After a long time away, the girls from T-ara are back with their smash hit new song, Number 9! The girls have returned with another fantastic pop song that will find its way into your head and it’ll stay there for ages! You’ll be singing Number 9 all day :)
The MV looks awesome too! The girls have really stepped it up and returned with a mature image – very different from Sexy Love. Each of the girls look fierce and bring it in their own way. Big shout outs go to Qri for eating a flower(!) and for Boram for being cute and tiny yet fierce and fighting. Have you listened to the song yet? Do you like it?
T-ara are finally back although not as we know it! Launching as a sub-unit we have Jiyeon, Eunjung, Hyomin and Areum joining forces to become T-ara N4. So while we’re missing Boram, Qri and personal favourite Soyeon, we’re stilling enjoying T-ara’s characteristic sound and performances – high energy dance routines to go with infectious chorus hooks and random words. But whilst we’re missing T-ara proper, how does T-ara N4 measure up? Keep reading for the review of their performance on Music Core and let me know your thoughts!
Style & Staging
It’s great to see the girls in styles that actually look like they were planned and thought out. T-ara have developed a reputation for charming yet kitsch stage costumes. From the kitten paws that launched them into stardom, to the very odd Native American concept for YaYaYa and then to the mannequin concept for Sexy Love, sometimes it all just gets too much even for us Queens (I laugh on so many levels).
So, for Countryside Life, the girls are back to their hip hop inspired (I use this term loosely…) styling and I think it works well. The concepts where the whole band wears the same outfits never really appeals to me (here’s looking at you Kara; just saying…). So I personally enjoyed this look. Plus, Jiyeon looked bloody cool! She needs to wear mesh vests and orange coulettes more often…
Overall rating for Style & Staging – 5 / 5 stars.
Choreography
The infamous bunny and dinga dinga dance! I don’t think it’s going to quite catch on as much as Gangnam Style did but hell it looks cool. I kind of just watch and stare like this: (⊙_◎) because I have no idea what they’re doing. Too many different body parts are moving at different times. Those arms!
I love the little toil all day section – it’s charming and what I’ve come to expect from T-ara. They don’t take themselves too seriously which is often welcome when you work a stressful job. Plus, they always know how to build drama with a bit of Jiyeon’s talk to the hand:
Bitch please.
Overall rating for Choreography – 5 / 5 stars.
Vocals
Aw, where to begin?! T-ara are often overlooked for their vocal ability and their lead singer, Soyeon, is not as popular as other lead sings. Their songs will often negate the need for a vocal at all because they’re just… catchy. But I do think something is missing without Soyeon here. She has such a distinctive, soulful sound that is unique amongst the other groups. You can instantly recognise her voice even though it may not be the most powerful. I heart her.
Nonetheless, Hyomin and Eunjung are both solid vocalists and would do better if they weren’t reduced to rap segments or lead chorus vocals. Areum continues to go from strength to strength. Her voice isn’t stand up and listen amazing, but I’m sure with time she’ll develop and grow as a singer.
Overall rating for Vocals – 4 / 5 stars.
Overall Score
The Overall Score for T-ara N4’s Countryside Life/Jeon Won Diary performance on Music Core is… 4 / 5 stars!
Review Conclusion
T-ara N4 – Countryside Life performance on Music Core May 4th 2013 – reviewed by K-pop Peach on April 20th 2013. T-ara N4 make a solid comeback but I still think it would be a bigger success if it wasn’t a sub-unit. T-ara N4 hwaiting nonetheless.
Score – 4 / 5 stars.
This weekend so the long awaited return of T-ara and the launch of their first sub-unit – T-ara N4! T-ara N4 stands for ‘T-ara Brand New 4’ (don’t ask me why it’s not T-ara BN4…?) and it’s clear that after the scandal that plagued the group for much of 2012, Core Contents Media’s move will either save the brand or do little to reverse their falling popularity.
Yesterday saw the sub-unit debut on Music Core. I’m not a T-ara anti, in fact I love em. They may not be the most polished group but they work unbelievably hard and have to deal with one the more challenging agencies. I don’t want to go too much into the scandal of last year because too many people don’t know how to have a civilised discussion about something ¬_¬; Nonetheless, you can’t help but feel T-ara N4 wouldn’t have existed if Sexy Love was the monster smash it should have been (or even if Hwayoung was still in the band).
