Canto-pop singer Hins Cheung King-hin, one of the most successful mainland singers on the Hong Kong music scene, has just released his 11th album, No 11, marking his 10-year career milestone. A Guangzhou native, the 29-year-old started playing in pubs in his hometown when he was still in secondary school. His 2001 debut record, Hins' First, which contains his own material, sold about 20,000 copies in Guangdong in just a few months.
He embarked on his music career in Hong Kong eight years ago when he signed to Universal Music as an R&B singer-songwriter. In 2007, an R&B number, Ardently Love, on his second Cantonese album of the same name, was the most popular song of the year and turned him into a household name in Hong Kong.
What do you think of your singing career over the past decade?
I'm very satisfied with what I've done as a singer over the past 10 years. It's been very fruitful and I think I've been pretty lucky. The new record is kind of a gift to my record label Universal, which I've been collaborating with since I came to Hong Kong in 2002. When I worked on this album, I wondered whether I should do something very different. However, when I look at the singers who I like, such as Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, I think this album should get back to basics. As a singer, I look for changes, too, and hope every change will be appreciated by my fans. However, fans don't always think that way. For instance, as a fan of Mariah Carey, I don't like her as much now that she's gone more sensual and I prefer the music she used to make.
On your previous album, Love & Living, all the songs were from the 80s. What was your aim on your latest CD?
We didn't have any specific criteria this time, we just used anything that was good. Despite that, we are keeping with the spirit of the 80s. Hong Kong and the mainland in the 80s were full of fantasy and possibilities. People in that era knew how to enjoy life; they went to discos during weekends, listened to music and went to concerts. Some of the songs on the new album also remind people to enjoy life. I'm an 80s child and proud of it, even though the media has portrayed people from my generation fairly negatively recently. I think our generation is not as conservative as people born in the 70s, and not as egotistic as people born in the 90s. We like to dream, but our dreams are more realistic.
What motivated you to do a rendition of Paula Tsui's classic, Behind the Wedding Dress, on your new album?