In the Hong Kong Red Pavilion in the scorching summer, a much-anticipated concert finally kicked off. On the stage, a female singer dressed in the costume of a future soldier slowly rose, she is the diva of the Hong Kong music scene - Sammi Cheng. At this moment, the audience was boiling, and cheers came and went. The long-awaited "You & Mi Tour Hong Kong Station" has finally begun.
The concert was originally scheduled to take place in July 2023, but it was postponed for a full year due to Sammi Cheng's ill health. Now, she is back on stage with an even stronger stance, offering fans an audio-visual feast. However, what is unexpected is that this concert is not only a carnival of music, but also a feast of alternative fashion.
Sammi Cheng's concerts have always been known for their varied looks, but this time, she has taken this feature to the extreme. In just three hours of performance, she presented an astonishing 16 different looks, each of which was stunning. These shapes are not ornate or elegant in the traditional sense, but are mainly characterized by weirdness, avant-garde, and mix-and-match, which completely subverts people's inherent perception of stage shapes.
These striking looks were created by Chinese designer Sensen Lii. As the founder of his personal brand WINDOWSEN, Sensen Lii is known in the fashion world for his avant-garde and quirky designs. His works are bold and distorted, with complex colors and materials, transcending the boundaries of gender and even species, and completely detached from conventional aesthetic standards. In his design concept, "strange" is "beautiful", which brings great visual impact and psychological shock to the audience.
Sammi Cheng's concert opened with a futuristic futuristic warrior outfit, followed by a dark crystal queen with an awl and an exaggerated fur in the rap session. Each of these looks was created by Sensen Lii, and each set was memorable and sparked a lively discussion among the audience.
However, these avant-garde styling has also caused quite a bit of controversy. Many audiences are accustomed to Sammi Cheng's stage costumes in the past, which were dominated by high-end brands, and they feel uncomfortable with the weird style this time. Some people think that these shapes are too exaggerated, and some even bluntly say that they are difficult to appreciate. But in fact, this is where Sammi Cheng's unique charm lies. She is not satisfied with following the rules, but constantly challenges herself to pursue a different stage presentation.
Sammi Cheng's collaboration with Sensen Lii is not the first of its kind. As early as the 2019 concert, she wore the white cloud and dragon fruit looks designed by Sensen Lii on stage, which left a deep impression on the audience. In addition, when she attended the K11 night event, the sci-fi shoes on her feet were also made by Sensen Lii. Clearly, Sammi Cheng has a soft spot for Sensen Lii's design style, and this time he worked with his team to bring this avant-garde fashion concept throughout the concert.
Despite the controversy surrounding these looks, it is undeniable that Sammi Cheng mastered each outfit perfectly. Compared with the display of models, Sammi Cheng can give full play to the essence of these looks. This not only reflects her professionalism as an artist, but also shows her spirit of courage to try and constantly break through herself.
In addition to the dazzling looks, Sammi Cheng's song selection is also a highlight of this concert. As a singer who has debuted for more than 35 years and is still releasing new works, it is undoubtedly a huge challenge to meet his own artistic pursuits and meet the expectations of the audience in the limited performance time.
In this concert, Sammi Cheng sang a total of 38 songs, covering all stages of her career. The concert opened with "Pilgrimage", which was majestic and shocking, and the subsequent "Fever and Brightness" pushed the atmosphere to a climax. The whole performance is divided into 7 thematic sessions, including rap session, dark session, faith session and tear session, each with its own unique theme and atmosphere.
Among them, the most eye-catching is the review of the movie's golden songs. As the actor who won the Academy Awards for the first time in 2023, Sammi Cheng specially designed this link to review his film music career. She strings together a series of classic movie theme songs and interludes, and sings them along with the movie screens, bringing the audience into unforgettable screen memories. From "Lifelong Beauty" to "On the Line of Feelings", from "Come Back to Me" to "Why is it so wrong again", every song is a classic in the Chinese music scene and an important milestone in Sammi Cheng's artistic career.
This session not only allowed the audience to review Sammi Cheng's brilliant music career, but also witnessed her growth and achievements as an actor. When the concert showed the picture of her winning the Academy Award, Sammi Cheng was even so excited that she burst into tears on the stage, and this scene also deeply touched every audience present.
It is worth mentioning that although the Red Pavilion has restrictions on the specifications of the performance due to safety considerations, and does not allow too many organs, especially those that go to heaven and earth, Sammi Cheng's team still presents the ultimate stage effect under limited conditions. Especially in the rap session, the visual presentation of the entire stage was amazing and brought a strong visual impact to the audience.
However, the biggest surprise of this concert, or the biggest surprise, is that Sammi Cheng invited her husband Xu Zhian to the stage as a guest. It is well known that Hui was controversial because of the scandal over his private life, and many people are still hostile to him to this day. But as his wife, Sammi Cheng chose to forgive and be tolerant, and this decision undoubtedly shows her generosity and sincere love.
Xu Zhian sang "Fireworks at the End of the Century" with Sammi Cheng on the stage, and did not say a word except singing during the whole process, and silently stepped off the stage after singing. This treatment not only shows Sammi Cheng's support for her husband, but also reflects Hui Zhian's low-key and humility. Although this decision caused some controversy, many viewers were moved by the relationship between the two and thought it was a sincere expression of love.
Looking back on the whole concert, Sammi Cheng used her unique way to interpret what true art is. She is not just a singer, but an all-round artist. She touches people's hearts with music, challenges vision with styling, and infects the audience with sincere emotions. Every decision she makes, whether it's in the choice of music, or in the styling, or even the decision to invite guests, reflects her unique perspective and courage as an artist.
This concert is not only a musical feast, but also a visual carnival, an artistic exploration, and an emotional exchange. In her way, Sammi Cheng tells us that art should not be defined, and should not be bound by a framework. True art should be one that has the courage to break through, dare to innovate, and be able to provoke thinking and discussion.
While one may not be able to understand or appreciate Sammi Cheng's choice of shapes, it is undeniable that they do serve the purpose of art – to provoke discussion, challenge conventions, and push the boundaries of aesthetics. In this sense, Sammi Cheng's concert is not only a performance, but also an artistic manifesto.
Finally, we have to admire Sammi Cheng's courage and innovative spirit. At the peak of her career, she didn't choose to rest on her laurels, but continued to challenge herself and explore new possibilities. She tells us with her actions that true artists never stop innovating and are never satisfied with the status quo.
This concert is another milestone in Sammi Cheng's artistic career. It not only showcases her strength as a singer, but also her vision and courage as an artist. Whether it is 16 sets of stunning looks, or carefully selected 38 songs, or a generous invitation to her husband on stage, every detail shows Sammi Cheng's unique charm and artistic pursuit.
In this era of rapid change, there are fewer and fewer artists who can always maintain their innovative spirit and artistic passion. In her way, Sammi Cheng tells us what a true artist should be – always young, always with tears in her eyes, always full of passion, and always brave to try. Her concert is not only an audio-visual feast, but also a vivid art lesson, teaching us how to keep ourselves true and constantly break through ourselves.
Although the curtain has come down on this concert, the discussion and reflection it has sparked will continue for a long time. Whether you are a die-hard fan of Sammi Cheng or a new audience who has just come into contact with her, I believe this concert has left a deep impression on you. It makes us rethink the definition of art, the standards of aesthetics, and what qualities a true artist should have.
In the future, we look forward to seeing more artists like Sammi Cheng who are brave enough to innovate and break through. They interpret art in their own way, challenge conventions, and push the industry forward. For the audience, we should also be more open-minded to appreciate different forms of artistic expression, because only in this way can art truly flourish and our cultural life be more colorful.