Who’s in, who’s out?
Lots of people have written about T-ara N4 but I’ve not seen a whole lot of analysis on the members that were included. It’s clear to me that CCM have played all their cards with T-ara N4. Jiyeon, Eunjung and Hyomin continue to probably be the agency’s biggest and most popular stars – their acting deals and international popularity effectively ensured their inclusion in any sub-unit that was going to be formed.
But, what’s more interesting are the people that aren’t in – Qri, Boram and Soyeon. I think everyone knows there’s a clear divide between the most popular members and the others (I guess a bit like Nicole Scherzinger and the Pussy Cat Dolls but less neurotic) but has CCM made the right decision to note include them?
Qri was often heralded for not being involved in the bullying scandal last year, Boram makes up for her height and singing ability with her aegyo (arguably cuter than Jiyeon’s) and Soyeon is the voice of the band. These three, although not the most popular round out what would otherwise be a pretty fearsome group.
Areum’s inclusion is interesting. She joined at the most intense time and there’s no doubt she’s not talented. I’m happy that she’s getting a chance to show her talent. I just can’t help but wonder if CCM has a back up plan. If the triple threat of Hyomin, Jiyeon and Eunjung, and the new blood of Areum can’t save the band – what will?
The song, the styling
Let’s not forget that we’re talking about a music group here and at the end of the day it’s all about selling records. While T-ara may not be the most popular idol group or the most well known, let’s not forget they have reached the upper echelons of the yearly Gaon charts for the past two years. They might not be guaranteed to win a triple crown, but their music sells.
So, what’s Countryside Life like? Well, it’s what we’ve come to expect from a T-ara smash. It’s catchy beyond belief, the lyrics are gibberish in points, and it carefully strikes the balance between retro-pop rifts and current urban-esque music trends. I think the song lacks the powerhouse vocals of Soyeon and the vocals sound like an album filler track but the melody is just as catchy as any of their most popular hits.
When it comes to the styling – I think the girls are playing it correctly. Their last single had an odd… dollhouse, French maid styling concept that often made them look bizarre (I can’t forgive red, blue and yellow pom poms). But harking back to their last hit, Lovey Dovey, they’ve opted for a more current style. That’s not say they get it 100% right (they still can’t beat 2NE1 in the fashion stakes), but thank god it isn’t pom poms or cat tails.
What next?
CCM have already announced that the number of physical copies will be limited to just 40,000 for this release – perhaps they’re already anticipating a lacklustre performance. Or perhaps the whole point of T-ara N4 isn’t to introduce a new band to the world, but to remind Koreans why they first fell in love with T-ara and that although things are (brand) New, things aren’t going to change and it’s okay to like T-ara again.
Either way, I sincerely hope the sub-unit doesn’t supplant T-ara proper as I’m not sure if I’d be such a huge fan without Soyeon (´；ω；`)
So, for the latest Live Stage review, we again look at T-ara’s performance! This time on M! Countdown. Can you believe that I’ve not yet reviewed a stage from M! Countdown? I think it’s because it’s on Thursday and I often don’t have time to blog on a Thursday evening. So I’m excited to be reviewing this stage! I’m also rather excited because it was a special performance for this week’s M! Countdown! The show moved to Thailand for the night and all the acts gave an outdoor concert performance… in the rain!
Style & Staging
I thought this performance’s outfit and styling was really cute. It was a little more sexy than some of the other performances but it just shows T-ara’s many charms. One of T-ara’s strengths has always been their adaptability. They can be cute, sophisticated, edgy or sexy. Normally CCM picks one style for one song but for Sexy Love they’ve gone for several!
In the last review the girls looked chic with smart tailoring and fierce silhouettes. I really liked that look. However, for this performance the girls brought out their sexy sides with daring leopard print dresses.
I thought the outfit was cute without being over the top. The black gloves gave it a glamorous edge whilst the boots stopped it from looking too much like a costume.
The stage itself was obviously grand being a concert! It’s such a shame that it rained so much. Still, I thought their charisma shined through and they all looked amazing.
Overall rating for Style & Staging – 5 / 5 stars.
