Vivienne Chow

Opinion | Canto-pop has a future, it’s Hong Kong fans who are stuck in the past

The recent debate over the emergence of pop star Keung To is the first time in years Canto-pop has been talked about. Local music is integral to Hong Kong culture, and we should be glad young people are still pursuing their Canto-pop dreams

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Vivienne Chow

Published: 6:45am, 30 Jan 2021Updated: 6:57am, 30 Jan 2021

A better year might continue to elude Hong Kong as political disputes and the Covid-19 pandemic drag on, but in the dark first month of 2021, a ray of hope has shone through – namely, a 21-year-old called Keung To, along with a new generation of Canto-pop idols.

“Who is Keung To?” has easily become one of the most asked questions among Hongkongers since January 1, when the singer and member of the 12-piece boy band, Mirror, became the youngest person to win two coveted prizes, “My Favourite Male Singer” and “My Favourite Song”, at Commercial Radio’s Ultimate Song Chart Awards.

His bandmates, Jeremy Lau and Anson Lo, won the gold and bronze prizes for best newcomer, and the band also received one of the top 10 song awards.

The surprise wins of Keung – the surname is a homonym of “ginger” in Cantonese – spiced up the lives (pardon the pun) of those who were stuck at home and watching the awards show on television, thanks to the seemingly never-ending social distancing restrictions. Debate quickly heated up on the internet and in group chats, within various circles of friends.

Fans of Keung, who call themselves “ginger candies”, were delighted by his success; “there’s no justice if Keung To isn’t famous” was a common refrain.

Meanwhile, haters wondered how a kid who has been on the local pop scene all of two years after winning the ViuTV reality show King Maker – and who is obviously not the best singer around – could bag the top prizes at the most respected music awards show in Hong Kong.