Kara

Kara	Music Home >> Music Genres >> Undetermined Music



< < < < < > > > > > More Info on Kara Similar Undetermined Music Search Artistopia

Biography

Kara (Hangul: ??, Japanese: ??, often stylized as KARA ) is a popular South Korea n girl group signed with DSP Media (DSP). The band name Kara comes from the Greek language|Greek Word "chara" (?a??, lit. "joy"), which the group interpreted to mean "sweet melody".

Kara originally started as a four member group and made their debut with "Break It" while displaying a strong female image and a mature R& B sound. Expectations for the group to be as big as their senior labelmates, Fin.K.L , were extremely high and the members were promoted as successors to them. They released their first album titled The First Blooming in 2007. However, their debut was not well received by the public, and the album was a commercial failure.

In 2008, Kim Sunghee departed the group due to parental pressure, and two new members were brought in; as such, the group currently consists of five members: Park Gyuri , Han Seungyeon , Jung Nicole , Goo Hara , and Kang Jiyoung . The addition of the two new members also faced a change in the group's original image to a "pretty but natural" appeal. The five-member band eventually went on to achieve their first number one song with " Honey (Kara song)|Honey ". Jo, Dong-joon. . TodayKorea . March 6, 2009. Retrieved March 5, 2009.

The group eventually made their debut in Japan in 2010. By the end of that year, Kara was dubbed as Japan's #1 Rookie Artist of 2010 by Oricon and also received the New Artist Of The Year Award (International) from the Japan Gold Disc Award s. In April 2011, the group achieved their first #1 single with " Jet Coaster Love ", making them the first foreign female group since the creation of the Oricon (43 years ago) to rank #1 in the 1st week of release and the first foreign female group in 30 years to rank #1 in the charts all together. They also hold the title as the first Korean girl group to top the Oricon Weekly Single Chart.

History

2007: "Debut"

Kara debuted on March 29, 2007 with "Break It" on M& #33; Countdown, from their first album The First Blooming . . Naver Music . March 29, 2007 Two music videos, "Break It" and "If U Wanna," came from this album. Because of their similarity to Fin.K.L and the fact that both groups were signed to the same company, the two were often compared; in response, Kara stated that they regarded the comparison as beneficial and inspiring. Yeong-hyeon Kim. . Hankooki.com. May 1, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2008. As the album was not a commercial success, Myung-Hwa Jung . joynews.inews24.com. November 4, 2009. Retrieved July 21., 2010. member Han Seungyeon participated in many TV variety shows in the following months to keep the group's name recognizable to the public.

2008-2009: "Group image and line-up changes, rise of popularity"

The group was scheduled to have their comeback in March 2008 with their second album. However, Kim Sung-hee left the group suddenly due to parental pressure, as her participation in the group was contingent on the maintenance of her grades. In response, DSP stated that the second album would be shelved and replaced by a mini-album to come in May; in addition, two members would join the group. The two new members were eventually revealed to be Goo Hara and Kang Jiyoung. The group made their return in the music industry as a 5-member group on July 24, 2008 with "Rock U" on M& #33; Countdown. They made their comeback with the "cute" and "playful" image which was the complete opposite of the group's original image from their debut. In the same month, their first EP titled " Rock U " was also released. http://joynews.inews24.com/php/news_view.php? g_menu=700100& g_serial=315667

On November 29, 2008, DSP Entertainment released a teaser video for their upcoming single, " Pretty Girl (song)|Pretty Girl ", which received over 40,000 hits within 12 hours. Gil, Hye-sung. . MoneyToday . November 29, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2008. The full video was released on December 2, 2008 online and was positively received by the public. . ???? (Maeil Gyeongjae) . December 2, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2008. The EP was released on December 4, embodying a "fun-party" concept. The group began its comeback on all major music shows on December 4, 2008, starting with M.Net Countdown . Kim, HyunKoo. . Newsen/ JoongAng Ilbo|Joins.com . December 2, 2008. Retrieved December 2, 2008. During their first national performance on Korean Broadcasting System|KBS 's Music Bank (TV show)|Music Bank , member Goo Hara accidentally gasped "ah!" live on air due to slipping on falling confetti, and reportedly cried profusely afterwards. Kim, HyunKoo. . Newsen . December 5, 2008. Retrieved December 5, 2008. The incident became a hot issue to many viewers, but Goo Hara received comfort instead of criticism from the general public. . Hankook Ilbo|Sports Hankook . December 10, 2008. Retrieved February 4, 2009.