Choreography
Well, what can I say! The girls did really well considering it was raining so much! All the shots where the audience were wearing rainmacs made me worried. I didn’t want anyone to fall over! Thankfully no one did but that stage looked dangerously slippy! It’s a shame it wasn’t amazing weather but no one seemed like they minded. In fact, they looked like they were having an amazing time on stage!
I think this performance has been one of the strongest. I think T-ara were buoyed by getting to perform at a concert in Thailand – it must be such an amazing achievement for them all. If you can imagine how hard they worked and when they were trainees – dreaming of making it big and having your music heard. And then fast forward a few years later and you’re standing on stage in Thailand performing your latest song – wow! Congratulations to them.
But to go back to judging them on their performance! I thought the choreography was really strong. They performed it with such confidence whilst it being so wet! I thought they might fall but they didn’t. T-ara hwaiting!
Overall rating for Choreography – 4 / 5 stars.
Vocals
Again, I think the girls performed strongly today. Although they might have been cold from all the rain, they still performed strongly. I thought Qri, Jiyeon and Boram all sang well today. I also really liked Hyomin and Soyeon. I’m still waiting for Eunjung to really sing her parts at the end. I know she can sing them live! Often Eunjung doesn’t sing her part live but if you look up some of the performances of TTL2 you can hear that she has an amazing voice.
Overall rating for Vocals – 4 / 5 stars.
Overall Score
The Overall Score for T-ara’s Sexy Love performance on M! Countdown is… 4 / 5 stars!
Review Conclusion
T-ara – Sexy Love on M! Countdown! 11th October 2012 – reviewed by K-pop Peach on October 13th 2012. I thought this performance was great! The girls really showed off their charisma and dancing skills!
Score – 4 / 5 stars.
Sorry for being away for a short while – the past two weekends were busy with lots of things! I’m not Korean so I don’t celebrate Chuseok but being half-Chinese I celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival on the same day so two weeks ago that’s what I was doing! The weekend I took part in the 48 Hour Film Project and then the screening was yesterday so all a bit hectic! But, of course I can never keep away from K-pop!
Once again I’m excited to review T-ara’s performance on Music Bank on Friday! I’m excited to see the girls still performing strongly and fighting!
Style & Staging
So after the travesty that was last Inkigayo’s clown-inspired outfits, we’ve returned to some normality =^_^= I really loved today’s staging. Quite simple but very chic. I really like Ahreum’s outfit and thought all of the girls looked so pretty! Hyomin looked extra gorgeous and I think Qri’s new hairstyle really rocked.
My two favourite looks from this performance were Boram’s and Eunjung’s. I think Boram has really shined for the performances of Sexy Love. Her sweet and cute personality complement the routine and song really well. She’s like cute love as opposed to sexy love but still awesome! I thought Eunjung’s hair looked fierce today! They don’t always get this right… but for this performance it was very sophisticated.
For whatever reason, this performance was shortened so we missed out on some of the extra lines and I do think it played with the overall feel and rhythm of the song. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this performance – I just wish it was longer!
Overall rating for Style & Staging – 5 / 5 stars.
Choreography
I really liked Ahreum’s dance intro stage. I think with Ahreum they have found a greater rapper and really good dancer giving T-ara an extra dimension. Of course, I think if Hwayoung was still in T-ara she’d put on a fierce rap but I think Ahreum’s dance skills are really strong. Possibly this was one of the areas that T-ara lacked compared to other girl groups – if you compare 4Minute or SNSD, both HyunA and Hyoyeon are incredible dancers.
There was almost an accident in today’s performance where Hyomin almost bumped into Ahreum (I didn’t screencap it) but they handled it so well! Boram stepped up her aegyo, whilst Jiyeon and Hyomin looked flawless. I also think Eunjung who has probably had the most difficult experience recently, is gradually feeling more confident. Overall, I love this performance!
Plus, Soyeon gave out a cute little heart sign! <3
Overall rating for Choreography – 5 / 5 stars.
Vocals
Although this performance was shortened I think the girls’ vocals were strong today. It’s probably not their best performance I’ve heard but they might be tired from all their international showcase shows in Hong Kong and Malaysia. I still really liked it but I wish Eunjung had more confidence to really go for her lines! Props to Boram again – she’s so cute!
