Hailed as the new kings of Cantopop, the members of Mirror have certainly made a splash on the Greater Chinese music scene since their debut in 2018. The boy group, which consists of 12 members who were originally contestants of the King Maker TV talent show, has been going from strength to strength in recent years, with a string of hit tracks and appearances in movies and dramas.
There’s even a Facebook group with over 340,000 members that’s dedicated to concerned husbands and boyfriends who wish to vent their frustration over their significant other’s obsession with the group. If that’s not enough, Rolling Stone included the Cantopop band on their Future 25 list of rising talents this year.
As Mirror continues to grow in popularity, its members hope to continue breathing new life to the struggling Cantopop industry by exploring different types of music.
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“We’ve been trying to embrace and absorb different kinds of music from all around the world, including Western style,” Anson Lo, the group’s vice leader said during a performance in New York City. “We also like to include our own unique melodic style of Hong Kong [music].”
The group is staging a comeback tour this year following a tragic accident during a concert in 2022 in which a giant screen fell and severely injured two dancers. As part of the Feel the Passion tour, the band is staging four shows at the Galaxy Macau between 16 and 19 May. Check out some of their work – both as a group and as solo performers.
“Ignited” (2020), Mirror
Composed by Carl Wong and written by Chan Wing Him, who have both collaborated with some of Cantopop’s biggest stars including Joey Yung and Eason Chan, “Ignited “is an energetic Cantonese pop song that deals with the theme of burning love.
The song currently has two renditions, including the so-called “Too Hot to Handle” dance version that is a little more upbeat. The funky version, above, is slower in pace, with an video that was shot on a 360-degree stage.
“Dear My Friend” (2021), Keung To
Over the past six years, various members of Mirror have made their solo debuts, including Ian Chan, Anson Lo, Jeremy Lee, Jer Lau, Anson Kong and Keung To. The latter’s “Dear My Friend” is worthy of mention because of its heartfelt and emotional backstory.
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The song describes Keung’s grief over the death of his friend Kin Lam, who passed away in March 2021 after the two of them were on their way home from a basketball game. In conceptualising the track, Keung first wrote a 1,000 word letter to his late friend, which he then handed to lyricist Riley Lam to help convey his innermost feelings and childhood memories.
The results certainly speak for themselves. The song has currently amassed 26 million views and helped Keung to win the Audience’s Favourite Song at Cantopop’s Ultimate Song Chart Awards in 2021.
“Warrior” (2021), Mirror
This is among one of Mirror’s most well-known songs and with good reason – its message of new beginnings and resilience in the face of adversity resonated with many Hong Kongers as the Covid-19 pandemic was ravaging the city.
The song’s English chorus particularly stands out, with its theme of persistence:
Never give up never give up.
Never give up I got it I’ve got a warrior heart
Never give up never give up
Never give up I got it I’ve got a warrior heart
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The song is also worth a listen due to its top-notch production value courtesy of composers Van Del Prete and Hwan Yang, who have both worked with renowned K-pop groups such as NCT27 and Twice.
“Rumour” (2023), Mirror
Rumour was the band’s very first English language single. The song is an electronic dance music (EDM) track that is more geared towards an international audience, with easy to understand lyrics about courting and desire.
“We tended to perform music in a funky, retro disco style,” said Mirror member Anson Lo in a Variety interview. “But ‘Rumours’ is an EDM song and I think by far it is the sexiest song I’ve done.”
Despite its international outlook, the song pays tribute to Mirror’s home city through its MV, which was filmed in a retro Hong Kong hair salon, sky100 and Hong Kong Stadium.
“Day 0 (Ft. DAME D.O.L.L.A),” (2024) Mirror
Released only last month, “Day 0” is Mirror’s second English single and is intended as a tribute to the supporters who have been there for them since their debut (hence the name).
Producing this hip-hop song was a major leap of faith for Mirror, as they previously had very little exposure to the genre. It also forced them to learn their most difficult dance routine so far and engage in a considerable amount of rapping, with one member telling NME that “we’ve never tried this amount of rapping, I think 70 percent of the song is rap.”
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NBA player and singer Damian Lillard – also known as Dame D.O.L.L.A. – makes an unexpected appearance. Although Lillard’s part in the video is a mere cameo, he proved to be instrumental in changing the tone of the song, with the band telling NME that a more hip hop tone was adopted at his suggestion after he listened to the demo last April.
