and excited about" This is what they think. That there were some problems of communication is true. Eunjung said, "Honestly, we were alarmed when we saw how narrow the stage was. But this was not anybody's fault. It's just that we should have carefully asked for more details, there was just inadequate flow of information prior to the performance. Chris Brown also performed on that stage the same way we did. But our performance seemed to have been distorted and misrepresented, as if we performed on a stage that was not meant to be stood on, we are a bit sad about that." Chris Brown is still a supporter of T-ara. Chris Brown and T-ara member Dani are close and this along with some musical aspects of T-ara N4 is why he came to this decision. T-ara said about themselves "We are lucky." Reviews of T-ara as the "Girl Group with the Most Korean Flavour" plus the use of Tae Pyeong So (traditional Korean music instrument) in Jeonwon Diary caught the interest of the relevant people involved with their overseas album. Recently, T-ara has been busy learning English and Japanese. The members expressed "We never even dreamed that we could enter America," "Because we could not adequately prepare/learn foreign language like other groups, and because an opportunity like this is rare, we will work hard," They are not afraid of failure. T-ara said "We might not succeed. If we started to have these worries, then we should not start altogether." "If we continue our activities with a sincere attitude, then we should be able to achieve a good result. After Japan's Oricon chart, we want to leave a mark on a page of the US Billboard chart too." Original article: http://media.daum.net/m/media/newsview/20130826171510678 Translated via Chinese subs by TCN: http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2556263953

Eunjung has really matured a lot, her answers being proof to this. Also I'm glad the reporter didn't pick at any old wounds in the name of interview Hope they'll continue to show stronger and better performances and gain lots of fans T-ara fighting!

Yay more wall of text from Ryu "OH JOY" Anyway trying to get into the US market is a bad Idea by itself, having Chris Brown helping, we that's what I would call "from the frying pan into the fryer". Fact is this won't end well no matter how we look at it, I'll support them (As I'm sure the rest of the DIadems will as well), but let's face it this time around that won't be enough by far, this is going to flop and all because KKS is grasping for straws. Let's face it T-ara is the only cash cow of CCM and KKS is trying to milk them as much as he can, not giving a single f@ck of the consequences.

I read this article, I don't know but I really want to cry, It's just me? it's strange? uwah I really so proud that I don't leave T-ara that day because I still believe to T-ara and still wait until someone saw that all the rumored wasn't true and I believe T-ara will move on with us 'Queen's' and someone see it and write this great article about T-ara

i can't give long comment.. they have passed all sadness and pain.. and now it's time for t-ara to gain more loves, more support, more popularity, and more offering show or drama.. ^_^ they deserve to get it all.. :lol: i just want to say that i 'm glad can join in this fandom and absolutely proud to be Queen's.. :D

Very well-translated article. Thanks very much for the quality translation. Eunjungie's answer about what's been changed and unchanged really echoed with me: What's changed is that they have started participating more and more with their work, be it music, dress codes, color coordination, make-up points, hair styles, etc... They're offering their unique style more and more. What's unchanged is that they're still as dorky as ever. These girls cannot act serious for a single minute. They will just dork out the moment they catch a breeze. It is like a never-ending sitcom. To attract fans is real easy, have a catchy song and some well-coordinated choreography. These are the two major factors on how they KEEP their fans. Keeping fans is much harder work than attracting fans. They're always giving us new and fresh concepts on their music, at the same time putting smiles on our faces by dorking out with each other. Keep working hard girls, and keep the dorkiness at the same time. My allegiance shall not sway.

Supporting T-ara was never obligatory yet we all stayed by their sides.. Confessing to fans was never a must to them yet they always made sure to let we, fans know how grateful they are for our supports.. A person becomes mature once they are able to laugh off about their past and Jungiee, you are on a whole different level.. To admit one's mistake and still being able to forgive those ppl who made criticism groundlessly and respecting their opinions is a feat on and of itself, which, I genuinely think is praise worthy.. You are Growing more within me day by day... "Although the sayings about members’ conflict and bullying will follow us around like labels, we think that as long as it is not true then it is fine. We won’t worry too much about it." -Leaving aside the fact that you have grown up into a fine beauty, I am so proud that you have become really matured and rational. Its people thing to say. They will judge you regardless of the outcome and the way you would approach them so its better to do your own thing and be what you wanna be. Wise words Jungiee, would engrave this in my heart. T-ara will Forever be the best(personal opinion)!!