Overall rating for Vocals – 4 / 5 stars.
Overall Score
The Overall Score for T-ara’s Sexy Love performance on Music Bank is… 5 / 5 stars!
Review Conclusion
T-ara – Sexy Love on Music Bank 5th October 2012 – reviewed by K-pop Peach on October 7th 2012. I thought the girls performed this stage really strongly! They had fantastic charisma, I loved the intro dance and each of the girls looked amazing! T-ara whaiting!
Score – 5 / 5 stars.
Our fourth live stage review features T-ara once more (I’m sorry, they’re my favourite group!). This time we will review their performance from today’s Inkigayo. SBS’ Inkigayo is my favourite music show – I’ve always really enjoyed the set designs and I always thought the artists tried extra hard on their performances.
Without further ado, let’s start the review!
Style & Staging
Sometimes I really wonder who thinks of the concepts for T-ara’s outfits. We’ve had the Native American look for YaYaYa, the kitty look for Bo Peep Bo Peep and not to forget the zombies… One of the highlights that springs to mind is one of the New Year special performances of Bo Peep Bo Peep where T-ara wore traditional inspired dresses. I thought they were cute but whoa that was crazy!
So for the previous two stages we had some cute outfits! The girls looked ultra sleek on Music Bank and really cute on Music Core. But where do we begin with today’s outfit!?
I think the designers are taking the puppet dolls concept a little too literally with these outfits. I don’t really like the use of primary colours. I can understand the thinking but really I would have preferred a more interesting design.
I also miss the cute hairstyles from yesterday’s performance! Especially Boram’s! In my opinion, I think Boram should wear her hair in ox horn buns forever more. Jiyeon looked gorgeous though.
Overall rating for Style & Staging – 3 / 5 stars.
Choreography
For today’s performance, I thought T-ara really performed strongly! Perhaps this might even be their best stage yet. All the girls seem to be relaxing more with each performance – especially Eunjung. I think Eunjung has suffered a lot recently personally so for her to perform on stage obviously took a lot of heart and courage. I think she’s gradually feeling more comfortable on stage again – it must be so difficult to get yourself psyched up to perform if you really don’t want to.
The girls really performed the choreography flawlessly! You can tell that they’ve worked really hard for their comeback, I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a dance routine from them as much as this one for a long time! I really enjoyed YaYaYa because it was cute! You can always count on T-ara to have a unique dance routine! That is one of the reasons why I love T-ara so much – they work so hard to deliver. T-ara hwaiting!
Overall rating for Choreography – 5 / 5 stars.
Vocals
I thought T-ara performed this really song very well today. Maybe it wasn’t as strong as Music Bank but I still think they all sang well – especially Hyomin, I thought she sang the best today. And also, of course kudos to Boram who is stealing some limelight from the main vocalists of T-ara at the moment!
Overall rating for Vocals – 4 / 5 stars.
Overall Score
The Overall Score for T-ara’s Sexy Love performance on Inkigayo is… 3.5 / 5 stars!
Review Conclusion
T-ara – Sexy Love on Inkigayo 16th September 2012 – reviewed by K-pop Peach on September 16th 2012. I was disappointed by the style and staging for today’s episode but I still thought T-ara performed strongly with lots of heart. A big
Score – 3.5 / 5 stars.
For our third Live Stage Review post, we’ll review T-ara’s Music Core stage of Sexy Love from 15th September 2012.
I’m really excited to see T-ara performing again. Granted, I’m disappointed they didn’t manage to get an all-kill like they did with Lovey Dovey (which was such a huge hit!) but for a while I thought T-ara might never perform again so to see them make a comeback has been fantastic! I am so proud of the girls and hope they continue with success. I really hope that by the next time they release a song, the scandal will have been forgotten about and they will get another all-kill or award.
Reviews of stages cover three areas: Style & Staging, Choreography and Vocals. I’d love to hear your feedback !
Style & Staging
I really liked this concept. It’s very different from their stage yesterday but the girls again showed fantastic versatility and I loved the cute outfits. I mean come on, even I want a dress with cupcakes on it! ｡◕ ‿ ◕｡
Chun Li or Boram?