Park Gyuri attributed their popularity increase to their "pretty but natural" appeal,. Hankook Ilbo ''. December 10, 2008. Retrieved December 10, 2008. while media reports gave credit to the band for finally finding its own identity in the music industry since group's debut. Sports Seoul . December 15, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2008. and to older male fans, most notably singer Shin Hae-cheol.Kim, Hyeong-woo. . Newsen . January 29, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
Due to their increasingly hectic schedule as their popularity rose, a few of the group's members were taken to the hospital on December 19 after a Korean Broadcasting System|KBS Music Bank rehearsal for cold and exhaustion. Park, Gun-wook. . Asia Economy . December 19, 2008. Retrieved December 19, 2008.

At the end of January 2009, DSP Entertainment announced that it would commence voting on January 28 at the group's official website for the follow-up single to " Pretty Girl (song)|Pretty Girl ", which ended on February 2. Choi, Dae-han. . Today Korea . February 2, 2009. Retrieved February 4, 2009. By the deadline of February 2, " Honey (Kara song)|Honey " was the clear winner, with 60% of the votes. . Hankook Gyung-jae . February 2, 2009. Retrieved February 4, 2009. The song was remixed from the original version, and also underwent a slight name change from "??" (Ha-ni) to "Honey",.Kim, Hyeong-woo. . JoongAng Ilbo|Joins.com ''. February 12, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009. The group released the music video for "Honey" on February 16 and had their first live broadcasting comeback on Korean Broadcasting System|KBS 's Music Bank program on February 13, 2009; a repackaged Extended play|mini-album followed on February 19 which featured remixed versions of songs from the group's previous EP.
"Honey" became the group's first #1 single when it topped the countdown the M.Net M& #33; Countdown show. The song also won the "Mutizen" ("music netizen") award on Seoul Broadcasting System|SBS 's program The Music Trend .. JoongAng Ilbo|Joins.com . March 9, 2009. Retrieved March 9, 2009.

In June 2009 the group stated they would return in late July, with their concept upgraded. . Newsen . June 16, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2009. The first teaser pictures of the group were then released in mid-July, showing radical changes in the group's style and also saw a slight return of their "strong and mature" image previously seen from their debut. . JoongAng Ilbo|Joins.com . July 20, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2009. Im, I-rang. . MyDaily . July 21, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
Their single " Wanna (song)|Wanna " was released on July 28, 2009 and immediately charted on various digital music charts. Kim, Hyeong-wu. . JoongAng Ilbo|Joins.com / Newsen . July 29, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2009. The music video was released on July 29, with the full album, Revolution (Kara album)|Revolution '', available online on July 30. Comeback activities commenced on July 31, beginning with Korean Broadcasting System|KBS 's Music Bank ; the group performed both "Wanna" and "Mister". Kang, Eun-yeong. . Sports Hankook . August 5, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2009. " Mister (song)|Mister " proved to be popular with netizens due to the "butt dance" that is featured prominently in the choreography. . JoongAng Ilbo|Joins.com / Newsen''. August 5, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2009. Due to the popularity of "Mister", Kara's overall popularity increased, evidenced by an influx of advertisement requests by various companies; in total, they had more advertisements in October 2009 than they had had the previous two years. Kim, Won-gyeong. . Nate News . November 18, 2009. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
"Wanna" also became a #1 single for Kara and won the "Mutizen Song" award on August 30, 2009 from The Music Trend|Inkigayo . . JoongAng Ilbo|Joins.com / AsiaE . August 30, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
During promotions for Revolution , the group also performed internationally, including at Bangkok's Parc Paragon. . Naver . September 11. 2009

On December 14, it was reported that the group held a fan-meeting for their Japanese fans earlier that year on February marking the group's first promotional tour in Japan. Over 3,000 fans were reportedly registered, exceeding the capacity of the venue which resulted in a second showcase.. Newsen . December 14, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2010.

