[14.05.26]

[nathaniel]

[14.05.26] “To unite is to die, to split is to survive”.. Will Jiyeon kickstart T-ara’s 2nd beginning?

As the saying goes “to unite is to survive, to split is to die,” but the saying does not apply to T-ara. In fact, it should be the exact opposite: to unite is to die. After the July 2012 incident with Hwayoung, although two years have already passed, the public still view T-ara coldly and at a distance.

Have T-ara had their peak? They were the stars of the retro concept comebacks. Roly-Poly was the most popular song of 2011. However, after Hwayoung left the group, T-ara became a word synonymous with “anti.” T-ara’s retro style was no longer accepted by the public. Although they returned afterwards with Number Nine and Do You Know Me?, all they received was only the public ignoring them.

Will T-ara just fall like that? At this time, there is skepticism as their unexpected “counter-attack” begins. At the center of this is the group’s maknae, Jiyeon. She is not standing on stage as her original identity of T-ara Jiyeon but as “solo artist Jiyeon”. This is the start and notice to the beginning of the second start for T-ara.

Will T-ara’s “season two” succeed? At the very least, Jiyeon is experiencing a better reaction that thought.

“To unite is to die, to split is to survive”

Looking through “tainted glasses” is very scary. Misunderstanding and their explanations and apologies are all blocked. One will only see the color that they want to see when looking through “tainted glasses” and believe that the colo0r that they see is then the truth. For T-ara, that is what the tainted glasses did. No matter what the misunderstanding was, the public does not want to hear or accept T-ara’s apologies or explanations.

Therefore, for T-ara to unite (stay together) is to die. The public disregards their music and closes their eyes to their popular dance choreography. They don’t even give them a chance to showcase their charms. Under such circumstances, T-ara’s agency Core Contents Media chose to disperse them. That is, to have the members go solo. And the first protagonist is Jiyeon.

A source from Core Contents Media said that “T-ara still wants to show a lot of their talents.” Unfortunately, people already have a prejudice against T-ara. They continued by saying, “Jiyeon has a wide variety of images that has not yet been seen in T-ara. She wants to use her charms as a singer to show everyone.”

The result is a completely different image of Jiyeon when she is standing on the stage. She abandoned her image in T-ara. Instead, what she showed off is a perfect showcase of her personal charm. Through her solo song “1MIN 1SEC”, she challenged the concept of “innocent sexy.” The song is a sad song and the choreography is tough.

The head of choreography responsible for the dance said that “Jiyeon really was biting the bullet in enduring throughout her practice. She had two months of continuous preparation for the solo stage debut.” They also said, “The “singer Jiyeon” has a lot of things that she wants to show still. She purely wants to show her charisma as a singer; to attempt the things she has not done in T-ara.”

Viewing without prejudice.. will it work?

Now that T-ara is scattered, the results are appearing gradually. Although only partially, the “tainted glasses” that are always used to view T-ara are starting to come off. The first result was seen when Jiyeon’s “1MIN 1SEC ” occupied Cyworld music charts in the first position on the 20th. It was also listed in the Top 10 on other music charts.

The music video has also been popular. The “1MIN 1SEC music video” keyword has been repeatedly entered into the portal real-time search charts. Teasers, spoiler videos and the music video have all received a large amount of views. Even the dance choreography’s name of “pelvic dance” and “bat-dance” became top searched keywords.

The reaction from the public also has seen a shift from being “accusations ” to becoming “critical.” It is no longer a case of just “blindly hating” on T-ara. Comments such as “because it was like this, I don’t like it,” “this is not bad” have begun showing. This is different from the reactions from when T-ara had made comebacks. In fact, this was a never before seen reaction for them.

What would the public’s reaction be if T-ara sang “1MIN 1SEC”? The public would shut their ears and eyes and blindly hate. In contrast, they have opened their eyes and ears for Jiyeon’s “1MIN 1SEC”. Of course, there is always going to be a mixture of good and bad reactions. There were both the “sexy is the most desperate option” sarcasm and also the praises like “she actually has such talents like that?”

There is hope for Jiyeon. In an interview she made before making her solo debut, she said that “she understands” that people have negative feelings towards T-ara. But Jiyeon pleaded, “nevertheless, I hope you can be forgiving and view us without prejudice, even if it’s only for once.” Her plea is not for people to forget the past situations.. It is just her hope that as a singer, she can be judged by her performance this time.

