T-ara

T-ara (; Korean: 티아라) is a South Korean girl group formed in 2009, currently consisting of four members: Qri, Eunjung, Hyomin, and Jiyeon. T-ara's career is marked by hook-heavy dance-pop music, a result of their close partnership with composer Shinsadong Tiger. They have been referred to as the "Chameleons of K-pop" for their versatile concepts and experimentation with musical genres. The group achieved commercial success in several regions in Asia including South Korea and China, and their single "Roly-Poly" (2011) became one of the most downloaded domestic singles since 2011 and the most downloaded girl group single to date. T-ara made their debut with the single "Lies" in 2009. Their debut studio album Absolute First Album (2009) was well received critically and spawned the hit singles "TTL (Time to Love)", "Bo Peep Bo Peep", and "You Drive Me Crazy". Both their debut Japanese single and studio album reached number one on the Oricon weekly charts and were subsequently certified gold. They subsequently gained nationwide recognition after releasing "Roly-Poly" (2011) which went on to become the Gaon chart's best-selling single of the year. T-ara signed onto Japanese management agency J-Rock for $4.7 million—reportedly the highest figure of any Korean girl group expanding into the territory at the time. T-ara's Korean EP Black Eyes (2011) spawned three consecutive number ones: "Cry Cry", "We Were in Love" and "Lovey-Dovey". In 2012, T-ara experienced a dip in popularity as the group faced accusations of internal discord, resulting in Hwayoung's immediate departure with Areum following a year after. T-ara's later material was released to varying degrees of success before the group began focusing on promotional activities in China, where they attracted attention for their cover of Chopstick Brothers "Little Apple" (2014). T-ara's final release as six members was tentatively scheduled for May 2017, ahead of...