From girl groups to ‘King Maker’, Hong Kong singer Kira Chan proves her doubters wrong
- The singer-dancer has racked up more than two million views on YouTube as a member of As One, training in South Korea just days after graduating university
- She recently competed in the third season of the same ViuTV series that made Mirror and Error household names
Kira Chan Wai-suen was told by her teacher that she didn’t have talent, but she has since been able to prove that person wrong. Photo: HandoutAs a child, Kira Chan Wai-suen was told by her singing teacher that she lacked the natural talent needed to become a singer.
This scathing assessment did not deter her, however, and since the age of 15, Chan started signing up for all kinds of singing competitions.
The singer-dancer would spend the next 10 years proving her doubters wrong. In 2015, she joined the Hong Kong girl group As One. Last year, she competed in talent show King Maker III, produced by ViuTV. Chan made it all the way to the finals.
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On Boxing Day last year, the final episode of the programme was shot live, with the winners announced. Chan was cheering for another contestant, when she heard her name on stage – she had clinched second place.
“I was clapping for [someone else], and then suddenly heard my name. I was shocked,” Chan, now 25, said.
Season one of King Maker aired in 2018, and has since captivated the hearts of Hongkongers, sparking renewed hope the city could return to its golden era when local icons led the Asian entertainment world. The first season spawned popular boy bands Mirror and Error, and is now considered the cradle for Hong Kong’s next big star.
Season four airs today and for the first time features only female contestants.
This may pave the way for a potential women’s version of Mirror.
As for her success on King Maker III, Chan pointed to the countless years spent honing her craft.
“I spent so long just to relax and tune my vocal cords and muscles until they were better for me to sing a wider range,” she explained.
In 2015, she auditioned for As One and was chosen to join the girl group. Only a day after completing her associate degree in communication from Baptist University, she was flown to Korea for a few months of training.
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The same year, she debuted as the youngest in the girl group.
“I was not the girl with the best figure or look [in As One], so when the internet criticised me ... it plunged me into self-doubt,” Chan said.
The quartet made some noise with their song Candy Ball, which so far has racked up more than 2 million views on YouTube. The group disbanded in 2017, but the girls remain close.
“Being in a girl group could have been troublesome because of the gossip, so I was lucky my partners were great,” Chan revealed.
After seasons one and two of King Maker became the talk of the town in Hong Kong, Chan answered the call for season three, which was themed on helping former artists rebrand themselves.
But unlike the first two seasons, which held public auditions, season three’s tryout sessions were closed-door affairs.
“[ViuTV] was not holding public auditions so I begged several friends and connections for a spot,” said Chan, who auditioned unprepared but still secured a place.
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Some joined the competition for a shot at fame, but Chan saw it as an “experiment”. She had for many years doubted her stage charisma, and wanted to use the show to gauge whether the public would take to her.
“I was quite lost, but in the process, I let go of the old me and found a new path,” Chan said.
One highlight of Chan’s time on the show was when she was fighting to make it into the top 30. In her performance, she fought back tears while belting local singer Fiona Sit’s song about a letter to her future self.
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Holding a hand puppet, which symbolised her younger self, Chan delivered the heartfelt lines: “I thought I was charming when I was singing and dancing, but no one else agreed.”
The judges teared up.
Chan has since become a much more confident artist and performer through the show – proving her childhood singing teachers wrong.
“People recognise me on the streets. Some kids and parents will even come up to me and ask for a photo,” she said.
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After her win, job opportunities poured in. She recently landed a voice acting gig for the US animated film Sing 2, produced by Illumination, which made the hit Minion movies. Chan has also released two songs this year and, for the first time, composed and wrote the lyrics for both numbers herself.
She is currently recording another new tune, promising it will be upbeat for people to dance to.
“I realised, in my [King Maker III] journey, I should’ve known myself better and how to control my emotions and ... put them into songs,” Chan said.
Reflecting on the ups and downs of her career over the years, the singer felt she had become more mature.
“When I joined As One, I had just graduated from school, and the next day I was a member of a girl group. I was a blank sheet, just following the other big sisters everywhere I went,” she said.
“When it came to answering questions from the press, they answered them every time. I didn’t have many thoughts about anything. Now, I’ve grown up.”
Get the word out
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Scathing 嚴厲批評的: Witheringly scornful; severely critical
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Clinched 最終贏得: Confirm the winning or achievement of (a match, competition, or victory)
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Spawned 產生: Produce or generate a large number of
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Cradle 搖籃: A place or process in which something originates or flourishes
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Pave the way for (為…)鋪平道路: Create the circumstances to enable (something) to happen or be done
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Plunge (sb) into (使)陷入: Suddenly bring into a specified condition or state
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Gauge 判斷方法: Estimate or determine the magnitude, amount, or volume of