Life in Hong Kong has changed as Beijing solidifies its dominance in nearly every aspect of city life. But Grace Choi of the BBC writes that Cantopop remains a place for city dwellers to entertain and express their collective identity.
It was an accident that rocked Hong Kong when a giant curtain fell at a concert by the popular boy band Mirror, injuring two dancers.
But this expression of collective sentiment is also reflected in the mirror—a rare source of joy for many after years of political turmoil in the city.
The Mirror is intimately familiar with Cantopop, which describes the music performed in Cantonese, which is Hong Kong's native language and an important part of the city's cultural identity. Most Chinese people communicate in Chinese.
In the past, this form of music has lost its appeal.
“Cantopop is a canned food formula,” says Zeng Lau, a 30-year-old marketing expert who tends to bring in Taiwanese and Japanese bands instead.
Hong Kong is a former British colony that seeks to enjoy certain rights not found in mainland China, such as freedom of assembly and expression.
But plans to introduce an extradition law in 2019 have raised concerns that Beijing is gaining control. People took to the streets for months to protest against the government.
Beijing has since passed the National Security Law (NSL), which critics say undermines the city's judicial autonomy and makes it easier to punish activists.
About 200 people were arrested under the NSL alone, including Democratic deputies.
A necessary backstory to the Hong Kong protests.
Kentop somehow walked onto the stage with a broken heart.
Five points to Hong Kong-China relations.
At first glance, the once rebellious city may now seem serene, but fans say that only Cantopop can endure them.
“Life in Hong Kong is full of stress, friends and family are separated, and every day we lose intangible benefits like freedom,” says Jane Chan, 28, who works in education.
"So it's very valuable for us to see [a band like Mirror], something local and real, something that can still grow and develop [today]."
Golden age.
Cantopop has always been an integral part of Hong Kong's identity, which began to develop during the former British colony's economic boom in the 1970s.
The 1980s and 1990s were the golden age of pop culture in Hong Kong. Cantopop has become an important cultural export and has gained fans in mainland China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
Since the 2000s, the Cantopop market has been slowly declining as many Hong Kong artists have focused their careers on the mainland market and their fans are turning to Mandopop and K-pop.
Now the fall has reversed.
Culture columnist Chiu Wang said popular culture has become a safe place for people to remember what Hong Kongers remember.
"For example, it could be considered a farewell song for an ex-boyfriend, a song dedicated to a friend going abroad, or even a song dedicated to the homeland that no one knows about."
Data from KKBox, one of the city's most popular music streaming platforms, showed that Hong Kong users spent 25% more time on Cantopop in 2021 than in 2020. Eight of the top 10 most downloaded songs on the platform last year were related to Mirrors. ……
RS. Lau was one of those who revived his interest in cantopapes.
“I see how the country is destroying the identity of Hong Kong and I want to protect it,” Lau said.
Cantonese is very important to us and Cantopop plays an important role in the preservation of Cantonese.”
Thinking about uncertainty.
The mirror was based on a reality show in 2018 and quickly gained notoriety.
However, the trend is not one-sided.
Many of the city's old stars have turned their attention to the mainland market - New Year's Eve artists organized by regional TV stations - a government initiative to support singers from the Greater Bay, which includes Hong Kong in the Guangdong mainland. . ...
It's hard to know what drew 1.3 billion pop stars to mainland China. But this happens under certain conditions.
For example, Jackson Wang was born in Hong Kong, carries the flag of Hong Kong and wears a hat, the symbol of the city. However, he later switched to wearing the Chinese flag during his concert tour.
There has also been criticism of the way Hong Kong's music industry operates, with injuries to mirror dancers highlighting questionable safety standards.
Could this group be that popular or where are they?
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