Yesterday, Hong Kong fans for the phenomenon idol Jiang Tao Qingsheng, chartered a "Ding Ding Car" printed with his portrait, allowing the whole Hong Kong to ride for free, causing a hot discussion on the Internet. Also in Japan, Japanese fans also held a birthday celebration for Jiang Tao, showing a video of Jiang Tao on a 4K billboard on the streets of Shinjuku (the 3D cat location that was popular last year) and taking a group photo.
A cartoon drawn by Japanese netizens for Jiang Tao
1. Who is Jiang Tao?
Jiang Tao was born on April 30, 1999, with excellent singing skills, made a stunning appearance in the sea selection, and was the overall champion of the 2018 Hong Kong talent show "Good Night Show". Its group MIRROR, the first large-scale male idol group in Hong Kong (12 people), Jiang Tao was evaluated as the façade and center of the group, and was the most popular among MIRROR.
In 2019, Jiang Tao's solo single "No. 1 Seed" won a number of newcomer awards, and won two major awards at the Hong Kong Billboard Music Awards Ceremony in the same year, "My Favorite Male Singer" and "My Favorite Song". He is not only active in the music scene, but also carries out performing arts activities. However, what has gained a lot of popularity is his unashamed attitude and humble personality.
Second, why MIRARR can survive in Hong Kong, where the idol industry is weak
As the first large-scale idol boy band in Hong Kong, MIRROR has a great influence on Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, where the idol industry is weak, mirror is a pioneer, but it may also be followed by newcomers. So what is the reason why they are still thriving more than three years after their debut? Many reports have examined their amazing popularity performance, and the C-POP Institute in Japan believes that mirror's success is mainly due to the following reasons:
1. Mirror members have their own advantages and characteristics
The members of MIRROR are very strong and have their own strong fan base. Although Jiang Tao's fame has effectively driven the entire group, in fact, the other members of the group are also actors, dancers, solo singers, hosts, etc., shining on their respective stages and can also be highly praised in their respective fields.
Mirror each member has their own style, and the company is able to help them fully express it, so MIRROR is very stable as a group. And when everyone gathers together, the power is not to be underestimated, the commercial value is immeasurable, and MIRROR is simply the strongest combination of the embodiment of the group name.
For many years, Hong Kong music has been commented that it has been singing many bitter love songs, and MIRROR's songs can play with a variety of styles, which has greatly changed the impression of Asian fans that Hong Kong music lags behind the mainland and Taiwan.
Recommended songs from MIRROR members:
Korean-style singing and dancing song "Warrior"
Avant-garde rock "Diary of a Madman"
Pop (Latin American minor + classical strings + African drums) Master Class
Guofeng (Shamisen + Taiko Drum + Singing) + edm Trap Wind + RAP "Tiger Road Gate"
Japanese Rock "Black Breath"
R&B《DWBF》
Classical love song "Mr. E's Serial Misfortune"
Cute Sunshine Series "One Second"
2. The program group innovates in the case of insufficient resources and talents
The Hong Kong market is small, and there is very little money to invest in idol-generating projects. Because there is no huge amount of money like South Korea, used to build a cultural industry, there is no gorgeous stage on the mainland, and the trainee system is not perfect, so the level of participants is very different, and the "Star-Making for All" program was very hard at the beginning.
However, the program team is committed to mingling with the audience, creating a sense of authenticity and intimacy, showing emotional aspects such as quarrels to the fullest, and focusing on the growth process of ordinary people (amateurs). Such innovations have enabled the show to gain a sense of recognition from audiences at home and abroad, with fans spanning 3-80 years old, and MIRROR has achieved success in the weak environment of the idol industry.
In addition, there is another factor that TV shows have received more attention during the COVID-19 epidemic, when it is difficult for people to go out. In the hard life, if there is such a glowing existence, it will definitely make people want to support it.
3. The recovery of Hong Kong Le
Mirror's greatest role lies in activating and reviving the overall vitality of the Hong Kong music market through cooperation in various fields. Although a new generation is constantly emerging, the success of the entire music scene needs a strong backing. An all-round singer like Lee Wing-ho is rare (Hong Kong also has all-round singer-songwriters such as Lam Ka-kwan and Fung Yoon-chien).
The most notable example is Gareth.T's "Master Class" collaboration with Jiang Tao, which has attracted the attention of Hong Kong people. Jiang Tao has also recently been involved in 12 creative projects. The huge traffic of MIRROR does have the ability to make excellent newcomers popular.
Another point is that mirror members have many advantages and can carry out cross-border cooperation, making multiple types of cooperation projects possible, and gradually expanding the scope of cooperation. The latest project, a collaboration with Taiwan's Qiu Fengze, has attracted a lot of attention, which may be the first step for MIRARROR to make a big difference internationally in the future. The recovery of Hong Kong Le, we can wait and see!
Japan's C-POP Research Institute editor editor foreign language: Honestly speaking, the golden period of Hong Kong music was once generation after generation, and the artists that the editor liked were Zhang Guorong, beyond, Jacky Cheung, to Eason Chan. In recent years, the only Hong Kong singers familiar with are Deng Ziqi, Chen Baiyu and Zhang Jingxuan. Many people think that the Hong Kong music scene will die, which makes the editor feel sorry. But Xiaobian recently heard surprising news: Now Hong Kong idols have become a hot topic on the Internet. A phenomenon idol was born in Hong Kong? Unbelievable! I know that MIRROR is a year after the debut of the group...
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CammyYe compiled from the Japanese note website/C-POP Institute