T-ara’s 2nd beginning: not a crisis but a chance

At the time of her interview, Jiyeon was already had a lot of determination for this second beginning. She said, “My solo activity is not meant to increase my personal popularity. Although it is a solo song for me, I still want to stand on stage together with T-ara unnies again.”

Jiyeon’s solo challenge is also key in T-ara’s second season. It shows the individual member’s hidden charisma and looks to obtain a similar effect that T-ara’s group activities would achieve. Jiyeon has successfully taken the first step, and soon after, the other members will follow in her foot-steps.

Firstly, Hyomin will will take the baton for solo song promotions. She is set to debut next month. Hyomin has the best fashion sense in the group and she will use what suits her best for a showdown to determine the winner. The song has already been completed with Brave Brothers. She is currently “arming” her image with her modern and trendy fashionista outfits.

Other members will also begin solo activities in their respective fields. Former child star Eunjung will simultaneously take parts in movies and TV activities. In fact, Eunjung has recently received a movie proposal for “The Boss, The Beginning” to star as the female lead, but it is still being considered. Soyeon, Qri, and Boram also have the possibility of starting individual activities.

T-ara’s second season has begun. The strategy now is “to unite is to die, to split is to survive.” This is the inevitable consequence of the public choosing to ignore T-ara. But thinking from another way, this is also a chance for them. This is the last chance for each member to display their individual charisma.

***
Source: Dispatch
Translated by: Beckhie @ Diadem

[Myra PJY]

Wahhh..this is such a good article..I feel touched! I agree with the saying.. "to unite is to die, to split i to survive"
They have to open people's eyes again after what happened..
They second season means they have to work really hard again.. I'm glad T-ara are so strong, they feel really hurt inside but they managed to go through all of these that are tough enough! :'(

but i like the part “innocent sexy” for the Jiyeon concept..keke..
T-ara FIGHTING!

[CptFantasy]

Number Nine got a lot of support. They almost won #1 on Music Bank.

In any event, things are looking better than previously. Jiyeon got some big endorsements, she's back on variety shows (upcoming appearances on Weekly Idol, Happy Together) and is doing great performances on the music shows. People are interested.

T-ARA has some of the most talented individual performers in the business. That hasn't changed. Despite the adversity they've faced, they've never given up and they have improved.

[htc10pjy22]

I do agree with "to split is to survive”, but I do not agree with "To unite is to die"

With each member having their own individual activities they do not only make a living, but also

market T-ARA through various directions, which means more publicity and more interest.

But they will not die as they unite, because the problem is not in T-ARA!

The problem lies at the korean citizen and netizen! It's their culture and acting that makes T-ARA seem lifeless in Korea.

As we all can see that, that's not the deal in other countries!

But even though they yet haven't won their #1 after the incident, they do rank high at the charts.

And I really do not think "This is the last chance for each member to display their individual charisma."

T-ARA and the members will live long, in the business, even if the public don't accept their recent works, they eventually will!

T-ARA stands firm, and will comeback as the #1 girl-group!

And I will wait for that day!

[mikasa]

Woah I got goosebump read this article, especially over the sentence "The public would shut their ears and eyes and blindly hate." Well T-ARA still have Queens and I'm sure it will grow bigger as the time passes. T-ARA will survive with solo activities or group. FIGHTING!

[vash]

I’m laughing so far. I know Number Nine was very well received in Korea. That article of the Dispatch is pure falsehood.

[klutzzy123]

I think it is really true that Jiyeon is doing much better than we expected, honestly I was really worried that her song might not be well regarded, simply because:

She's not strong vocally(kinda proved me wrong), although true that she is popular

She's only part of T-ara, if as a group they did only sufficiently well in number 9(not in include DYKM) whats more only the maknae.

She's quite a largely accused person in the incident and might be targeted at by the netizens to even larger extent.

They are queens that do not support ALL members of T-ara

But I dont really think that to unite will cause them much, instead solo activities just promotes their individual worth more, and then BAM, they can come back when they are individually much more successful and I will really anticipate that day.

