Cover A still from Gareth T’s song ‘Emergency Contact’ (Photo: YouTube)
A still from Gareth T’s song ‘Emergency Contact’ (Photo: YouTube)
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Beyond the popular Clockenflap festival and Canto-pop group Mirror’s incredible music, Hong Kong’s music scene has a lot more to offer—and the best songs of 2023 are a testament of that
It’s safe to say that in 2023, Hong Kong’s music industry has truly left behind the shackles of the pandemic years. Between two sold-out editions of Clockenflap, the Catch A Vibe single released by popular Canto-pop boy band Mirror, solo concerts by some of its members such as Keung To and more: it’s been a good year.
But beyond Clockenflap’s international appeal and Mirror’s incredible music, Hong Kong has demonstrated in 2023 that its pool of musical talent runs deep and covers a wide range of genres, from experimental jazz and R’n’B to Canto-pop and hip-hop. Here, we’ve narrowed down some of the best songs produced by Hong Kong artists in 2023, that deserve a place on our playlist in 2024 too.
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1. ‘Jungle Fever’ by Wesley Jamison
Hong Kong singer Wesley Jamison has been pushing Hong Kong’s R’n’B scene for years through his own music as well as through organising R’n’B nights in clubs and bars, and through providing a platform through his collective Mama Told Me (that he co-founded with rapper Kemikal Kris). After a year-long break, Jamison released his latest original song, Jungle Fever, a smooth anthem denouncing the fetishing of black bodies.
2. ‘Water Comes Out of My Eyes’ by Moon Tang (ft. Cehryl)
Water Comes Out of My Eyes (featuring Hong Kong singer Cehryl) is one of the songs in Thai Chinese singer Moon Tang’s latest album by the same name. The fashionably slightly offbeat song, mixed with the two singers’ soothing voices, showed us that crying can be empowering—and we’re here for it.
3. ‘Daddy's Secret Folder’ by Code
Code, a jazz-metal-fusion quintet, emerged during the pandemic era. Many discovered them through their Clockenflap performance in March 2023, where they played they latest extended play (EP) Daddy’s Secret Folder. The album features five songs—with the eponymous one being the most powerful.
4. ‘緊急聯絡人’ (‘Emergency Contact’) by Gareth T
In only a few years, singer Gareth T has become a staple in Hong Kong’s music scene. Whether in English, with the latest Let Me Know, or in Cantonese with 國際孤獨等級 (Loner Anthem), he always finds the right tone and medium to express his emotions. But the latest song 緊急聯絡人 (Emergency Contact), hits differently, because of its exploration of intimate feelings of love and separation, which is a bit reminiscent of ’90s-style Canto-pop love songs.
5. ‘You, Me, Dance’ by Almond Milk
Hong Kong’s favourite vegan band released its debut album Almond Milk in December 2023. One of the songs from the album, You, Me, Dance, caught our attention with its raw but joyful and catchy music.
6. ‘Blood, Sweat, Tears and Gears’ by Matt Force (ft. YoungQueenz)
Matt Force has been a driving force in Hong Kong’s hip-hop scene for years, and his latest EP, Land, extends the ambitious legacy he’s building for himself. Blood, Sweat, Tears and Gears, the only collaborative song in this album, features another industry heavyweight YoungQueenz, and is poised to become a classic.
7. ‘吟鈴’ (‘In Control’) by Zelos Wong
Independent artist Zelos Wong released his first album, EmergenZy, earlier this year. One of the lead singles in the album is 吟鈴 (or In Control), which features a bold and fun rhythm. As a proud LGBTQ+ artist, Wong uses the song’s music video—which shows a gay couple in love in a domestic setting—to advocate for better representation of queer people in music.
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8. ‘Bye, Bye’ by Jace Chan
Singer and actress Jace Chan marked her much anticipated comeback in 2023 with an EP titled Hatching. While the whole project deserves your attention, the opening song Bye, Bye, which was co-produced by fellow artist Kiri T, is one of our favourites. Redemptive and empowering, this song will soothe you into 2024.
9. ‘訣’ (‘Farewell’) by The Hertz
Up-and-coming band Hong Kong indie band The Hertz has already gathered a sizeable fan following through their music. This year, they released 訣 (Farewell), a deeply intimate and touching song on death and mourning.
10. ‘Noisy’ by Chanka
Singer Chanka’s music feels out of the world because of its ethereal quality. Her music is distinctive, thanks her deceptively delicate voice and the fusion of atmospheric, folk-inflected progressive rock with downtempo electronic textures. This year, she let her unique music style shine in the smooth Noisy.
11. Bonus: ‘Airplane Tickets’ by Pharrell Williams, Swae Lee and Rauw Alejandro
Musician and designer Pharrell Williams not only brought the first Louis Vuitton pre-fall men’s show to Hong Kong, he also invited Danish rock band Swae Lee and Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro to shoot a music video in the city. Airplane Tickets was shot across several locations, including the Avenue of Stars, inside one of the city’s iconic red taxis, at the Louis Vuitton afterparty at the Rosewood Hotel.
Salomé Grouard was Digital Editor and Front & Female Content Lead at Tatler Hong Kong. Primarily focused on managing Tatler Hong Kong’s digital platform and content, she also covers gender equality, the music scene and sports through interviews with industry leaders, experts and trendsetters.
Interview highlights include renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Korean actor Park Seo Jun, singer Jorja Smith, Chinese TV host Yue-Sai Kan, YouTuber Kimono Mom, Japanese rapper Awich, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Mikey Musumeci.
She has also produced stories on revolutionising sexual wellness in Asia, activism within the surfing community, Asian trans musicians reclaiming their narratives through music and looked at the toxicity of gym culture through the lens of the plus-size community. She also covers music festivals, such as Hong Kong’s Clockenflap and Bali’s Suara.