I think I prefer these outfits to the ones from Music Bank, especially the fact that they wore boots with the cute pink dresses! I think this gave the outfit a bit of an edge without being overly cutesy. Props also for the hairstyling in this performance – I think it’s fantastic! Especially Boram’s super cute ox horn buns! Boram… or… Chun Li…? I’m too confused!
I thought each of the girls’ close up at the start of the stage were really pretty and they all looked flawless! I need to find out which BB cream they are using ¬_¬;;
In terms of the staging itself, I liked it. I’m not entirely sure where they filmed the performance. It looks like some kind of wonderland or theme park? It reminds me of Lego land and whilst I do like the setting (especially the scenes featuring Qri and Ahreum sitting down), it also felt a bit weird – especially the weird models of people.
Also, I didn’t enjoy the visual effects they used. I liked the petals or confetti that floated on the screen but didn’t like the balloons of Sexy Love or the ‘cartoon’ effect they randomly applied. The less said about the balloons the better! But, all in all I really liked this stage!
No more balloons!
Overall rating for Style & Staging – 5 / 5 stars.
Choreography
I thought T-ara performed the Sexy Love dance flawlessly today. You can tell that their hard work and training has been paying off. I also think that the dresses and boots allowed them to move better so the more flexible dance moves were more fluid and flowed better. I also think that the girls performed with a lot of heart – especially Eunjung. I noted that Eunjung was a little down in the last performance but today she seemed a lot more upbeat (is it just me or has she also had her hair dyed lighter?).
Jiyeon also impressed today as did Boram! Honestly, I don’t think Boram has ever looked cuter! She’s so small and cute! I think Hyomin looked gorgeous and I was really impressed by the power of Ahreum’s rap and dancing skills. I think Ahreum makes a nice addition to the group but still wish Hwayoung was in T-ara! Hwayoung hwaiting ∩( ・ω・)∩!
Overall rating for Choreography – 5 / 5 stars.
Vocals
Unfortunately T-ara performed to the backing track on today’s Music Core so I can’t review their vocals!
Overall rating for Vocals – 0 / 5 stars.
Overall Score
The Overall Score for T-ara’s Sexy Love performance on Music Core is… 4 / 5 stars!
Review Conclusion
T-ara – Sexy Love on Music Core 15th September 2012 – reviewed by K-pop Peach on September 15th 2012. I loved T-ara’s style and staging for Sexy Love on today’s Music Core; I also loved their performance and choreography. They all looked so cute! Special highlights were Boram and Ahreum but unfortunately they didn’t sing live. Still, a great concept and charismatic performance!
Score – 4 / 5 stars.
As a special treat today for reading my review, continue to see the gorgeous close ups of T-ara at the start of today’s performance.
So I am going to post a new section to the blog – reviewing the live stages of acts on the biggest music programs. Today’s review will focus on T-ara’s comeback special on KBS’ Music Bank with Sexy Love!
Each review going forward will cover three topics: Style & Staging is the first, then Choreography and finally Vocals. Style & Staging will cover everything from outfits, makeup, lighting, backing dancers, set design and so on. Choreography will of course cover the hot dances routines of any performance but also the performance itself. Not all songs have a dance routine so it will also cover the enthusiasm and finesse of the performance. Finally, vocals will cover the singing! Each section will receive a score out (1 – 5 stars) and then final tally is added up to give a final score! Note, if the performers are miming then they will receive no stars for the Vocal section.
Still with me? Any questions? Let’s get to it!
Although the girls have been promoting Sexy Love for a week already, this is their comeback on Music Bank as last week’s performance was cancelled due to KBS’ concerns over the bullying scandal. However, I don’t want to dwell on that issue on this post.
Style & Staging
I loved this performance of Sexy Love! The girls start off above the stage on a bridge and are dressed in sexy black dresses and some even have cute hair accessories. This style is used exclusively for the famous robot dance that goes with the song. I think the girls look fantastic! I also love the different hair styles and accessories with some girls wearing cute bows in their hair whilst Boram gets a little white hat! I think this outfit looks very sophisticated and Hyomin looks hot!
