Hong Kong singer Kiri T on ups and downs of music industry, staying true to herself despite failure and stereotypes

“That was a really harsh era for female celebrities ... I had the idea that female artists have to be really pretty, and it felt like a lot of pressure,” recalled the 29-year-old Hongkonger, who spent her senior secondary school years in Britain before studying at the Berklee College of Music in the US city of Boston.

“There’s this unworldly beauty standard on females, and the way people talked about female public figures made me not want to be in the spotlight.”

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For nearly a decade, those prevailing societal expectations drove the artist to continue working behind the scenes, producing music for the city’s leading singers, including Kary Ng, Kay Tse and Alfred Hui.

But after Tse graduated from university in 2018, she felt the urge to tell stories through her music. Ultimately, it was her own voice that empowered her to take a leap into the spotlight: “I decided to just do it, despite all the negative connotations I had about being a female artist.”

After years spent studying abroad while also working in music production, Tse returned to Hong Kong in 2019, and started recording and performing her own tracks.

Over the next few years, she began making her mark on the city’s indie music scene thanks to her popular tracks such as “Psycho” and “10,000ft”.

In 2022, she signed with Warner Music Hong Kong and soon ventured into Cantopop with songs like “Dear Kiwi” and “One Day I Might Have a Say”.

Amid a wave of independent artists breaking into Hong Kong’s mainstream music, Tse has become a rising pop artist.

Blending pop, R&B and electronic music, many of Tse’s English-language tracks have topped Commercial Radio Hong Kong’s foreign music charts. These include “U Owe Me $$” and “Let It Snow” from her latest Christmas album with singer Moon Tang.

“I’ve always wanted to be the artist, to be the front person of my music,” Tse shared.

Reflecting on her early days as a freelance music producer, Tse revealed one of the less glamorous parts of her journey: composing commercial jingles.

“This client wants, say, a 32-second loop of the kind of music you would hear in a supermarket. As a producer, I did that a lot,” she said, adding that it was not her long-term goal to keep writing these soulless earworms.

“I just knew that if I had to do this for the rest of my life, it would be excruciating.”

Still, this time was pivotal in driving Tse to channel her energy towards creating music that resonated with her.

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But finding her footing as an indie artist was no easy task. For Tse, the music business has been “a game of failing”, and she has often felt defeated.

“Every time I put up a song, I felt like I was screaming in the woods and nobody noticed,” she said.

“It’s not like there’s an instruction manual for you to climb up the [industry] ladder. There are no exams you can take to ascend.”

But over the years, Tse has seen the music scene evolve, both globally and in Hong Kong. She feels that artists of different backgrounds are offered more opportunities to grow, and this has given her the confidence to continue the grind.

“Being an Asian and also female artist in the world is not easy, a lot of the times ... But times are changing in terms of diversity,” she noted. “Asian artists are getting more recognition now.”

Within her own city, Tse has noticed a more inclusive atmosphere, where English-language songs and new music styles are welcomed.

She explained that in the past, it was almost impossible to make a living in Hong Kong while only singing English music, adding: “It’s a lot more positive now ... There are more artists nowadays who are able to lean into making both English and Cantonese music.”

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The most significant change for Tse has been a shift in her mindset, as reflected in her Cantonese single, “Eggnorant Sandwich”, a play on a Cantonese saying that means “none of my business”.

The upbeat track embodies the artist’s new-found philosophy: embracing her quirks and appreciating life in small ways.

“I feel like I’m so much more grounded now, whereas in the past, I was very focused on my music career and being sad and angry over things I can’t control.”

“I don’t care about other people’s opinions that much any more,” she said. “I’m finally being myself.”

Contrary to how older Cantopop stars maintained an image of being distant idols, the new generation of Hong Kong artists takes a different approach to connecting with their audience: becoming authentic “friends” with fans.

Tse believes being genuine is a key quality for singers of this generation: “I feel like as an artist, it’s a lot about presenting the ‘you’ that is most comfortable, and people will naturally resonate with it better.”

“I’ve learned that the hard way. In the past, I’ve always tried to meet a certain expectation or standard of being an artist. I did not think that worked so well for me.”

One piece of advice from Tse for aspiring artists is to not ruminate on things that you cannot control: “Be as authentic as possible while being considerate to other people, and keep on improving your craft,” she said.

Instead of seeking just to grow her fandom, the singer-songwriter’s larger goal is for her music to find her community – an audience that can relate to her tunes.

“I really enjoy that connection with my listeners rather than like a superficial kind of relationship,” Tse explained. “I do music because I want my stories to be heard. I always like my listeners to pay attention to my lyrics.”

One song that Tse hopes more people will listen to is “One Day I Might Have a Say”, which is inspired by her experiences of feeling misunderstood as a female artist.

The singer recalled a time when an older musician advised her to hold a music show before turning 30. Otherwise, it would not be “worth it” – with the underlying message implying that one’s 20s were the golden years for female artists to thrive.

But Tse refuses to allow these sexist expectations to restrict her dreams. She said: “If I’m ready, I can do it when I’m 50. Why put a time limit on it?”