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Here I Am (Limited Edition)
Energy (Singer)
If you wait long enough, they will come. After 15 years of hiatus, oughties Taiwan boy band Energy officially returned this year. What's more, Energy is back in the original lineup of Milk, Edy, Toro, Kunda and Shuwei! Milk and Toro had previously left the group before their hiatus, with Toro's departure in 2003 in particular being a turning point for Energy back then. Having all five members together again is a true blast to the past to peak Energy circa early 2000s. This comeback was put in motion after the group reunited to great fanfare for a guest performance at a Mayday concert in 2023. Afterwards, Energy joined Mayday's B'in Music, and they make a full-blown return this year with a... [read more]
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We Are Dancing In The Dark
WHIZZ (Singer)
Almost two years after releasing their debut album, Hong Kong indie girl band WHIZZ delivers again with soft, dreamy and groovy pop band sounds with a retro touch in We Are Dancing in The Dark. Unlike their previous record, this second album connects more with relatable stories about our inner souls written in Cantonese by lyricists Cheng Man, Chung Suet and the members. The rhythmical "Incurable…" (Track 1) conveys the struggling thoughts of hiding one's true self, while the lighthearted "Say Anything" (Track 2) carries a sweet love confession. Following the laid-back interlude Private Zone (feat. Meter Mak) (Track 3), WHIZZ shifts to a slightly edgy ambience for "Guilty of... [read more]
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I Love You, Do You Love Me?
Arrow Wei (Singer)
Releasing five albums and 33 digital singles in five years, Arrow Wei has been blessing listeners with numerous quality original songs and covers since debut. This year, after dropping project singles with Janice Yan, Ring and Xiao Bing Chih, the Taiwan singer-songwriter proudly presents her first compilation album I Love You, Do You Love Me? with 11 selected best hits plus two bonus tracks! The album opens with the special version of "I Love You, Do You Love Me?" – a representative song of her debut era. While the original version gives off a folk and bossa-nova ambience, this special version stylishly remakes the song in a new arrangement, signifying her music evolution through the years.... [read more]
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Kaho X MC Frenemy Live 2022 (Blu-ray)
Hung Kaho (Singer)
| MC Cheung (Singer)
Known as the "Warner Music duo," Hung Kaho and MC Cheung are two of the most hyped, rising Cantopop voices of the past few years. Last year, they held the joint concert Frenemy Live 2022 at the KITEC for three nights before holding their own solo concerts in late 2022. Besides melting hearts with their signature hits and covers, the singers also moved many with their chemistry and bromance during the fun and playful Frenemy concert. Kicking off strong, Kaho and MC heat up the stage with fiery beats and groovy dance moves in the opening – their concert theme songs "Warning" and "Why Not Both." They then throw the dice to decide who sings next. Kaho goes first by performing his romantic... [read more]
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Origin Of Time
Endy Chow (Singer)
| ToNick (Singer)
Chiu Sin Hang, the lead singer of Hong Kong band ToNick and occasional actor, has developed a respectable second (or third) career in filmmaking. He made his co-directing debut in 2017 with the well-received Vampire Cleanup Department, and his first solo directorial feature One Second Champion grossed a very respectable HK$17 million, ranking fifth in box office among Hong Kong films in 2021. Besides directing and acting, Chiu Sin Hang, or Hangjai as he goes by in ToNick, also brings his music into film by creating the theme songs. For One Second Champion's theme song, ToNick joins forces with the film's leading man, Endy Chow. Composed by Endy and Hangjai, "Origin of Time" won Best... [read more]
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MEMENTO
Terence Lam (Singer)
Emerging on the Cantopop scene with two astounding records, fast-rising singer-producer Terence Lam has become one of the hottest stars of Hong Kong over the past two years. Unlike his past releases (which included mostly his solely penned songs), Memento records Terence exploring more possibilities in his voice and music through collaborating with other songwriters and lyricists. He unfolds his summer tale in Memento with the chill and healing doodoodoo (Track 1) composed by Crowd Lu. Terence revisits different Hong Kong landmarks in his playful and imaginative lyrics while dancing to the lighthearted beats. Next, the singer gets ready to celebrate the hot season to the fullest in "Summer"... [read more]
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A Poem For You
Winni (Singer)
| Arrow Wei (Singer)
Since 2021, Arrow Wei has been releasing her remakes of different popular Mandopop hits, such as Queen Wei's "Rhythm of the Rain," Fish Leong's "Courage," Rachel Liang's "That Girl Said To Me," 831's "Miss You 3000," Zayin's "Blue Eyes," and more. This time, she collaborates with entertainer WINNI to melt our hearts with heartwarming duets. If Kenji Wu's "A Poem For You" is a soulful poem about how crazy he can go for his crush, Arrow and WINNI's remake of it would be an enchanting ode to love that gently recounts the romantic moments shared in a relationship. Delivered in the pure vocal tones of the girls, this newly arranged version of "A Poem For You" (Track 1) gives off a lovey-dovey... [read more]
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Learning Curve (2CD)
Hung Kaho (Singer)
Hung Kaho – you may have heard of him from "Teardrops in the Ocean" (Warner's I Don't Wanna Be Your IG Story music project) or his collaborations with MC Cheung Tinfu. But now, the promising Hong Kong singer-songwriter has established his own style that makes him one of a kind in the Cantopop world. Four years after debut, Hung Kaho finally presents his first physical album Learning Curve, which captures his ventures into various "Experiences" and "Experiments" in his singing career. Arranged in chronological order, the 15 tracks in Learning Curve are listed from the most recent releases to the oldest. The record opens with several hit singles that helped Kaho make a name for himself: the... [read more]
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Dark wings (EP + Photo Album)
Yang Yu Teng (YU) (Singer)
When YU made his debut in the summer of 2020, he was a nearly unknown newcomer. Since then, a starring role in the hit Taiwan series We Best Love – which also featured his song "Blue Lover" – has turned him into one of the most anticipated new names in Taiwan pop. YU's second EP Dark Wings arrives over a year after his first EP. He works with the same core production team led by producer Howie Chou, but this time he wrote the lyrics for both songs on the EP. If My Night Has Nothing To Do evokes blue feelings, then Dark Wings brings out the feelings of darkness. The EP's two songs call upon the doubts, fears, loneliness, rebellion and uneasiness YU felt in the past as a youth who left Japan... [read more]
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The Voyage
Karen Mok (Singer)
Two decades after Golden Flower, C-pop diva Karen Mok finally presents her new Cantonese album – The Voyage – to record her remarkable stories and emotions throughout her 28-year-long music journey. Last year, Karen swept charts and awards with the hit Cantonese digital single "Breathing is Hazardous," for which a rooftop live version is included in this album. She brings new modern woman insights in the 2021 version of "A Woman for All Seasons," which is again written by Wyman Wong. After 21 years, women still long for love, but they're also much more confident and independent now: "Even if you can't meet the right person, you're still a good woman. Doggedly go shop, eat, and sleep." She... [read more]
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It's OK To Be Sad
Janice Vidal (Singer)
There are a lot of great Cantopop singers in Hong Kong, but Janice Vidal's songs always hit differently. Janice comforts our wounded soul with nine healing pieces in It's OK To Be Sad. The song title says it all – It's OK To Be Sad (Track 1). Janice encourages us to not neglect our emotions, and to embrace the negativity in ourselves: "It's ok to be sad, it's ok to lose your mind. Life is not a childhood fantasy, sometimes it appears to have no mercy." With Janice's gentle timbre on top of a lighthearted melody, the empowering It's OK To Be Sad heals hearts with a calming ambience that makes you want to take it easy on everything. Apart from It's OK To Be Sad, Wyman Wong also wrote lyrics... [read more]
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U (Regular Version)
Jasper Liu (Singer)
Having joined different TV programs in Taiwan, mainland China and Korea, Jasper Liu has become one of the hottest stars in Asia in recent years. We all agree that he is a promising actor and a good entertainer, but do you know he also sings pretty well? Jasper sings four different love stories in his solo debut album Ü, bringing you on an emotional rollercoaster of feelings, from heart-fluttering to wrenching. Upbeat and lighthearted title single U (Track 1) is the typical type of sweet and romantic tune about wanting to be with U every day: "Every day, U, U, hold hands with you. I just want you, you, no matter where I go." This song totally fits the actor's usual bright and cheerful image,... [read more]
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NEW WORLD (2CD Edition)
Hua Chenyu (Singer)
While I'd known about Hua Chenyu since the 2013 Super Boy competition, I didn't truly take notice of him until his appearance on Singer 2018. Up until then, I had seen him on some variety shows, and been impressed by his performances here and there when they popped up via YouTube's algorithm, but I didn't actively seek out his music. That all changed when Hua showed up in Week 4 of Singer 2018 with a dramatically electrifying performance of "Wukong," a rebellious rap-rock anthem written in the name of the Monkey King. He finished second on Singer 2018 after delivering one memorable stage after another, all of which I've rewatched too many times. Returning to Singer 2020 this year, he became... [read more]
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Sparrow
Li Rong Hao (Singer)