2010: "Hiatus in South Korea, successful debut in Japan"

After a short hiatus, DSP Entertainment released two teaser photos of Kara's comeback concept on February 9, 2010. The photos garnered a lot of interest because compared to their past album concepts, the new photos showed the members in dark outfits and smokey makeup that elicited a darker, more mature, and sexier feel. The next day, the album jacket was unveiled with a "Stealer" concept as well as the title track " Lupin (song)|Lupin ", which became #1 on several online music charts shortly after release. The teaser video was released on February 12 on Naver ; the EP followed on February 17. Kara began their broadcasting comeback starting on M.Net's M& #33; Countdown on February 25, 2010. . Newsen . February 10, 2010 Newsen . February 25, 2010.
The music video was released on February 22, garnering more than 90,000 views in the first 2 hours.. Newsen.com . February 22nd, 2010.
On March 4, 2010, Kara won their first #1 award for "Lupin" on M& #33; Countdown . Lee, Dae-seon. . Newsen . March 4, 2010. Retrieved March 4, 2010. On the following week, Kara won yet another #1 award on M& #33; Countdown, making it their second consecutive win on the music program. "Lupin" also gave Kara their first #1 win on Music Bank (TV series)|Music Bank on March 12, 2010, making it the group's first win on this particular music show since their debut,. Daum.com . March 12, 2010. holding onto the position for three consecutive weeks.. Joynews . March 26, 2010. Retrieved March 26, 2010. The song also won the Mutizen award from Inkigayo , Kim, Seong-han. . Hankook Ilbo . March 14, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2010. and cumulatively Kara won an all-group best total of 6 awards during their "Lupin" promotional cycle.

On March 2010, it was announced that Kara will participate in the 8th Annual Korean Music Festival to be held at Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, with member Nicole as MC. joynews24 . May 11, 2010 Kara then became very active in Japan, holding showcases and hand shake events as preparation for their official Japanese debut. After their successful debut with Mister, Kara performed at the Asia Song Festival on October 23, 2010 with other Asian artists.

The group was featured in a video message for a show called , hosted by Japanese idol group Arashi .. Newsen . January 5, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2010. Kara held fan meetings on May 8 with more than 8,000 fans at Japan’s Grand Prince Hotel. In addition, Kara had an official Japan fan club meeting with 3,000 fans at Yokohama’s Minato Mirai Hall on May 9. The group later on signed with Universal Music Japan and made their official debut in Japan by August with " Mister (song)|Mister ".. Nanumnews . April 30, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2010. Han Sang-hee: , The Korea Times , May 9, 2010 The single ranked in various music charts which proved it to be very popular in Japan. The group later on released their second single entitled " Jumpin' " on November 10, 2010. The song quickly climbed up in other charts including mobile downloads.. "Sports Chosun". December 2, 2010. Retrieved December 12, 2010.{. "Nate" November 11, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2010 On September 29, 2010, Kara released their best hits album, " Kara Best 2007-2010 ". The album is a compilation of their selected Korean tracks since they debuted. It ranked #2 in the Oricon Daily Chart on the first day of release, selling 18,223 copies.. Nate . Sept 29, 2010. Retrieved Sept 30, 2010. It was announced on November 3, 2010 that the album was certified gold by The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), making KARA the first ever Korean Group since the '90s to release an all-Korean album that is able break the 100k copies barrier in Japan. http://news.nate.com/view/20101103n19185 ?? ??? ???? ? ? 10?? ?? ???? "Nate". November 3, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010 Their debut Japanese album, " Girl's Talk ", was released on November 24, 2010. It sold 107,000 copies in its first week and ranked number 2 in the Oricon weekly charts, making this the first album by a non-Japanese Asian girl group in Japan in 6 years and 9 months to sell more than 100,000 album copies in its first week.{. "Oricon Style" November 30, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2010 The album received a platinum certification from RIAJ on January 14, 2011.{. "Newsen" January 14, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2011

In October the band represented Korea and performed at the Asia Song Festival|7th Asia Song Festival , organised by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange , at the Seoul Olympic Stadium .KOFICE 23 October 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-12

After about 9 months hiatus in Korean Music industry, Kara announced the release of their next single " Jumpin'|Jumping " which was promoted in both Korea and Japan. It was released as Kara's 2nd Japanese single and title track for their fourth Korean mini album. Despite promoting the song at the same time, Kara had 2 different concepts for the song in Korea and Japan. Kim, Seong-han. . Nate . November 5, 2010. Retrieved November 5, 2010. A teaser photo of Jumping's album cover was released on November 3, 2010 and according to a company official, “Kara’s new album utilizes the optical art concept of black and white geometric patterns, which differs depending on each member’s physical characteristics and image.” He added, “You will see a new and upgraded Kara with these modern, yet chic images.” Kim, Seong-han. . Nate . November 3, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010. Kara made their comeback with Burn and Jumping on MBC Music Core on November 20, 2010. On December 10, 2010, Kara got their second #1 win on KBS Music Bank for Jumping.. "Nate". December 10, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2010 Two days after their win in Music Bank, Kara won a #1 Mutizen Award for "Jumping" on SBS Inkigayo's 600th episode.. "Nate". December 12, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2010.

