Culture /

Music

Related Topics:
Music
K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop
Hong Kong gigs
album reviews
Canto-pop singer Alan Tam Wing-lun
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | Cantopop icon Alan Tam: from Leslie Cheung’s rival to fans smashing albums

‘Principal Tam’ ruled Cantopop in the late 1970s and ’80s but later vexed fans with his offstage actions. Still, he’s going strong today.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Violinist Midori works magic in Hong Kong concert double bill

6
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Pianist Mao Fujita delivers a technical masterclass alongside HK Phil

TV shows and streaming video

One-take wonder: the making of One Shot with Ed Sheeran in New York City

In the show, helmed by Adolescence director Philip Barantini, Ed Sheeran is filmed roaming New York City in the afternoon before his gig.

videocam
Ed Sheeran in a still from the Netflix series One Shot with Ed Sheeran, which was filmed in one take in New York. Photo: TNS
Ed Sheeran in a still from the Netflix series One Shot with Ed Sheeran, which was filmed in one take in New York. Photo: TNS
Music

Why Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos loves playing in Hong Kong

Franz Ferdinand are appearing at Hong Kong’s Clockenflap festival in December and vocalist Alex Kapranos is glad to be coming back.

videocam
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Champion Hong Kong pianist joins Rome-based orchestra in powerful concert

The Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – Roma, assisted by Aristo Sham, put on a strong opening night in Hong Kong.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Music

Video | European EDM festival Tomorrowland makes China debut in Shanghai

Thousands of ravers dance to the beat of EDM festival at Shanghai’s Hero Dome.

videocam
Photo: SCMP Composite
Photo: SCMP Composite
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Jazz great Dianne Reeves brings the house down at Hong Kong return show

With her commanding stage presence, huge vocal range and some top-notch backing, Dianne Reeves delivered a soulful, polished performance.

Music

The Hong Kong Cantopop drummer helping revive the genre with his DJ sets

Stephane Wong drummed for Cantopop stars Eason Chan and Joey Yung in the 2000s. Now, his DJ discos are helping Hongkongers reminisce.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Soprano Renee Fleming on the voice of nature, how music promotes wellness

The soprano talks about how she champions sustainability through music and her work to highlight the health benefits of music and the arts.

Renee Fleming performs during “Renee Fleming: Voice of Nature” at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in October 2025. The shows performed on October 24-25 had a first half consisting of songs related to different aspects of nature, accompanied by a film created by the National Geographic Society. Photo: HK Phil
K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

Why K-pop boy band Newbeat released an all-English language album

The seven-member K-pop boy band Newbeat talk about their preparations for their debut mini-album Louder Than Ever.

videocam
Members of K-pop boy band Newbeat (from left) Seohyun, Taeyang, Yeoyeojeong, Minseok, Minsung, Yunhoo and Riwoo. Photo: Pyo Kyung-min
Members of K-pop boy band Newbeat (from left) Seohyun, Taeyang, Yeoyeojeong, Minseok, Minsung, Yunhoo and Riwoo. Photo: Pyo Kyung-min
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Bruce Lee’s life and philosophy celebrated in cross-genre dance drama

‘Kung Fu Artistry – Bruce Lee’s No Way as Way’ by the Hong Kong Dance Company is a high-energy mix of martial arts, dance and jazz.

Music

Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga lead 2026 Grammy nominations

“Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters and “APT.” by Rose and Bruno Mars are among the tunes vying for song of the year.

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How actor Anthony Wong survived terrible films, ‘shut out’ by mainland China

From humble beginnings, Anthony Wong overcame adversity to become one of Hong Kong’s top actors and a man unafraid to speak out.

77
Actor Anthony Wong stays active in local theatre and collaborates with filmmakers. Photo: Felix Wong
Hong Kong gigs

For Black Eyed Peas’ Apl.de.ap, helping Filipino farms is a matter of roots

We join the rapper/singer in his native Philippines to learn about his philanthropic work and past, ahead of Black Eyed Peas’ Hong Kong show.

videocam
Black Eyed Peas member Apl.de.ap at his family farm in the Philippines’ Pampanga province. The Grammy-winning musician shows us some of the work he’s doing to support coconut farmers in his homeland, and shares his story. Photo: Kylie Knott
Black Eyed Peas member Apl.de.ap at his family farm in the Philippines’ Pampanga province. The Grammy-winning musician shows us some of the work he’s doing to support coconut farmers in his homeland, and shares his story. Photo: Kylie Knott
K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop

Why the ‘King of K-pop’ Lee Soo-man is looking at the China market

The founder of SM Entertainment, Lee Soo-man talks about his Amazon biography, K-pop in China, and his latest band A2O May.

videocam
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Aristo Sham releases joyful solo piano album that includes ‘pure Bach’

Van Cliburn gold medallist Aristo Sham has released Timeline, an arresting collection of classical piano pieces based on his world tour.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Music

Is South Asian music the next global trend online and beyond?

Artists playing South Asian music are gaining popularity worldwide, and Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans are leading the charge.

videocam
South Asian music is trending globally, with artists including Nora Fatehi gaining online fans and influencing music charts. Photo: AP
South Asian music is trending globally, with artists including Nora Fatehi gaining online fans and influencing music charts. Photo: AP
Music

‘She broke all the rules’: how Cyndi Lauper made it big as new musical lands

Soon to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cyndi Lauper will premiere Working Girl, a follow-up to Kinky Boots, later this month.

videocam
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Shirley Kwan, Cantopop’s complex ‘queen of cool’, is a star like no other

Kwan experienced a meteoric rise followed by an artistic metamorphosis in the 1990s, before personal struggles began to take the spotlight.

videocam
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why new documentary on Beyond’s Wong Ka-kui only tells part of the story

Because of You – Ka Kui, about the life of the Hong Kong frontman, is marred by the same issues that tore Beyond apart after his death.

Wong Ka-kui in a still from Because of You – Ka Kui. The new documentary tells the story – albeit an incomplete one – of the late frontman of Beyond, widely considered Hong Kong’s most influential band ever.
Performing arts in Hong Kong

What to expect at Hong Kong Arts Festival 2026, from Mozart to Caravaggio

Festival highlights include a mixed-reality Ryuichi Sakamoto show, a concert led by John Eliot Gardiner and a ballet starring Roberto Bolle.

The 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival will open with Ballet Nacional de España’s La Bella Otero, a retelling of 19th-century Spanish artist Carolina Otero’s life story. Photo: HKAF
The 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival will open with Ballet Nacional de España’s La Bella Otero, a retelling of 19th-century Spanish artist Carolina Otero’s life story. Photo: HKAF
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Hong Kong Philharmonic puts on lively concert with pianist Kyohei Sorita

Sorita performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1 in an evening that also featured the world premiere of Charles Kwong’s Festina lente.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Superb voices, faltering design in Opera Hong Kong’s moving Aida

From lead to chorus, the performances in Aida are superb, but the production suffers from its more intimate approach and unusual costuming.

United States

Taylor Swift breaks streaming records with new ‘Showgirl’ album

The album set streaming records on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon.

Taylor Swift performs during her Eras Tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California in August 2023. Photo: AFP
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW