Joe Lei

Lyricist and songwriter in Hong Kong and Macao. Written over 300 songs. Capricorn. Says what’s on his mind.

Lessons learned from the demise of Hong Kong’s music scene (3)

03 2015 | Issue 3

With the changes in the media environment, idols once so glamorous are starting to fade. Popularisation of technology has also hit the music industry in many ways—how are the readily available online resources impacting the fate of singers?


YouTube sparks intense competitions


I recall that there used to be a music programme on TVB’s Jade channel that aired on Sunday afternoons when I was young.  Back then, very few programmes featured music videos from Europe, America or Japan, so I would sit in front of my telly every Sunday to catch up on the latest music recommendations. For students who could not afford gramophone records like myself, TV and radio programmes were the main channels for us music-thirsty youngsters to keep updated. Listening to music was very passive at that time: we only received what TV and radio producers chose, thus it was very difficult to get hold to non-Cantonese pop songs.


Then twenty years have come and gone—now probably no one would sit in front of a radio to wait for DJs to play the songs they like. The emergence of YouTube has changed the way people interact with music: with a few clicks on iPad, you get any songs you want, be it European, American, Japanese or Korean. People get to choose the genre and country of music too easily that songs are no longer cherished. The dazzling array of music available have made fans realise that there are always someone better—in terms of singing, looks and even quality of music videos.


As Dayo Wong Tze-wah mentioned in his 2014 Talk Show, we are in the era of globalisation, and only the best candidates gain spotlights. In the past, media exposure to music is limited and fans didn’t compare much. But times have changed. Nowadays, the competition doesn’t come only from local peers, but from the whole world. No one would show sympathy to unfavourable factors like small markets or low production cost. You get abandoned easily if you are not up to the global standard. Look at the countless pretty idols Korea is generating, and all the mainland reality music shows that feature super stars. When competitions come from all over the world, no one is to be blamed but yourself if you are not good enough for audiences.


Hong Kong youngsters are losing pride


Macao people or mainlanders from the 70s and 80s would probably describe Hongkongers were proud of being brash. Indeed they had every right to be proud: when Hong Kong’s music and movie industries were flourishing and at their best, Macao, with not a single original work, could only step aside and be envious. Hong Kong equalled progressive, rich and prosperous, while Macao and the mainland was perceived poor and backward.


But times have changed. The mainland and neighbouring ports have become rich, and things are no longer the same in Hong Kong. The economy is worsening in this city. Hongkongers, especially the younger generations, have lost their pride. “Made in Hong Kong” is no longer a label to be proud of. When one loses pride of their own city, their own idols and singers lose the pride too. To revitalise Hong Kong’s music industry, the priority is perhaps for the city to regain its confidence—but it is also something that cannot be attained forcibly. (To be continued)