After a very successful year of debuting in Japan despite their long absence in the Korean music industry, Kara was chosen as the best rookie artist according to a popular Japanese mobile ringtone site, Recochoku. On December 20, 2010, Oricon also announced Kara as 2010's best rookie artist, generating revenue to some 1.3 billion yen (or $15.4 million USD. "TV Daily". December 20, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2010.); and with a total of 493,000 copies of their releases sold this year.. Oricon Style. December 20, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2010.

2011: Rise of popularity in Japan, return to South Korea

On February 23, the group released a DVD called " Kara Best Clips " which is a compilation of their past music videos. After one week, the group was able to set another record when they ranked #1 in the Oricon’s Weekly Composite DVD Ranking. This made them the first ever foreign artist to be #1 for two consecutive weeks since the charts implementation in 1999. Kara has sold approximately 230,183 copies of their DVD. Jo, Dong-joon. . Oricon . March 2, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2011.Jo, Dong-joon. . Sanspo . March 9, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2011.

On April 6, the group released their third Japanese single, “ Jet Coaster Love “, after the original release date was pushed back due to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami|2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami . As soon as it was released onto the music charts, “Jet Coaster Love” instantly rose to #2 on the Oricon Daily Chart with 47,810 copies sold. Kara was able to set another record as “Jet Coaster Love” maintained its position and ranked #1 in Oricon's 4/18 Weekly Single Ranking selling 123,000 copies in its first week. Despite its success, plans for promotion in Japan were hindered due to the natural disaster. Instead, the group announced that all proceeds from the single will be donated to Japan's natural disaster relief aid.. ORICON . April 12, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011.

On August 4, the group officially announced that they will be releasing their third official album on mid-September and will resume their activities in South Korea for the first time in over six months. According to industry representatives, the group has used some of their spare time recording songs for the album while they were busy promoting their fourth Japanese single, " Go Go Summer! " which was certified gold by the RIAJ and has topped various charts in Japan. However, the group will only promote in Korea for about three weeks as they have many things scheduled in Japan. The group eventually released their third Korean studio album titled " Step (Kara album)|Step ", on September 6.Lee, Mi-yeong. . Naver|Naver News / JoyNews . July 15, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2011. Naver|Naver News . August 6, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011

After the group finished their promotions in South Korea, they returned to Japan to release their fifth Japanese single, " Winter Magic (song)|Winter Magic ". Universal Music Group . September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011 The single ranked #3 in Oricon's Weekly singles chart with around 79,000 copies sold on the first week. On November 21, the group released their second Japanese studio album, " Super Girl (Kara album)|Super Girl ". The album received over 360,000 preorders alone. The album eventually went on to debut on #1 on Oricon Daily and Weekly album charts making it the group's first successful studio album release. Oricon ranked the group at #4 on the Top 5 best selling artists of the year 2011 with fellow South Korean idol group Girls' Generation following closely at #5. http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/special/2011/musicrank1219/index09.html#topphoto

On December 30, DSP Entertainment announced that the will embark on their first concert titled, " Karasia ", in early 2012. The concert is also the group's first independent concert after five years since debut. The concert will kick off on February 18 and 19 at Seoul Olympic Gymnasium. Fans from their Korean fanclub can purchase the ticket starting January 10, 2012. Expectation for the group's first concert has risen since they are among the most successful girl groups in South Korea alongside the Girls' Generation , 2NE1 and Wonder Girls . http://www.allkpop.com/2011/12/kara-to-hold-first-concert-karasia-in-2012

After a busy year, the group celebrated their success by appearing on six major end-show programs in Japan. Along these were the Japan Record Award|53rd annual Japanese Record Awards after "Go Go Summer!" was nominated for the Best Song award. They were also invited to the prestigious Kohaku Uta Gassen|62nd Kohaku Uta Gassen which is held annually at the end of the year, marking the group's first appearance on the program. They opened the second half of the program by performing a special medley of "Jet Coaster Love" and "Mister". http://www.allkpop.com/2011/12/kara-to-storm-japanese-year-end-awards-shows http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/12/karas-wishes-are-granted-with-their-first-invitation-to-kouhaku-uta-gassen/