However, it would be really great if Qri and Boram takes part in more activities, especially if possible variety shows. Its really the foundation that causes many artists to become popular, a good example was HyoMin, although she only became quite a genius at variety after she learnt the techniques despite having that embarrassing character for her. Only so can they receive more attention, and not rely so much on the trio as before.

And of course, going individually is not only good for them but good for US. We get to see them more instead of just a comeback. Of course comebacks are good but if they each have a show, or drama, or music performance a day each week, we only have to take a break on say Sunday XD

[JayOh]

Im very glad that Jiyeon is doing well. I want her to be popular and I think she is helping T-ara become more well known, but T-ara hasn't been ignored, right? I thought Number 9 was a big hit.

Anyways, hopefully these solo activities do replace any bad images some people may have of T-ara

[CptFantasy]

"Ignored" sounds so harsh but moreover, it's just wrong.

For example: The fan reaction @ 1:20.

[phucth91]

That's just the hardcore Queen's... the up/down vote ratio on several Korean sites say that better.

[CptFantasy]

That's true but there are still hardcore fans which is good and T-ARA is getting a lot of attention with Jiyeon's new album.

[ichi]

I'm glad if the solo projects bring more positive attention to all of T-ara but it's a little melodramatic so say they've been ignored lately. Number Nine especially did well. I think by now most people understand that there was an issue with the group but that it was not on the level that antis wanted to make it out to be. A couple nutty antis on the internet is not -everyone-.

[Babycakes]

No matter what happens I will always support T-ara! My bias group. I love them. This was touching

[CptFantasy]

Gaon social chart today:

Good things are happening.

[Guest alee]

T-ara is just exploring other possibilities but will always become ONE in the end. They're just showing their haters that they will rise back up again.

Jiyeon and Hyomin going solo, Boram doing musicals (correct me if im wrong), Eunjung acting again, Qri & Sso doing guestings are just ways of them showing that T-ara is a multitalented group and cannot be brought down by immature haters. T-ara fighting!!

[Kamisa]

I don't think saying "To unite is to die" is technically correct but I do find that with Jiyeon and Hyomin's solo debut that they'd at least be able to shed some more light on T-ARA, themselves, the scandal and to also at least(?) lessen some of the hate from anti-fans.

My gut feelings does say that T-ARA is going to have a 2nd beginning this year though.

[ai mi]

i want to think positive even my heart feel hurt to read this kind of article....

it's kinds of citizen want to force T-ARA apart....urgh!!!!!

if u go individually u 'll success and if they unite will go down? what the hell!!!!

please stay strong...

i wonder...if jiyeon must choose, whether she want further as solo or still in the group...what will she answer? if she just had one choice...mmmm....sorry guys....i'm just wonder...

[HeraldC]

Meh, I hardly cares what K-media written these days. Fact is, T-ara still doing better than some of the girl groups these days. I hate to pull names, but should we be reminded of the result of After School's last Japanese comeback? At least T-ara charts pretty high in Japan and China, and that nearly without promotion or even an MV.

Is T-ara far from their glory days? Sure. But to say they're ignored is kinda stretching it. They're very well received in other countries, and the Korean government / media would be a fool to ignore that fact. They need to respect their talent and stop undermining groups if they want to keep Hallyu Wave from dying.

But I do agree that T-ara is entering their second season, stronger than ever and their music had never been better. I guess we'll just leave it to the future to see how this turns out.

[CptFantasy]

The author is certainly melodramatic in the writing but the gist of it is that Jiyeon is doing well and that's good for T-ARA.

If T-ARA did the same thing they've always done musically, us fans would be happy but everyone else might not be so interested.

Jiyeon is doing something completely new and people are interested, many of whom probably haven't listened to T-ARA in 2 years.

On top of that, now people want to see what Hyomin can do in her solo debut. Eunjung also has her movie coming in the summer.

Eunjung in an interview with the Gossip Girls release mentioned there were plans for T-ARA Korean activities so following successful solo promotions, a T-ARA release stands to be very well received. This is very good news for T-ARA and Queens.

[unclesam27]

The only reason why T-ARA always gets more attention (from fans or haters) because only T-ara can be coupled with the popular girl group like GG & 2NE1.

