Explainer | Boy band Mirror are taking over: here’s what you need to know about the new kings of Canto-pop
- Often compared to K-pop acts, Mirror have gained a lot of love for a group that is distinctly of Hong Kong, singing in Cantonese with a smattering of English
- Keung To, considered the most popular member of the band, has collaborated with the likes of luxury fashion brands Cartier and Longchamp, as well as McDonald’s
“Of course Hong Kong people support our people. We are united because of Mirror,” said one fan to a Young Post reporter while attending a concert by pop sensation Mirror in May.
Boy band Mirror ruining marriages, Hong Kong husbands claim
Often compared to K-pop acts, Mirror have gained a lot of love for a group that is distinctly Hong Kong in nature, singing in Cantonese with a smattering of English. Their songs range from aggressively uplifting – to the degree that tracks like Warrior have been evoked by political activists – to reflectively sentimental.
If you haven’t been paying attention to Mirror, now is the time: following the success of Warrior in March, they released their new song, Boss, on June 9. The song arrived ahead of the Hong Kong version of Japanese drama Ossan’s Love, which began airing last week on ViuTV and stars band members Edan Lui Cheuk-on, Anson Lo Hon-ting and Stanley Yau.
This is far from the first time Mirror have teamed up with Hong Kong broadcaster ViuTV – the group were brought together during the channel’s 2018 reality competition show Good Night Show – King Maker. Styled similarly to the K-pop star search series Produce 101 that has been emulated across Asia, the show featured 99 hopefuls training and competing to be crowned “king”.
Mirror arrived a month after Keung To’s victory in the competition on October 14, 2018, with the release of their first song, In a Second.
Along with Keung To, Lui, Lo, and Yau, the group’s line-up features Ian Chan, Alton Wong Chi-tak, Anson Kong, Frankie Chan Siu-fai, Jer Lau, Jeremy Lee Chun-kit, Lokman Yeung, and Tiger Yau. All were born between 1988 and 1999 and, before Mirror, they had a variety of careers. Ian Chan, for instance, played for Hong Kong’s professional men’s volleyball team, while Lau was an entertainment journalist at Hong Kong outlet on.cc.
Since Good Night Show – King Maker, Mirror have continued to grow in popularity. Along with singing, many members have pursued acting careers, become television personalities and are some of Hong Kong’s most in-demand brand ambassadors. Keung, considered the most popular of the group, has collaborated with the likes of luxury fashion brands Cartier and Longchamp, as well as McDonald’s.
How popular are Mirror? While pulling the music videos from YouTube for this piece, just about every other ad featured one or more group members, including Lau’s advertisement for skincare brand Fresh.
In addition to releasing their 15-track album One and All in January, the members of Mirror – many of whom have their own distinct performance and songwriting styles – have released over 30 songs, both solo and group tracks.
Acting both as a boy band and an artistic collective (depending on the day and the performance), Mirror have been recognised by many of Hong Kong’s most prestigious musical institutions and award shows.
Other key moments in the first half of 2021 include Mirror’s winning eight awards at the firs ViuTV Chill Club Music Awards in April. Then, in May, they held a string of sold-out concerts over the course of six nights.
Clearly, Mirror have ignited something in the industry.