2012: Karasia, further success

On January 11, 2012, the group attended the " Golden Disk Awards " that was held in Osaka, where they won 2 awards; the "Disk Bonsang" and the"Best Hallyu Star Award". http://www.allkpop.com/2012/01/winners-from-the-26th-golden-disk-awards-part-1 Winners from the 26th Golden Disk Awards On January 18, 2012, the group was awarded with Asia Star Award at 7th Asia Model Awards Ceremony. The prize is a special honor only given to entertainers who played a pivotal role in spreading Asian culture throughout the world for a given year. The group was selected as the winner of the prize for the considerable achievement they’ve earned during the last year of 2011 as one of the most favored “Korean Wave” stars http://sports.khan.co.kr/news/sk_index.html? cat=view& art_id=201201181002013& sec_id=540301& pt=nv Asia Star Award On January 19, 2012, the group attended the Seoul Music Awards and brought back 2 awards, the "Hallyu Special Award" and "Bonsang Award". http://www.allkpop.com/2012/01/winners-from-the-21st-seoul-music-awards| Winners from the 21st Seoul Music Awards| At 2nd Best Application Contest of the 2011 Korea Mobile Awards, the group was awarded with Korea Communications Commission Award (Grand Prize). The group's app called Journey Through Japanese was launched in December 2011 and has received good reviews from the users by satisfying both learning and entertainment areas. http://xportsnews.hankyung.com/? ac=article_view& entry_id=211810| KARA’s application wins the grand prize at the Korea Mobile Awards On January 27th, the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) held the 26th annual Japan Gold Disc Awards ceremony, where the group was honored in five categories including Best Asian Artist, Best 3 Asian Albums, Song of the Year by Download, Best 5 Songs by Download and Best Music Video. http://www.allkpop.com/2012/01/girls-generation-kara-tvxq-2pm-jang-geun-suk-and-b2st-awarded-at-26th-japan-golden-disc-awards = Winners from the 26th Japan Gold Disc Awards The group also received GCS International Grand Award : Korea-based global social movement proposed and initiated (Idol Group - Donated to Japan's tsunami and earthquake relief) http://media.daum.net/press/view.html? cateid=1065& newsid=20120207125820365& p=newswire| GCS International Grand Award

On February 18, 2012, the group embarked on their first headlining Asia tour. They held their first solo concert at Seoul Olympic Park on February 19. This was Kara's first ever solo concert in five years since their debut.

Kara became the first-ever foreign artist to seize the top spot of two different categories on the Oricon Chart. Kara's DVD-Blu-ray Kara Best Clips II & Shows released on February 29 rose to #1 on Oricon's DVD Ranking Chart as well as the Blu-ray Disc Ranking Chart. This is the first time an artist from overseas has accomplished this feat, and Kara is the fifth artist overall to achieve this record after popular J-Pop singer Namie Amuro , girl group AKB48 , Mr. Children , and Radwimps . http://osen.mt.co.kr/article/G1109360720| ‘KARA BEST CLIPS II & SHOWS’ rises to the top of two categories on the Oricon

Kara becomes the first girl group to be made into figure dolls. On March 15th, Kara's agency DSP Media reported through a press report that 12-inch figure dolls created with the “Mister” theme would begin selling in both Korea and Japan around the end of March. The new dolls were produced by professionals from Hot Toys, DC Comics, Nokia, Enterbay, and more. In the past, figures were created for celebrities in Korea, namely actors, but Kara is the first girl group to be made into figure dolls. This will also be the first time a Korean girl-group doll will be sold in Japan. Different from other dolls, the Kara figures will boast a sleeker "statue" design for a more realistic feel. http://www.mydaily.co.kr/news/read.html? newsid=201203152004431137| First girl group to be made into figure dolls

Kara has become the first Korean artiste to have their own premium fragrance line. K5J the name is an acronym for "Kara 5 Jewel" and members of Kara participated in the development of the perfume from the beginning."We couldn't have achieved this historic milestone without our fans and thank you all for your love and continued support", Kara members said in a statement. The fragrance is a special gift for the fans and to bring them even closer together. The Eau de Toilette made in the United Kingdom has fruity, floral and woody notes. "We hope our fans would feel the sunshine and happiness of the Paris we experienced", Kara said. K5J, which is short for "Kara 5 Jewel", was created in Paris in partnership with 3CY, a premium Asian lifestyle brand. "The natural beauty and enthusiasm that radiates from inside each member makes KARA a perfect choice for us. We are excited to build on and continue our relationship with DSP Media going forward," declared a representative of 3CY. http://www.kara5jewel.com/| KARA 5 Jewel http://www.mydaily.co.kr/news/read.html? newsid=201203152004431137| Kara to lunch their fragrance