T-ARA rising their popularity (SUPER ROOKIES at debut) because their music, choreo, and talents. Not because sexiness or anything like that (attract attention instantly).

MANSE MANSE T-ARA !!!!

[jalut81]

Ok it maybe just what i'm interpreting but it seems the writer is trying to make this article more dramatised

At least, this article is not painting a bad picture on Jiyeon and in turn T-ara. As what others have mentioned, T-ara is not going away anytime soon

[Scatter_88mil]

Either the author of the article is a huge, huge fan of the group, was paid a good sum of cash by CCM to write this up or it's a mix of both. It just reeks of it.

As for people claiming T-ara won't be going away anytime soon - we'll see what happens after 3 years at the very least. Admittedly, I personally thought that the group wouldn't last beyond 2014/2015 but by the looks of it ,that does not appear to be the case (so long as they continue on as they are going now), but to think they'll be staying as a group in the long-term is extremely wishful thinking. From that logic, you could probably say the same for SNSD, but even they're not likely to stay as they are now in say, the next 6 years and plus.

Even the 1st gen groups that had fandoms that outsized the ones of many popular groups today (like SISTAR) ultimately became history. If anyone's going to bring up Shinhwa, be noted that the group had times of extensive inactivity, especially when you count their conscription service.

The whole 'going solo' trend has been going on for some time now, and T-ara's not an exception + it's more of an indicator that the members are exploring what career they want when they either decide to leave on their own accord (or against their will) or when T-ara disbands in its current lineup.

They sure as hell won't be staying as the idols we've known since 2009. That's for sure,.

I do agree with "to split is to survive”, but I do not agree with "To unite is to die"

With each member having their own individual activities they do not only make a living, but also

market T-ARA through various directions, which means more publicity and more interest.

But they will not die as they unite, because the problem is not in T-ARA!

The problem lies at the korean citizen and netizen! It's their culture and acting that makes T-ARA seem lifeless in Korea.

As we all can see that, that's not the deal in other countries!

But even though they yet haven't won their #1 after the incident, they do rank high at the charts.

And I really do not think "This is the last chance for each member to display their individual charisma."

T-ARA and the members will live long, in the business, even if the public don't accept their recent works, they eventually will!

T-ARA stands firm, and will comeback as the #1 girl-group!

And I will wait for that day!

Er, what? For some reason, a lot of people (and i-fans in general) seem to have this weird mythological belief that Korea's public and online community is to blame for the whole thing.

Anyone with even a modicum of brains can easily tell that the Korean media and CCM are the ones that played the biggest role in T-ara's crash-and-burn incident, especially considering both used the group as a scapegoat (whether intentionally or unintentionally) to further their own agendas regarding that mess, despite the immense long-term consequences it would bring forth. The public and online community simply bought it, and are the product of as a result of piss-poor management within the press and the company that went on for the the rest of 2012 and 2013.

They are a massively over-exaggerated mythical threat. While you can throw out the 'but other countries don't care!' card, but be reminded that still to this day and in the future, T-ara is in the end, a Korean group in a Korean company that is still more reliant on money from Korean fans than anywhere else, and their main source of popularity (or what's left of it) is in Korea, a tiny country with 50 million people that have extremely fast access to the internet anywhere they go.

And no, T-ara won't be 'staying long' in the business. That's just wishful thinking.

They're very well received in other countries, and the Korean government / media would be a fool to ignore that fact. They need to respect their talent and stop undermining groups if they want to keep Hallyu Wave from dying.

It's already dying, bro :3 IIRC, K-pop has been on a 'decline' in Japan since last year (even SM has admitted a decline in sales at the time), which isn't really good news since a massive portion of its overseas revenue happens to be from Japan, adding that it coincides with the fact that the number of visiting Japanese tourists has also declined significantly too, which is...not so great for the Hallyu Wave itself as well as the tourism industry .

The K-govt and media aren't exactly the brightest crayons in the box, nor are really appearing to be particularly innovative in trying to solve the issue (the same could also be said of K-pop labels too). At best, it'll probably end up hitting niche audiences, similar to Japan's pop culture has though still heavily reliant on domestic sales.