If I have to choose ten best C-pop albums of the past decade, Li Ronghao's 2018 hit Ear would definitely be on my list. After a two-year wait, the top Chinese singer-songwriter finally blesses our ears with another self-written, self-produced, self-arranged and self-mixed record Sparrow! Sparrow revolves around the different relationships and emotions we encounter in everyday life, accompanied by Li's signature band-sound music. "Sparrow" (Track 1) caught my ear with just the first verse. The title single uses a "sparrow" to reflect on humanity – being "small but strong, fragile but tenacious" while living in this busy, ever-changing world. When listening to this song, I really get the... [read more]
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MAJOR IN MINOR
Terence Lam (Singer)
If you're one of those C-pop lovers who looks over the credits whenever you listen to a song, Terence Lam (Lam Ka Him) would not sound unfamiliar. Pakho Chau's "One Step Closer," JW's breakout hit "Contradictory Life," JW and James Wu's duet "So It's Because We're Deeply in Love," Yoga Lin's "Vulnerable," Joey Yung's "Science of Heart"… These are just some of Terence Lam's long list of credited tracks. The Cantopop songwriter now shows us more of his music talent in his singing debut. What's so special about Terence Lam is not merely his composing skills, but also his vocal timbre that reminds me of 90s and early 2000s Hong Kong singers. Free of overly polished vocal techniques, his unique,... [read more]
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Feanna 17+
Wong Shuk Man (Singer)
Feanna Wong Shuk Man, who just graduated from high school this year, is considered one of Hong Kong's rising singers in recent years. Young as she may be, she impresses listeners with her pure and distinctive tone, even during live performances. She recently gathered her digital releases to officially present her first album, Feanna 17+! Feanna first stepped into stardom with "We Almost Fly" (Track 8), the theme song of the Hong Kong movie She Remembers, He Forgets, which won Best Original Film Song at the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards. As a singer and student, she cheers for public exam takers again in her 2019 single "We Can Make It" (Track 3), which is also written by "We Almost Fly"... [read more]
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#osnrap
OSN (Singer)
Though I am not a huge fan of hip-hop, I came across rapper OSN and his debut release #osnrap recently, and I gotta say, I really love it! His songs are not about fame, money or girls. He reflects on and writes about his life experiences. For those who are not so into the genre, this epic album may change your mind. OSN is most famous for producing and performing rap ballads. His hit singles Without You (Track 1) and Why You Gonna Lie (Track 3) have gained about three million views on YouTube in just three months. The mixing and switching of languages in his lyrics never sounds incongruent. His highly rated title track Without You (Track 1) has really nice lyrics: "Cuz me without you it... [read more]
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Dear Monster (EP)
Aaron Yan (Singer)
The 2000s Taiwan boy band Fahrenheit is probably a familiar name to most fans of Mandopop. After parting ways, Aaron Yan was the first member to go solo with his first release The Next Me. Unlike many idols, Aaron is known for his frank and honest personality as he publicly comments on political issues and even his relationship with other Fahrenheit members. The singer creates the new album Dear Monster under the concept of "REAL AARON" to share his thoughts to every listener. Most people tend to get used to things that happen around us in everyday life. As days go by, we gradually forget how to think and how to express; we don't want to be special, we just follow. We hide our unique selves... [read more]
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The World Sings Danny Chan
Hong Kong Various Artists
If he was alive, September 7, 2018, would have been Danny Chan's 60th birthday. Though the legendary singer has long left us, his many hit songs remain as classic representatives of eighties Hong Kong music and Cantopop ballads. To commemorate Danny's 60th birthday, Universal Music launched a special project that included a memorial concert and the tribute album The World Sings Danny Chan produced by veteran Alan Tsui. The album begins with Alan Tam's version of "Cherish Today" (Track 1) and the classic encouraging line of "Put down your worries / Please cherish today." The original song is probably the best example of how Danny's music blended traditional "xiao diao" melody with a... [read more]
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Modern Tragedy
Joanna Wang (Singer)
Joanna Wang swept many awards as a newcomer with her first album in 2008. Though her debut became a massive hit, she frankly stated that the whole album was designed and created under "business considerations" and not what she really wanted. Starting from her second album Joanna & Wang Ruo-lin, she has expressed her own style of music on her own terms. Modern Tragedy is Joanna's latest album with songs all written and composed by the singer-songwriter. It was my first time listening to her and the tracklist attracted me with its funny long titles. As Joanna puts it, every sad story has its value; we just have to embrace it. Let's enjoy some 90s pop rock in her new album! Modern Tragedy... [read more]
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