Talented singer-songwriter Khalil Fong, Hong Kong's answer to Taiwan's Jay Chou Jie-lun and David Tao Zee, says he is keen to teach us a few things about the environment and love.
Fong's latest and third album, Wonderland, is a collection of 11 catchy pop songs that breathe fresh air into the stale Canto-pop music scene. Not only is his soulful R&B music a rare genre for local listeners, his lyrics, which talk about global warming and various aspects of love, also stand out from most syrupy ballads tailor-made for karaoke.
'I think a love relationship is the perfect metaphor for the environment,' says Fong. 'We need to protect, respect and nurture love to make sure there is sustainable development in a relationship, otherwise it will disappear.
'This is similar to our environment. If we don't treasure it now, we will suffer in the future.'
Fong says he is a follower of the Baha'i Faith, which is a religion that emphasises the spiritual unity of all mankind. He includes a quote from Shoghi Effendi, the late leader of the religion, on the inside back cover of his CD. It sums up the theme of his album: '... Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself deeply affected by it ...'
'Each song on the album, even if it appears to be a love song, talks about a principle that's closely related to our responsibility towards the environment and our attitude towards life,' says Fong.
For instance, Gou Bu Gou (Is That Enough), a love song about a boy wondering what he must do - buying a luxury flat or a diamond ring - to win the love of a girl, is a reflection of social values.