In a market saturated with digital downloads, teeny-boppers and evergreens rehashing easy-listening oldies, one 1980s singer has still managed to sell more than 100,000 copies of his new record in just six months.
Jacky Cheung Hok-yau's latest release, Life is Like a Dream, was launched in April with little fanfare, but has easily outsold even the most hyped local releases.
The feat is all the more impressive given that Cheung, 43, rarely does media promotions or big concerts. He'll step back into the limelight briefly on Tuesday for a one-off gig at the Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Make Your Life Shine concert aims to raise funds for local charity organisation Sports for Life Foundation, which helps medical patients get back on their feet through sporting activities. Cheung's admirers have already snapped up the most expensive tickets, priced at $880 each, and there are scant pickings for the $680 tickets.
Cheung's resurgence will be cemented further if the re-run of his 1997 musical, Snow.Wolf. Lake, proves to be a success. A daring if slightly hackneyed venture, it's about a man's heroic, yet unsuccessful, quest to save his love from a sinister foe. It will be staged in Beijing in December, followed by a tour of mainland cities, before returning to Hong Kong in April.
Some might question the artistic merits of Cheung's musical output. After all, he's rarely ventured from bombastic balladeering in a career spanning more than two decades. But his vocal skills, combined with an endearingly earthy pathos, have ensured him both longevity and popularity.