Wong Chi Chung, a veteran radio DJ and director of General Education at the University of Hong Kong, agreed.
“There are nine sounds (or tones) in Cantonese, making even pronunciation difficult, not to mention singing,” said Wong, who wrote her doctoral thesis on Cantopop.
But he said he still believes the song can find success in English-speaking communities and that it is an ideal time for the Mirror to broaden its fan base now that Hong Kong is finally emerging from three years of pandemic lockdown.
Wong argues that music like Mirror’s should really be called «Hong Kong pop».
“In terms of language, Hong Kong has always been a hybrid city,” he said.
“If you take a look at the 1960s, Hong Kong pop music consisted mainly of songs in English,” he added. «It wasn’t until the ’70s that Cantonese songs became mainstream.»
Even as they compete between music, film and television projects, the Mirror members say they are still not fully over a concert accident last July in which a huge video screen crashed through the stage, injuring two dancers, one of them seriously .
In January, police charged three employees of the concert’s main contractor with conspiracy to defraud, accusing them of underestimating the weight of the video screen. The most seriously injured dancer, Mo Li, took his first steps since the accident in February with the help of an exoskeleton, according to a Facebook post by his father. The 28-year-old, who has been mostly hospitalized for the past eight months, still requires hours of daily treatment.
The gang, whose other members include Frankie Chan, Alton Wong, Lokman Yeung, Anson Kong, Jer Lau, Jeremy Lee, Keung To, Tiger Yau and Ian Chan, did not appear in public for two months after the accident.
“We still think about it all the time. But I think it’s very important for us to come back,» said Lo, who was on stage at the time.
Lui, who was also performing during the accident, said the band «really tried their best to digest it.»
“Hopefully we can get through it and put more positive energy back into the public,” he said.