The girls then change to chic pink suit inspired by Michael Jackson’s 70s style. I like this outfit less but I think it goes well with the style of dancing. It reminds me a little of After School’s Because of You MV – fierce tailoring that highlights the strong dance moves and shapes. A shout out for Boram again though as I think she looks exceptionally gorgeous with her current hairstyle. I also thought Soyeon looked cute and Hyomin looked very sophisticated with her sleek look. However, I’m not a huge fan of Eunjung’s wavey bob (especially her bangs) and Qri’s hairstyle could use more shape to fit with some of the moves better but overall I think T-ara look chic!
I have to also say that I loved their stage! I thought the bridge at the top for the robot dance was really cool! To separate the stage into two different performance areas gave the comeback special an extra height that you don’t normally see in performances. Some might say this is just a gimmick but I thought it looked cool!
Overall rating for Style & Staging – 4 / 5 stars.
Choreography
I love the choreography of Sexy Love! I genuinely think it’s one of their best routines yet – not too simplistic like Bo Peep Bo Peep but also not too fierce and dramatic like I Go Crazy Because of You. I think that’s one of the many reasons why I like T-ara so much; they are really versatile.
I thought in this performance the girls tried really hard to give a charismatic performance and entertain their fans. Music Bank is obviously a big deal so they tried their hardest and I think it shows. Jiyeon was definitely charismatic, as was Hyomin. I think Eunjung was still holding back a little – she still seems very fragile when performing but I think she gave it her all.
Overall rating for Choreography – 4 / 5 stars.
Vocals
T-ara are often criticised for not having the strongest vocals in K-pop compared to other girl groups, however I think this is unfair. Soyeon has a beautiful voice and she sings with lots of emotion and heart. I thought each member sang well today – including Boram who often doesn’t get more than a single line! Eunjun, Hyomin and Soyeon were my stand outs this performance. What were yours?
Overall rating for Vocals – 4 / 5 stars.
Overall Score
The Overall Score for T-ara’s Sexy Love comeback on Music Bank is… 4 / 5 stars!
Review Conclusion
T-ara – Sexy Love on Music Bank 14th September 2012 – reviewed by K-pop Peach on September 14th 2012. I think this has been a solid performance and a strong comeback stage on Music Bank. I especially liked the styling and staging, and all of the girls gave such strong performances – lots of charisma!
Score – 4 / 5 stars.
Geudero momchwoyo sexy love
Geueukhan nunbicheul gadeuk dameun sexy love
Chorongsong gateun nega heundeullyo
Nengchorhetdon ne senggagi jigeum heundeullyo
Jjarithan geude gomeun nunbichi nal bureuneyo
Iroke ne mameul humchyoga
Gogi momchwoyo negero wayo
Ne mameul ije badajwoyo
Non jongmal sexynun, sexyko, sexyip, sexy love
Ne nunen modeun-geda sexy
Oh sexy eyes, sexy nose, sexy mouth, don’t you know
Oneul nan nega jongmal sexy
No no no no, can’t you feel my love?
Ne mameul-leukkinayo
No no no no, can’t you feel my heart?
Negero wa tonight, night, night
Jamkkanman momchwoyo Sexy Love
I gihwereul nochigi siroyo Sexy Love
Ne gyote issojwoyo geudero
Oneureun nareul ttonajimayo geudero
Sigani galsurok geudega ne maeume deuro-oneyo
Geudero ne mami bultaolla
Gogi momchwoyo ne nuneul bwayo
Ne soneul ije jabayo
Non jongmal sexynun, sexyko, sexyip, sexy love
Ne nunen modeun-geda sexy
Oh sexy eyes, sexy nose, sexy mouth, don’t you know
Oneul nan nega jongmal sexy
No no no no, can’t you feel my love?
Ne mameul-leukkinayo
No no no no, can’t you feel my heart?
Negero wa tonight, night, night
Geudega naege waso ne maeumeul humchyogasso ije ottoke
I can’t stop this feeling ne ne ne maeume kkok let let’s make a bomb
Nol bomyon gibuni down up and down down
Non jongmal sexynun, sexyko, sexyip, sexy love
Ne nunen modeun-geda sexy
Oh sexy eyes, sexy nose, sexy mouth, don’t you know
Oneul nan nega jongmal sexy
No no no no, can’t you feel my love?
Ne mameul-leukkinayo
No no no no, can’t you feel my heart?
Negero wa tonight, night, night
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