T-ara (; Korean: 티아라) is a South Korean girl group formed by MBK Entertainment in 2009, consists 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. A broad array of visual concepts have earned the group a "chameleon-like" reputation. The group has achieved commercial success in several regions in Asia including South Korea and China, with their 2011 single "Roly-Poly" being one of the most downloaded domestic singles since 2010.
T-ara made their debut in July 2009 with the single "Lie" (거짓말), following line-up changes due to creative differences; their debut studio album Absolute First Album was released in December 2009 to critical and commercial success, 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" in 2011, which went on to become the Gaon chart's best-selling single of the year. At the height of K-pop's popularity in Japan, T-ara signed onto 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 late-2011 Korean release Black Eyes 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" in 2014. T-ara's final release as six members was tentatively scheduled for May 2017, ahead of Soyeon and Boram's expiring contracts; however, conflicts with their management delayed What's My Name? until June 2017, effectively ending their involvement. Qri, Eunjung, Hyomin and Jiyeon had previously extended their terms with MBK Entertainment until December 31, 2017. On January 3, 2018, T-ara went on an indefinite hiatus in order to allow the members to pursue their solo careers. T-ara reunited after four years and released their first independent album, Re:T-ara, in November 2021. According to Sina Entertainment, T-ara has sold 1.14 million physical albums as of December 2020.
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