Here are my credentials (again): So, like most fans of kpop who discovered it post-3rd gen, I first heard of T-ara through their bullying scandal, which has Hwayoung at the center of it. It’s complicated and I’m not going to go into it here, because this is a music review after all, and I think that the scandal tends to overshadow a decade-and-a-half long career. So I want to discover who T-ara is outside of this, and give their music the kind of analysis I think it deserves. Let’s get into it!

(Part One)

EP #5: Again 1977

Number Nine starts with this interesting hook that splits its sound between an acoustic and percussive one, and then goes full throttle into an EDM-led song, which took me by surprise. T-ara keeps doing that to me. I liked the way the chorus continues to build on itself, layering different vocals and instrumentals. I really could have done without the harsh-on-the-ears intro and post-chorus hook, though; I think it’s a very hard sell in what’s otherwise such a smooth song. Besides the hook, I did like it, but it’s a tough thing to get past.

From the EP, I loved the completely unnecessary drama of the intro 1977, but besides that, I enjoyed Do You Know Me (나 어떡해)’s clubby EDM beat and Don’t Get Married (결혼 하지마)’s chant-along bridge. The Club Version of No.9 is also good, and I think I might prefer it to the original.

EP #6: And & End

Sugar Free marks the return of Shinsadong Tiger, one of T-ara’s key producers and writers, who (as mentioned in the last review), died quite young last year. With him comes what’s probably the final “big hit” of theirs, following in the footsteps of Roly-Poly and Lovey-Dovey. If you want a song that feels like a moment, Sugar-Free is that song. Its intro alone—snapping fizzy drink and brassy electro—is instantly recognizable for any 2nd gen fan. Its verses are almost understated, but in a way that makes you brace yourself for impact, and as the chorus rushes forward, you can’t help but dance along.

And speaking of dancing, its choreo is impressively simple, managing to look controlled and timeless while still being a good fit. This is another video where I’m going to have to give a seizure warning, though; it’s pretty hard to watch.

From the EP, I enjoyed the relaxed R & B of I Don’t want You (남주긴 아까워) and . Again I want to point out how impressed I am T-ara’s kept their Korean titles throughout their albums, despite the changing landscape of kpop around them.

EP #7: So Good

I admit my first thought when I heard the line “Brave Sound, drop it!” was AOA, and So Crazy does feel a lot like an AOA song. There’s the mix of R & B and 60s pop, the overt (often irritating) oversexualition and ass-heavy choreo, the short skirts and schoolgirl clothes, and the brassy interpolations. It has some similarities with previous T-ara songs, but like I said, it’s much more AOA, and just didn’t feel like the right fit for them. I did like the chorus and how all-encompassing it feels, though.

This is quite a short EP—it’s really more like a single—so I didn’t have a hidden gem.

EP #8: Remember

Ti Amo is much more laid-back than any of T-ara’s songs have been thus far. No drama, no real dance-floor urges, no…anything? I’m not exactly surprised that they decided to go with a sound like this, given that it was pretty popular for the time, but that doesn’t mean I really like it much. I just think that the sound is a bit overdone, and there are groups that do it better, and while dance-pop became popular again in the late 2010s, T-ara had really carved out a niche for themselves in it that’s hard to get back once you’ve lost it. I don’t dislike this song, I want to make that clear, but it’s…fine, nothing more.

From the EP, I enjoyed the cinematic feel of Farewell Movie (이별 영화).

EP #9: What’s My Name

What’s My Name seems like it’ll follow in Ti Amo’s footsteps—at first. But instead it charts an interesting middle path through Ti Amo and their dancy earlier releases, going for an ethereal, light tropical pop sound. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of a Lovey Dovey or a Sugar-Free, but I’d say it comes closer than any of their other releases from this period.

From the EP, I enjoyed the fritzy beat of Reload and Hyomin’s sunny solo version of Ooh La La.

Single #1: Re:T-ara

With a name like Tiki Taka I confess I wasn’t all that excited for T-ara’s final song, expecting something that neatly fits into Kpop’s 2020 trop-pop trend. And I was sort of right? It’s much more like Ti Amo than any other T-ara release, which doesn’t really bode well for me. The song is pretty on the whole, but why did they have to have an anti-drop? It’s so unnecessary and just makes it sound like every other track from the time.

From the single, I also enjoyed All Kill, which reminded me a bit of Cry Cry.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I knew almost nothing about T-ara before this deep dive, and I’m happy that I’ve managed to change that. It’s always tougher to find out more about the people in older groups, both because kpop is so much more in-your-face now with “personality” content, and because so much of their older content isn’t subtitled, but I did manage to find a bit. I watched a highlight of their appearances on Knowing Bros throughout the years and a video from dingo chronicling their 2021 comeback. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

My Top 5 songs are Sugar-Free, Lovey-Dovey, Why Are You Being Like This, Hue, and Cry Cry, with Don’t Get Married as an honorable mention. T-ara gets an 8 out of 10 from me. I’m a huge fan of synths, dance pop, and retro influences, so their main style is right up my alley. My biggest gripes weren’t really with the music itself—besides their last few songs—but with the music videos. They have some gems in there, like Roly-Poly, but besides that, I thought that the majority were either over sexualized, nothing that unique, or, in the case of YaYaYa, just horribly offensive. I honestly liked them better when I hadn’t watched the MVs, but they’re a huge part of kpop, and it feels unfair not to include them when I’ve mentioned great MVs for not-as-great songs. Overall, though, I think that T-ara is a group whose pretty good music is overshadowed by their controversy, and that’s a shame.

Next time, we’re starting a much shorter deep dive into a boy group. Tschüss!