Kara has achieved gold status for all of the singles released in Japan. This makes up a total of 11 times which includes albums and also DVDs. Kara is the first Korean girl group to achieve the impressive feat of having received the gold status more than 10 times and is the 3rd Korean artist to achieve this feat after BoA and TVXQ . http://sports.hankooki.com/lpage/music/201204/sp2012041307023795510.htm| KARA Receives 11th Gold Status Through “Speed Up / Girl’s Power”

Other works

Soundtracks and promotional single

The original group recorded a song titled "Fighting" on the soundtrack for ???? ???? (" Chasing a Mother from Kangnam "), a drama that aired on Seoul Broadcasting System|SBS ; the soundtrack was released on July 25, 2007. Their second song was "Butterfly" on the soundtrack for the anime Naruto , which was released on September 29, 2008. Kara also participated in the second soundtrack for Boys Over Flowers (TV series)|Boys Over Flowers , recording the song "Love is Fire".

" Ddokateun Mam " ("", " The Same Heart ") was a song used in "i-Musician", an upcoming mobile game that Kara promoted; the song was released digitally in June 2009.Lee, Hyeon-wu. . Maeil Gyeongjae . June 2, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2009.

In January 2010, they sang the main original soundtrack of drama series "?? ???" ( Catch Me a Star ).. Nate . January 10, 2010.

Kara appeared on Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation|MBC 's Music Travel LaLaLa on October 22, 2009, where they performed "?" (" Road ") by g.o.d and "?? ??" ( "Round and Round" ) with NoBrain. These tracks were included on Music Travel LaLaLa's soundtrack, released in February 2010. . Naver Music . January 21, 2010 . Naver Music . February 25, 2010

On April 2010, it was revealed that Kara will sing a cheer song for the 2010 World Cup entitled "We're With You". Behind-the-scenes and individual member teaser videos were revealed along with photos of Kara wearing cheerleader outfits.. Newsen . April 16, 2010. The single was released on May 3, 2010.

Kara also released a single "2ME", the soundtrack for online game We Online.

In November 2010, Seungyeon's solo track "Superstar" for KBS's drama " Mary Stayed Out All Night " was revealed.

In 2011, Gyuri and Hara recorded 2 songs for the soundtrack of the SBS's drama " City Hunter (TV series)|City Hunter ": "????" sung by Gyuri was released on June 23 and "I Love U, I Want U, I Need U (Sweet Acoustic version)" sung by Hara was released on July 27.

Commercial activities

The group has endorsed online games, clothing, food & beverage, cosmetic products as well as shoes.. Nate . October 25, 2010. Kara became endorsers of a cosmetics product, Mistine BB Wonder Compact in Thailand by April 2010. In May 2010, Kara became the female faces of Samsung Doogeun Doogeun Tomorrow Campaign.. THETIMES . April 21, 2010. Kara has also been endorsing for Ask. "Apparel News". July 19, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2010. and also for fleece boot company Bear Paws.. "Nate". October 26, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2010.

With the group's successful debut in Japan on August 2010, offers from different electronics, clothing and beverage brands started coming. In October 2010, it was revealed that group has sealed a revenue of 2 billion won from endorsements just 2 months after their Japanese debut. Officials said, "Kara shows a sophisticated image on stage while outside the stage, they show a friendly image". Sports Hankook." October 27, 2010. On October 28, 2010, it was confirmed that Kara was chosen as the new models of one of the three biggest Carrier companies in Japan, "KDDI", showing their popularity.. Sports Seoul." October 28, 2010. Starting on November 1, the group promoted the "Au Santa Letter of Challenge", organized by the "Au Smart Sports Run& Walk", where the group members dressed up in Santa Claus costumes, offering the users gifts with various contents. They also created a "Challenge Live" Twitter account where users posted support messages then 15 pairs people were chosen to attend the Limited Kara Live Event via lottery.. "Natalie Music News". October 28, 2010. Furthermore with their success in Japan, Japanese game production company Rhaon Japan revealed through their official TalesLand official website that Kara became the new models for their game. Players were able to find group members as characters in the game, and were able to see a short animation of Kara, along with a promotional video on the landing page.. "Newsen", December 10, 2010. Retrieved December 12, 2010.

