Profile | How Hong Kong’s Albert Leung (Lin Xi) became one of Cantopop’s most loved lyricists
Having created lyrics for stars from Anita Mui to Leslie Cheung and Jacky Cheung, Leung is one of Cantopop’s most loved and prolific writers
If you are a fan of Cantopop music from the 1980s to the 2000s, chances are that you love the lyrics written by Albert Leung Wai-man, best known by his pen name Lin Xi (or Lam Chik).
With over 3,000 songs to his name (including nearly 2,400 published during his creative peak from 1994 to 2008), Leung is undoubtedly a very efficient writer – he once revealed that his fastest song was written in 45 minutes. His poetic flair and emotional depth make him a defining figure in Chinese pop culture.
Born in 1961, Leung attended Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College and La Salle College in Hong Kong, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Hong Kong (HKU). His academic training gave him the linguistic tools to craft the profound and evocative lyrics for which he would become famous.
An avid reader, Leung told Verse magazine that he started reading poetry in third grade. “One of the first books I read was Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” he said.
“I started with ancient poetry then went on to classic literature, then contemporary literature. I think that standard of procedure is the correct progress.”
