Korean pop superstar HyunA appeared in her 2015 music video 'Roll Deep' wearing a University of Texas at Tyler t-shirt, an unexpected cameo whose origins remain a mystery even after efforts by the university to identify its source. The music video, released while HyunA was a member of the South Korean girl group 4Minute, has accumulated more than 136 million views on YouTube, drawing a global audience far beyond the Korean Peninsula.
In the latter half of the 'Roll Deep' video, HyunA is seen sporting a UT Tyler crop top. The singer and rapper further showcased the distinctive shirt in a July 2015 Instagram selfie, which garnered thousands of likes online. Despite the widespread visibility, a UT Tyler spokesperson confirmed that its marketing department, which first learned of the video about a decade ago, has been unable to identify any possible connections or the reason for the shirt's appearance. The university's efforts to solve the curious cameo's origin have not yielded an answer.
While the specific link to UT Tyler remains elusive, HyunA has established connections to Texas over the past decade. Her first performance in the United States took place in the state just 17 months prior to the 'Roll Deep' music video's release. According to Billboard, HyunA performed in Austin in March 2014 as part of South by Southwest K-Pop Night Out. The report noted that Lady Gaga was among the audience members for that show.
HyunA later returned to the Lone Star State two years after the music video's release for 'The Queen's Back,' her inaugural North American tour. More recently, she kicked off her 2024 'My Attitude' tour in Dallas, followed by a performance in Houston. These subsequent appearances underscore a recurring presence for the artist in Texas, though they do not clarify the specific connection that led to the UT Tyler shirt's prominent display.
HyunA's global recognition significantly increased after her feature as a dancer in PSY's 2012 'Gangnam Style' music video, which is widely regarded as the best-known K-pop video ever. Her versatility as a performer has also been recognized by Vogue, which labeled her "one of K-pop's most versatile performers."
The artist has recently been off-tour following an incident in November where she collapsed on-stage during a concert in Macao. According to the Korea Times, HyunA has a history of vasovagal fainting and publicly apologized to her fans for the interruption. Despite her extensive touring and high-profile career, the origin of the UT Tyler t-shirt's appearance in her 2015 music video remains an unexplained detail in her widely-viewed work.
