Biography
KARA is a five-member girl group formed by DSP Media and currently signed under RBW. Originally four, they debuted on March 29, 2007, with their first album The First Bloooooming. They disbanded on January 15, 2016, following the contract expirations for Gyuri, Seungyeon, and Hara. Kara made their debut in March 2007 with their first studio album, The First Bloooooming, and its title track, "Break It." Originally a quartet composed of Park Gyuri, Han Seungyeon, Nicole Jung, and Kim Sunghee, Kara showcased a strong female image and a mature R&B sound. Expectations for the group were high because they were considered the successors of their senior labelmates, Fin.K.L; however, their debut was not well received by the public and was a commercial failure. The following year, Sunghee left the group due to parental pressure, and members Goo Hara and Kang Jiyoung were added. After the addition of the new members, Kara's image and musical style changed to a "pretty but natural" concept with the release of their first mini-album, Rock U, in July 2008. Following the change in concept, Kara saw increased success. In 2009, they achieved their first music show win with "Honey", and after performing their single "Mister," the popularity of its "butt dance" choreography further increased Kara's popularity across East Asia. Follow-up singles "Lupin" (2010), "Jumping" (2010), "Step" (2011), and "Pandora" (2012), also sold and charted well. Kara was ranked at No. 6 and No. 5 in Gallup Korea in 2009 and 2010 respectively, and they were also ranked at No. 4 and 13 on Forbes' Korea Power Celebrity lists in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
After establishing success in Korea, Kara began to promote their music in Japan by signing to Universal Music Japan's subsidiary label, Universal Sigma, in 2010. Their Japanese debut was a success; they were dubbed "Japan's No. 1 Rookie Artist of 2010" by Oricon and received the "New Artist of the Year Award (International)" at the Japan Gold Disc Awards. In April 2011, Kara achieved their first number-one single in Japan with "Jet Coaster Love"; this made them the first foreign female group in Oricon history to have a single top the chart in its first week of release, as well as the first foreign female group to top the singles chart at all in thirty years. Within their first two years of promoting in Japan, Kara sold over one million physical singles, making them one of the fastest-selling South Korean acts in Japan.
In 2014, Nicole and Jiyoung decided not to renew their contracts with DSP Media and left the group. Following their departures, a reality TV show titled Kara Project aired to select a new member to join the group. Seven trainees from DSP Media took part in the program, and the winner, Heo Youngji, became the last member to join Kara. With this four-member lineup, Kara released two more singles in South Korea: "Mamma Mia" (2014) and "Cupid" (2015), receiving one music show win for each. On January 15, 2016, DSP Media announced Kara's disbandment after Gyuri, Seungyeon, and Hara's contracts expired.
For Kara's 15th anniversary in 2022, members Gyuri, Seungyeon, Nicole, Jiyoung, and Youngji reunited to release an EP titled Move Again. Its single, "When I Move," earned Kara their first music show win in seven years.
