"Sexy Love" () is a single by South Korean girl group T-ara and the lead single from their seventh mini-album Mirage. It was released by Core Contents Media on 4 September 2012. This is the first Korean single released by T-ara without Hwayoung after her contract termination. The song was released in Japan and served as the first single from the group's second Japanese album Treasure Box.
Background and release
Korean version In mid-July 2012, T-ara's agency Core Contents Media stated that after "Day by Day" promotional schedule was over, a follow-up single arranged by Shinsadong Tiger would be released on 15 August. On an episode of T-ara's "Star Life Theater" broadcast by KBS on 17 July, a picture of T-ara's recording was revealed with former member Hwayoung also participated in the recording. However, due to Hwayoung's removal from the group, it was not until 30 August 2012, that the official album cover and concept photos of the seventh mini-album Mirage were released. The music video trailer for the single "Sexy Love" was also announced on the same day. On September 6, T-ara performed a comeback performance of "Sexy Love" and "Day and Night" on the live music program M Countdown, and officially launched the promotion schedule.
Japanese version On 14 September 2012, T-ara released the Japanese version of "Sexy Love" as their fifth single in the country. All songs were later re-released under the group's second full album Treasure Box. The single was released in three versions: Limited Editions A and B with a DVD, and a regular edition. Each edition included a Japanese remake of a previously released song. Regular editions A & B come with DVDs containing music videos and other content.
Reception The single peaked in the top five on both the Korean and Japanese charts. The Japanese version peaked at number 4 on Oricon singles chart and charted for a total of 10 weeks. NME included it on its of T-ara's best songs to date. Amanda Yesilbas from Tech magazine Gizmodo, praised the dystopian music video, and noted that it could be referring to society's obsession with sex bots.
In popular culture "Sexy Love" was featured in the 2024 drama Love In The Big City. Nam Yoon-su and Do Yu who played Go Young and Park Ji-tae respectively practiced the choreography for 4 hours. Additionally, Park Ji-tae is revealed to be a fan and a big supporter of T-ara in the show.
~Sexy Love~ Premium Showcase
Overview A special promotional showcase (Mini-Live) tour was held to celebrate the release of Sexy Love (Japanese Ver.). Tour was held across 6 cities in Japan. The purchase of at least one copie of the single was mandatory for access. Additionally, a message card handover event was held after every showcase date, participants were chosen by lottery. The tour kicked off on November 11, 2012 in Fukuoka and ended on November 18, 2012 in Osaka. The Tokyo show held on November 17 reportedly drew a crowd of 3,000 fans.
Tour dates +DateCityCountryVenueAttendanceNovember 11, 2012FukuokaJapanZepp Fukuaka—November 11, 2012Oita CityPark Place Oita—November 16, 2012TokyoTokyo Dome City Hall3,000November 17, 2012KyotoKyoto Theatre—November 17, 2012NagoyaOasis 21—November 18, 2012OsakaNHK Osaka Hall—Total—
Track listing
Charts
Weekly charts Chart Peakposition Japan (Oricon) 4 Japan (Japan Hot 100) 5 South Korea (Gaon) 3 South Korea (K-pop Hot 100) 4 US World Digital Songs (Billboard) 7
Year-end charts Chart Position Japan (Oricon) 165 South Korea (Gaon) 60 South Korea (K-pop Hot 100) 40
Sales CountrySalesSouth Korea (digital)1,550,000
Awards and nominations Award ceremonyYearCategoryResultRef.ArcH Music Awards2012Top 10 SongsGQ Korea AwardsThis Year's Will
Release history VersionDateRegionFormPublisherKorean version4 September 2012VariousDigital downloadCore Contents MediaDigital downloadJapanese version7 November 2012JapanDigital downloadEMI Music Japan14 November 2012CD
References