In 2010, the group opened their own online clothing franchise called "Karaya", which members Gyuri, Hara and Jiyoung were chosen as spokesmodels. The said online shop proved to be a big hit and rose to 4th place in popularity among celebrity owned internet shopping mall sites.
In June 2011, the group was chosen by LG Electronics as the Japanese CF models for their upcoming cellphone brand, LG 'Optimus Bright'. They also released their Japanese single titled ' Go Go Summer!|Go Go Summer ', which was used for the commercial and was promoted at the same time. The commercial and print advertisements were launched on June 17.. "Newsen via Nate." June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011. Moreover, members Park Gyuri , Goo Hara and Kang Jiyoung shall be the female models for Korean cosmetic brand "Nature Republic". The three members started their exclusive activities with Nature Republic on June 3, 2011.. "The Star". June 2, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011.

Solo activities

On January 16, 2012, it was announced that the members of the group will each release their own solo material for their concerts in February. Group member Nicole Jung is said to have collaborated with a famous singer. The group performed these songs during their Karasia tour. http://news.sportsseoul.com/read/entertain/1001981.htm

Controversy

Request for contract termination

On January 19, 2011, a lawyer representing four of the five Kara members announced to the media that they would be terminating their contract with DSP Entertainment, effective immediately; a lawsuit was also filed on their behalf.. JoongAng Ilbo . January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011. Park Gyuri, the leader of the group, was the only one remaining with the management company. In a statement, the lawyer representing the four stated that "the company repeatedly denied any requests and unilaterally forced tasks upon the members", and that they have been preparing for legal action for two months. Later that day, it was announced that Goo Hara would discontinue her involvement with the suit and has rejoined the company, Lee, Woo-young. . The Korea Herald . January 19, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011. as she apparently was not fully aware of the lawsuit's details. Kim, Seong-han. . Naver|Naver News / Hankook Ilbo . January 19, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011. In a statement, DSP Entertainment firmly rebutted all accusations, also stating that they wished to resolve the issues and reconcile with the members quickly. Kim, Hyeong-wu. . Newsen . January 19, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011. DSP also denied earlier reports of denying Kara members their fair share of profits, stating that each member was paid South Korean won|? 300,000,000 for their work. . Yahoo!|Yahoo& #33; News Korea . January 19, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011.

The lawyer for the three remaining members released another statement giving further details of their allegations. Their representatives stated that they were misinformed regarding their Japanese promotions, and that their relationship with the company severely deteriorated with the hospitalization of CEO Lee Ho-yeon in March 2010. Jo, Beom-ja. . Daum Communications|Daum News / Sports Today . January 19, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011.

On April 28, 2011, the dispute between DSP Entertainment and Kara's 3 members (Han Seung-yeon, Nicole Jung, Kang Ji-young) was finally resolved. . Chosun Ilbo|Chosun The Star . April 29, 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2011.

Rumor of North Korea connection

On February 2, 2012, DSP Media refuted accusations that the man who follows Kara during their time in Japan was a Chongryon -affiliated North Korean agent but was actually their schedule manager.

Members

Current

Stage name		Birth name		Date of birth
Romanized	Hangul	Romanized	Hangul	Date of birth
Park Gyuri	Park Gyuri	Birth date and age
Han Seung-yeon	Han Seungyeon	Birth date and age
Goo Ha-ra	Goo Hara	Birth date and age
Nicole Jung	Jung Nicole	Birth date and age
Kang Jiyoung	Kang Jiyoung	Birth date and age

Former

Stage name		Birth name		Date of birth
Romanized	Hangul	Romanized	Hangul	Date of birth
Sunghee	Kim Sunghee	Birth date and age

Timeline

ImageSize = width:500 height:200
PlotArea = width:405 height:175 left:75 bottom:20
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:2007 till:2012
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:2007 gridcolor:black

PlotData =
color:red width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from
bar:Gyuri from:start till:end
bar:Seungyeon from:start till:end
bar:SungHee from:start till:02/28/2008
bar:Nicole from:start till:end
bar:Hara from:07/24/2008 till:end
bar:Jiyoung from:07/24/2008 till:end

Discography

Korean Discography

;Studio albums

The First Blooming (2007)