hi guys! it's my first time commenting here in the forum although i've always look and browse around. i just wanted to share my thoughts and feelings just this one time 'coz it's been eating at me. i'm so happy that they're taking their baby steps to rise again in the industry. i've been patiently waiting until their time comes again to conquer the music industry as one of the best korean girl group out there. i just wished that their company took a different route (to talk, that is) in dealing with the bullying issue rather than being quiet which lead to the whole thing blowing off like a time bomb. and made the people (i think the netizens, mostly) to believe and implicate the wrong things about our girls. (in my opinion, the people were so harsh and vindictive to our girls. it's like they've been proven guilty without a proper court proceedings. i think it's the most difficult thing about the korean society, they easily get mad and vindictive whenever their wants are not met so that their stars are living a robotic life. this is just my opinion don't get me wrong and don't get mad at me.) i know even if the girls wanted to speak up, they can't because they can't go against their agency. i hope that their agency learned from this and don't do the same mistake again. And i also hope that their agency would consider their well being and reputation especially now that they are entering the US market (hope they will plan it really carefully and not just put our girls anywhere just to get a job or a casting. don't want a repeat of what happened with the chris brown incident. i really felt worse watching the vids so i ranted i think on soompi's fb that time). i hope that people will be more forgiving at our girls and give them another chance to show and share their talents. hope to see and hear more of our girls in the coming days. phewwww.... i think i wrote a novel here. sorry guys! just want to take it out of my system. t-ara, hwaiting!!!, t-ara jjang!!! t-ara daebak!!! i'll just be here at the sidelines silently cheering, supporting, and wishing for your success girls.

I wish them more success. More love. More of confidence. More of fighting Spirit. More of happiness. I just love this girls so much. But i laughed at the answer of eunjung regarding the 5 yr crisis. Yeah, it is a bit too early lol XD

This interview assures me again that the event that happened in Las Vegas has been put to rest already. Hearing about Chris Brown still supportive of T-ara is a good indication that such a mistake on his part is forgiven in a good way. This is another redeeming step for him, and shows he is still trying to better himself, while working with one of the best top female girl groups from South Korea. T-ara is gaining in the U.S. and that's a good thing. T-ara has always had this outstanding, preserving drive to succeed, no matter what the circumstances are, and it still shows brightly in all of them. I am so very proud of T-ara for enduring and fighting onwards, not just for themselves, but for their fans. I hope to hear more good news from them in their endeavors around the world, especially in the U.S. Perhaps this list might help clear up any misunderstandings about asians in the U.S. market. I, among many, feel like this will be a success for T-ara in a big way. I don't see a problem about T-ara and Core Contents Media making money in the U.S. when there are fans there. Currently, there's no official release yet for the English version of the song, so I highly doubt whatever that has been speculated as the song itself, shouldn't really be considered as a means to compare to the other official versions of it. I won't worry about their Japan activities, as with other artists on any chart around the world, sales do sometimes slow down, and I'm sure they will promote again in Japan at another time. But for now, they are readying themselves to enter the U.S. Given in this interview, even if there's a single person in the audience, it will not be the end of the careers. So there's really no need to worry.

I feel like this will be a disaster. The US doesn't have many asians selling well and T-ara can barely speak any English. CCM is doing this out of greed. I've heard the preview of the song with Chris Brown and it was bad. I also heard their supposed new song 'Misunderstood' and I could barely understand Eunjung as she sang. They should promote their Japanese album since it's sales are not doing well at all. I'll still support the girls and buy the album (for the first time) but I'm scared this will be another nail on their career's coffin.

Really love how Eunjeung carried herself in the interview.. T-ara's leadership may keep on rotating but (with a special nod to Soyeon's speaking skills and being a great leader during 'troubled times') I always consider Eunjeung as the true soul and driving spirit of T-ara. She is always the reliable one; confident, articulate and yet so humble; tough as a rock despite injuries and yet so cute, friendly & charming... This is just my personal opinion but if I have to quickly explain about the members to someone who doesn't know about T-ara it will be (in no particular order): Hyomin: the creative, crazy, and sexy one (actually my favorite) Qri: the shiny-sparkly one Soyeon: the sassy silky-voiced witty one Jiyeon: the drop dead gorgeous one Boram: cutey-shorty, the oldest but youngest one Eunjung? ...the number one