Tenjochiki

The Grace (Korean: 천상지희 더 그레이스; hanja: 天上智喜 The Grace ) is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2005. It consists of four members that specialize in skills of singing, dancing, and acting. The quartet debuted in 2005 and since then, the group gained popularity in South Korea and a number of other Asian countries. Currently, much of their activity occurs in Japan, following the precedent of other Korean-turned-Japanese-celebrity pop stars such as BoA, who is also managed by SM Entertainment.

The Grace had long been known as TSZX prior to the promotion of their 3rd Korean single around the end of 2006, at which the group changed their name to The Grace to signal the change of the group's style to a more “graceful” one. TSZX was the romanization of the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation, Tiān Shàng Zhì Xǐ. Their name was also simplified to CSJH, the romanization of the Korean pronunciation, Chun Sang Ji Hee. Both simplifications are still widely used to refer to the band despite the change in the official name. However, in Japan, the group is still officially known as Tenjōchiki, which is also abbreviated (albeit less frequently) as TJCK.

Debut and early works:
The Grace's first official performance occurred on April 29, 2005, in China. They performed their new songs "Too Good" and "Boomerang", and it was broadcasted weeks later by the Chinese channel CCTV. The Grace shared the stage with another SM star, Kangta, in order to introduce themselves. The verses in Boomerang were also sung in Chinese. Two days later, the quartet debuted with "Too Good" on SBS's popular music program Popular Songs.

However, The Grace's debut in Korea was marred by some controversy. SM introduced the group to Korean fans as the "female version of TVXQ". What initially seemed to be a good marketing strategy turned against them, as the girls were not received well by many TVXQ fans. Another issue was the choice of their official balloon color. In Korea, fans like to support their idols by waving balloons during performances, and each idol has their own color. Before The Grace's debut, it was stated that their color would be either pink or orange, but both colors were already used by famous groups, as orange belonged to Shinhwa and pink to NRG. In the end, fans of The Grace chose pink because NRG had been inactive for some time.

"Too Good", the first single by The Grace, was not as successful as SM expected. They promoted the song for a few months before switching to "Boomerang", accompanied by a new, sexy concept. "Boomerang" allowed them to show off their dancing skills, and the single was more warmly received. They also performed a cappella versions of Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling in Love (the first track off their debut single) and George Michael's Faith.

After promoting their first single in Korea for almost 7 months, the group headed off to China, where they had a quick growing fanbase. The group had a short promotional spree in China due to their rising popularity in the neighboring country. Officially released in March 2006, according to online stores, the Chinese version of the single included three new tracks: the Chinese versions of "Too Good" and "Boomerang" and the pre-group track "Fight To The End". After promotional activities concluded, The Grace headed to Japan.

Members:
*Stephanie The Grace
Real Name: Kim Bokyung (김보경), Stephanie Kim (스테파니 김)
Stage Name: Tianwu Stephanie (天舞Stephanie), Chunmu Stephanie (천무스테파니), Stephanie The Grace
Stage Name Meaning: Dance of the Sky (Dance of Heaven)
Birth Date: October 16, 1987 (1987-10-16) (age 22)
Other Works: Some American musicals; female part in Kangta & Vanness' "127day" music video; featuring in DJ MAKAI's "EVERLASTING STAR".

*Lina The Grace
Real Name: Lee Jiyeon (이지연)
Stage Name: Shangmei Lina (上美Lina), Sangmi Lina (상미린아), Lina The Grace
Stage Name Meaning: Beauty of Above (Beauty of Heaven)
Birth Date: February 18, 1984 (1984-02-18) (age 25)
Other Works: One album as part of IsakNJiyeon, Female part in S's "I Swear" MV, Female part in Kangta & Vanness' "Scandal" music video, The TRAX's "First Rain" MV, Fly to the Sky's "Goodbye" music video and Chu Ga Yeol's That Too Much To Say.

*Sunday The Grace
Real Name: Jin SeoYun (진서윤), Jin Bora (진보라)
Stage Name: Zhisheng Sunday (智聲Sunday) , Jisung Sunday (지성선데이), Sunday The Grace
Stage Name Meaning: Wise Voice (Soft Voice of Heaven)
Birth Date: January 12, 1987 (1987-01-12) (age 22)
Other Works: Two Japanese singles as a soloist; Fly to the Sky "Maybe God Knows" music video.

*Dana The Grace
Real Name: Hong Sungmi (홍성미)
Stage Name: Xiyue Dana (喜悦Dana), Heeyeol Dana (희열다나), Dana The Grace
Stage Name Meaning: Happiness (Happiness of Heaven)
Birth Date: July 17, 1986 (1986-07-17) (age 23)
Other Works: Two Korean albums as a soloist; Kangta "Polaris" music video, H.O.T.'s film Age of Peace. · close