The only industry that's doing extremely well in the Hallyu Wave and faces zero danger of declining in the foreseeable future is the gaming industry (in spite of the ridiculous regulations slapped on it), backed up by that it makes way more revenue than music does by several times the amount, appealing to a much broader audience and a far bigger 'social equalizer'.

IMO, the Hallyu Wave in the future will very likely become more and more focused on gaming and other forms of entertainment while music falls from the priority list (of course, this also means the govt will likely need new leaders to support this too, rather than the current lot that are incapable of looking at things in the long-term). Music and films were the biggest players of soft-power in the 20th century....gaming will likely completely overtake the soft-power expansion in this century.

[HeraldC]

It's already dying, bro :3 IIRC, K-pop has been on a 'decline' in Japan since last year (even SM has admitted a decline in sales at the time), which isn't really good news since a massive portion of its overseas revenue happens to be from Japan, adding that it coincides with the fact that the number of visiting Japanese tourists has also declined significantly too, which is...not so great for the Hallyu Wave itself as well as the tourism industry .

The K-govt and media aren't exactly the brightest crayons in the box, nor are really appearing to be particularly innovative in trying to solve the issue (the same could also be said of K-pop labels too). At best, it'll probably end up hitting niche audiences, similar to Japan's pop culture has though still heavily reliant on domestic sales.

The only industry that's doing extremely well in the Hallyu Wave and faces zero danger of declining in the foreseeable future is the gaming industry (in spite of the ridiculous regulations slapped on it), backed up by that it makes way more revenue than music does by several times the amount, appealing to a much broader audience and a far bigger 'social equalizer'.

Exactly. thank you, couldn't say it better myself :3 Also good point on the gaming industry which is on the rise and going strong since 2012.

[Scatter_88mil]

Exactly. thank you, couldn't say it better myself :3 Also good point on the gaming industry which is on the rise and going strong since 2012.

I advocate the fandoms should petition to the game developer and publisher companies in Korea to make specific T-ara skins in their RPG and FPS games, similar to Sudden Attack in 2012 :3

Just slap on some camo fatigues, combat boots, bulletproof vests, berets or field caps, sunglasses and utility belt or webbing, and it's all set >:-D

[Uncle fan]

Back to the original topic, I think the article has stated it's concept in incorrect terminology. I prefer "divide and conquer" as opposed to this concept of "dying". I became a kpop fan through T-ara and EunJung in particular. I have listened to music fads come and go for fifty years now. I have heard some that could stand the test of time and some that could not. The thing that drew me to kpop was the fresh and bright feeling of it. Specifically that feeling I get from T-ara. I'm not burying my head in the sand when I say that there is always a chance that something good can happen. I am not wearing rose-colored glasses when I say "T-ara can come back bigger and better than ever." I am thinking positively. No, the T-ara we have loved in the beginning will not be back. A sweet and special thing has been crushed beneath the boot heel of the media in its ever desperate desire to find a story and sensationalize it. They are victims and if they want to survive in the industry in any form they will have to play a different hand. This is when we see the tenacity and character of these ladies. They refuse to give up. They take up the challenge of all of the nay-sayers who predict the rapid collapse of the hallyu wave and make every effort using any and every skill they have to keep it going through the rough times. No, kpop cannot always stay the same if it wants to survive. It has changed over the last several years so that it can remain active. Any art form will do that. It has to in order to survive. It is people like T-ara who will be the Lee Hyori of tomorrow. Because she didn't give up, she is bigger than ever. Because T-ara will not give up, they will become bigger than ever. Wishful thinking? No. Positive thinking. If the fans cannot be positive and supportive and willing to embrace new and different concepts, then how can these ladies be expected to survive? I firmly believe that their agenda is to divide and conquer and then regroup. They will wisely continue to ignore the venom and acid spewed by their "antis" and keep coming back with smiles on their faces and surprises for their audiences.

If you are a fan who feels obligated to point out the "sad truth" then you are not being supportive. A fan is someone who stays with their celebrity through the good and bad times and does not try to find blame or accept the eventual downfall. No, they are the ones who will happily continue to support their celebrities beyond any outcome. I am proud to be a fan. I will continue to support all of the efforts of T-ara until the end and beyond. The wheel of fortune continues to turn. It goes through the good times and the bad, but it keeps turning. We have gone through the bad. Hang on because the good ones are coming back.