Revolution (Kara album)|Revolution (2009)

Step (Kara album)|Step (2011)

;EPs

Rock U (2008)

Pretty Girl (Kara song)|Pretty Girl (2008)

Honey (Kara song)|Honey (Special edition of Pretty Girl ) (2009)

Lupin (song)|Lupin (2010)

Jumping (EP)|Jumping (2010)

Japanese discography

;Studio albums

'' Girl's Talk (2010)

Super Girl (Kara album)|Super Girl (2011)

;Compilation albums

Kara Special Premium Box for Japan (2010)

Kara Best 2007-2010 (2010)

;Singles

Mister (song)|Mister (2010)

'' Jumpin' (2010)

Jet Coaster Love (2011)

Go Go Summer! (2011)

Winter Magic (song)|Winter Magic (2011)

'' Speed Up / Girl's Power|"Speed Up" / "Girl's Power" (2012)

Tours

1st Asia Tour: Karasia (2012)

Achievements

Kara managed to top the list of Gallup Korea in 2009 and 2010 at #6 and #5 respectively, thus making them the second best girl group in Korea for 2010.
In February 2012, in celebration of Forbes Korea's 9th year of establishment, Forbes Korea has reported this year’s list of the top 40 ‘Power Celebrities'. Kara made it in the list and ranked at #4, thus making them as the second most powerful girl group and the third most powerful female celebrity. ‘Celebrity’ refers to an individual who is widely known by the masses, and Forbes takes 100 of these celebrities and ranks them based on income, influence, fame, and professionalism. The format is the same that Forbes in the United States uses for their ‘Celebrity 100' list, and the list is reported on an annual basis.

Awards

Years	Awards
2007	Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Korea Culture & Content Agency: Best Newcomer
2009	M.net Asian Music Awards : Best Dance Award " Honey (Kara song)\|Honey ". Melon Music Awards : 2009 Top Ten Award
2010	16th Korean Entertainment Arts Awards: Best Female Singer 19th Seoul Music Awards : Bonsang Award 52nd Japan Record Awards : Project Award: "Kara Special Premium Box for Japan"
2011	25th Japan Gold Disc Awards : The Best 3 New Artists (International) 25th Japan Gold Disc Awards : New Artist of the Year (International) . Recording Industry Association of Japan, January 6, 2011 Japan Fashion Association : 2011 Best Dressed Awards 2011 Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Content Industry Award (Special Honor). Chosun Ilbo, January 14, 2011 5th Mnet 20's Choice Awards\|M.net 20's Choice Awards : Hot Korean Wave Star Recochoku Award (July): "Go Go Summer" 7th Asia Song Festival K-Pop Lovers& #33; Awards 2011: Album of the Year (Super Girl) 53rd Japan Record Award s: Excellence Award for "Go Go Summer" 26th Golden Disk Awards : Disk Bonsang 26th Golden Disk Awards : Best Hallyu Star Award
2012	7th Asia Model Awards Ceremony : Asia Star Award 21st Seoul Music Awards : Hallyu Special Award 21st Seoul Music Awards : Bonsang Award 2nd Best Application Contest of the 2011 Korea Mobile Awards : Korea Communications Commission Award (Grand Prize) 26th Japan Gold Disc Award : Best 3 Albums (Asian Category) 26th Japan Gold Disc Award : Song of the Year by Download (Asian Category) 26th Japan Gold Disc Award : Best 5 Song by Download 26th Japan Gold Disc Award : Best Music Videos (Asian Category) 26th Japan Gold Disc Award : Best Asian Artist GCS International Grand Award : Korea-based global social movement proposed and initiated (Idol Group - Donated to Japan's tsunami and earthquake relief)

Copyright Citations

This article is licensed under the GNU License
Click here for original article: Kara


1. Asia 2. Asian Dub Foundation 3. Agnes Baltsa 4. Banco de Gaia 5. Jimmy Barnes 6. Hildegard Behrens 7. Asha Bhosle 8. Idil Biret 9. Bond 10. Goran Bregovic 11. Alfred Brendel 12. Bride 13. Nicky Byrne 14. Jose Carreras 15. Julian Cheung 16. Chisato Moritaka 17. Jarvis Cocker 18. Jude Cole 19. Jose van Dam 20. Courtnee Draper 21. Enemy 22. Five 23. Mirella Freni 24. Furniture 25. Filippa Giordano

Undetermined Music Artists