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K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop
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album reviews
Eight-member K-pop boy band Epex debuted on June 8, 2021 with the EP Bipolar Pt.1: Prelude of Anxiety. Photo: C9 Entertainment
K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

Mainland China to host first K-pop concert since ‘K-wave ban’ began in 2016

Epex’s concert in Fuzhou on May 31 is raising expectations that Beijing may ease restrictions on K-pop culture in mainland China.

Music

Jensen McRae’s journey from Phoebe Bridgers parody to full-fledged singer

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K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

What Just B’s Bain coming out as gay shows about Korea’s progress on LGBTQ

Parenting: newborns to toddlers

A parent’s guide to Disney stage musicals, how best to prepare their child

Planning a trip with your child to see Frozen or The Lion King on stage? Experts on if live-action musicals are suitable for young children.

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Nala and Simba in Disney’s The Lion King musical in Hong Kong. Experts discuss if Disney’s live-action musicals are suitable for young children. Photo: IME/Joan Marcus
Nala and Simba in Disney’s The Lion King musical in Hong Kong. Experts discuss if Disney’s live-action musicals are suitable for young children. Photo: IME/Joan Marcus
Music

Pianist undertakes 16-hour-plus concert of same music played 840 times

19th century composer Erik Satie called Vexations ‘simple, yet arduous’. Igor Levit is among the first pianists to perform it solo in public.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Hedwig and the Angry Inch rock musical coming to Hong Kong in Cantonese

The musical, which follows scarred genderqueer singer Hedwig on tour, has dropped the original glam rock and will be in Cantonese.

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Performing arts in Hong Kong

How Hong Kong debut of Aaron Zigman’s Émigré completes an emotional journey

This version of the musical, a love story between a Jewish refugee and a Chinese woman in Shanghai, has a different ending, composer says.

Aaron Zigman has written the music for more than 60 Hollywood films. His musical drama Émigré, about Jewish refugees in Shanghai in the late 1930s, will make its Hong Kong debut on April 26 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Photo: Dario Acosta
Aaron Zigman has written the music for more than 60 Hollywood films. His musical drama Émigré, about Jewish refugees in Shanghai in the late 1930s, will make its Hong Kong debut on April 26 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Photo: Dario Acosta
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Why are classical music stars skipping Hong Kong for other Chinese cities?

From Andrea Bocelli and Placido Domingo to Lang Lang, classical music stars have been eschewing Hong Kong in favour of nearby cities.

American cinema

Sinners director Ryan Coogler on how Metallica inspired new horror film

The Black Panther director talks about how Metallica’s song One inspired the structure of his new vampire movie starring Michael B. Jordan.

Music

Senegalese ‘Seven Seconds’ star back on the road at 65 with new album

Youssou N’Dour talks about his new album Eclairer Le Monde – Light The World, using African instruments, and his 45 years as a singer.

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Senegalese singer-songwriter Youssou N’dour talks about his 45-year career in music and his new album. Photo: AFP
K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

K-pop songs with a ‘French touch’? Korean precision meets French flair

Korean and French music professionals collaborated in Seoul’s first Atelier K-pop songwriting camp, creating K-pop tracks with a French vibe.

French artist Poppy Fusée (left) and Un Plan Simple CEO Leslie Dubest at the inaugural Atelier K-pop conference at the French embassy in western Seoul. Korean and French music professionals collaborated in the songwriting camp.
French artist Poppy Fusée (left) and Un Plan Simple CEO Leslie Dubest at the inaugural Atelier K-pop conference at the French embassy in western Seoul. Korean and French music professionals collaborated in the songwriting camp.
Music

Review | HK Phil and violinist Bomsori Kim’s Prokofiev has audience agog

Beijing venue’s acoustics bring out Hong Kong Philharmonic’s balance and clarity in works by Pärt and Prokofiev with Korean violin virtuoso.

Music

Unreleased Teresa Teng song found in Japan to appear on album

Light pop song the late Taiwanese singer probably recorded in the mid-1980s will feature on album of composer Takashi Miki’s work.

Books and literature

Review | Beatles book takes deep dive into the Lennon-McCartney relationship

Ian Leslie relies on other Beatles books, gossip and interpreting lyrics to try to define the relationship between band’s writing partners.

The Beatles (from left): Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, circa 1964. Photo: Getty Images
Music

Ukrainian punk-rock band provide escape from ‘madness’ of war

In Ukraine, loud music and flying underwear are all part of punk duo Susidy Sterpliat’s concerts that show the power of cultural resistance.

Ukrainian punk-rock band Susidy Sterpliat perform in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. Photo: AFP
Ukrainian punk-rock band Susidy Sterpliat perform in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. Photo: AFP
Music

How ‘cheap trick’ helps monkeys yodel better than humans

Human yodellers can switch up and down an octave, but monkeys have a 3½-octave range. Researchers have just discovered why that is.

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Music

Bruce Springsteen to drop 83 unreleased songs in 7-album collection

Tracks ll: The Lost Albums will contain songs The Boss wrote and re-recorded between 1983 and 2018 – 74 of them never heard before.

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Hong Kong society

On This Day | Pop star Leslie Cheung dies in fall from Hong Kong hotel in 2003 – SCMP archive

The 46-year-old fell from the 24th floor window of the Mandarin Oriental hotel and was found lying in Connaught Road.

Hong Kong actor and singer Leslie Cheung died after a fall in 2003. Photo: Michael Tsui
Hong Kong actor and singer Leslie Cheung died after a fall in 2003. Photo: Michael Tsui
K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

How J-pop acts are seeking new fans in South Korea and beyond

Japanese superstar Kenshi Yonezu’s sold-out event in Incheon is a prime example of J-pop’s rising popularity in South Korea.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Visually stunning Bizet’s Carmen in Hong Kong recreates original staging

The Hong Kong Arts Festival’s presentation of the famous opera gives a fascinating sense of what audiences experienced 150 years ago.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Armless musician Felix Klieser on overcoming the ‘impossible’

German born without arms, who plays the French horn with his left foot, talks about being resilient ahead of his latest concert in Hong Kong.

Felix Klieser plays the French horn. Photo: courtesy of Felix Klieser
Music

Meet Marcin, the guitar genius so good people think he’s faking it

Marcin Patrzalek, 24, plays percussion, melody and rhythm at the same time on his acoustic guitar, and is an Instagram sensation.

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Percussive finger-style guitarist, composer, and social media star Marcin Patrzalek. Photo: AFP
Percussive finger-style guitarist, composer, and social media star Marcin Patrzalek. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | The life and legacy of Roman Tam, Hong Kong’s ‘godfather of Cantopop’

Roman Tam was a prolific recording and performing artist whose songs and extravagant stage shows made him a Hong Kong hero and LGBTQ icon.

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Music

Canadian rock giants Rush release 50-song box set for 50th anniversary

Three-piece Rush last performed in Los Angeles in 2015 and their drummer Neil Peart died in 2020, but their popularity hasn’t diminished.

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Music

Less rebellion, more depression and apathy. Welcome to punk in China today

As the Chinese punk scene soldiers on, bands increasingly perform to relieve pressure and release negativity, one insider says.

A punk attends a punk festival in Hangzhou, China, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
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