Mirror, The Hong Kong Boy Band Bringing Hope
The group has offered the city a sense of unity after years of political tension.
Hong Kong has been closed off from most of the outside world and has recently opened up, as local covid cases remain very low. The city has been economically battered and politically polarized and is emerging from the worst recession in decades.
The crowds filling Hong Kong are devotees of the city’s newest and hottest boy band. Their faces are plastered on subway ads, billboards, and buses. They have sold our entire concert halls, which account for the city’s only large-scale event during the pandemic.
The two-and-a-half-year-old boy band emerged from a 2018 TV talent show, intended to find a hit boy band. Hongkongers cite a number of reasons for their success, the strong presence at an award show early this year, the release of a first album, and the pandemic, which left many in need of entertainment.
One of their most popular songs includes “Warrior,” an anthem about perseverance. The song speaks of seizing opportunities amidst upheavals and ends with the English verse, “never give up. I got it. I’ve got a warrior heart”.
They have become pop idols, as their lyrics include declarations of love and I-can-do-anything affirmations. Mirror is strongly influenced by K-pop because of its highly choreographed music videos and dancing. Similar to BTS, however, in Cantonese.
According to Evelyn Char, a Hong Kong-based writer, Mirror reflects the strength of Hong Kong’s resilience. “The Mirror… phenomenon proves that even though things are so bad, this place refuses to play the role of a city of sadness”.
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