Hong Kong Cantopop boyband Mirror talks growth and touring ahead of first Singapore concert

It is a testament to how packed Hong Kong Cantopop boyband Mirror’s schedule is when press interviews have been on the members' agendas since they arrived in Singapore on Monday (Apr 29) afternoon.

Speaking to CNA Lifestyle on Tuesday, one member, Ian Chan, said interviews are still on the agenda even after their concert, before heading back to Hong Kong.

“I don’t think we have spare time to walk around or explore the city,” he said sheepishly. 

When asked what the 12-member group has done so far in Singapore, the members jumped in to answer: “Interviews! And makeup!” 

Despite their busy schedule, the members of Mirror were able to enjoy local Singaporean fare such as bak kut teh and pepper crab. 

“Last night we went out for dinner, and the food was really good,” Edan Lui piped up, flashing a thumbs up. 

The group is currently in Singapore as part of its Mirror Feel The Passion concert tour 2024. Held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, this is Mirror’s first-ever concert in the city. 

Singapore is the second last stop on the tour, before a final four-night-long show in Macau from May 16 to 19. 

Hailing from Hong Kong, Mirror debuted as a 12-member group in 2018 after local broadcaster ViuTV’s reality talent show Good Night Show - King Maker. The group celebrated the fifth anniversary of its debut last November at Hong Kong Disneyland with about 12,000 fans in attendance. 

Made up of members Frankie Chan, Alton Wong, Lokman Yeung, Stanley Yau, Anson Kong, Jer Lau, Ian Chan, Anson Lo, Jeremy Lee, Edan Lui, Keung To and Tiger Yau, Mirror kicked off its tour in January with a sold-out 16-night show in Hong Kong. 

Mirror has since performed in cities including London, New York, Los Angeles and Toronto.

Two stops were initially planned in Southeast Asia: Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, held on Apr 28 and May 1 respectively. Unfortunately, Unusual Entertainment announced the cancellation of the Kuala Lumpur show on Apr 18, citing “unforeseen circumstances”.

The group had declined to comment on the abrupt cancellation. 

Mirror’s tour has been “full of surprises”, said Anson Lo. “We’ve been meeting a lot of new fans around the world, and a lot of them have not met us before.” 

A lot of these fans were also very surprised to be able to finally meet Mirror for the first time, he said, explaining that for the past five years, they were only able to watch Mirror through videos on the Internet. 

The tour has also been tiring for the group, dealing with jet lag, which many of the members were unused to. 

Fellow group member Stanley also pointed out that Hong Kong fans could “always” attend Mirror-related events or concerts back home, while overseas fans don’t get the chance to. 

“They’re crazily supportive, the energy is quite different,” he said. 

Mirror has captured the hearts of many fans in Hong Kong since its debut in late 2018. 

Billboards featuring members from Mirror are a common sight in Hong Kong. Usually displayed in high-traffic areas like Mong Kok and Causeway Bay, the billboards promote the members’ latest solo projects or their birthdays.

On Tuesday, thousands of fans gathered at Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay to celebrate Keung To’s 25th birthday on Apr 30, with his photos emblazoned on the many billboards at Hennessy Road. 

Despite the group's immense fame and popularity in Hong Kong, Edan said the growth Mirror has been through these years was “out of (their) minds”. 

“From the start, we never thought we could have a song released, having a concert in Hong Kong, and now we’re having a world tour! 

“It’s been very amazing, and we’re really grateful for the chances that we have … and (we) hope that more people around the world will know more about (Mirror).” 

But Mirror’s road to fame was not without its setbacks. In 2022, the group’s last concert series at the Hong Kong Coliseum was stopped after a giant overhead video screen fell onto the stage, leaving one dancer in serious condition.

When asked what was one piece of advice Mirror would give themselves five years ago, Anson Lo said: “Be brave. And don’t…” 

To which, Stanley playfully interjected: “Don’t hesitate!” 

Edan then cheekily jumped in with “Learn English!”, which Anson Lo smoothly followed up with “Learn more languages!”

On a more serious note, Anson Lo would advise their younger selves to not take hateful comments “too seriously”. 

Mirror is no stranger to mudslinging on social media, especially on Instagram.

A recent submission on a popular confessions page on Instagram for Hong Kong students went viral after an anonymous Secondary 4 commenter confessed how she faced ridicule among her friends for being a Miro, the official name for Mirror fans.

“Several incidents had led to more haters against Mirror, I really thought about not ‘revealing’ myself as a Miro,” the post wrote. 

The post had garnered more than 11,000 likes on Instagram. Most notably, Jeremy had left a like on the post, and Edan had left a simple “hug” emoji in the comments, which garnered more than 5,000 likes. 

“Constructive criticism is more important than hateful comments,” said Anson Lo. “And don’t be too affected by those (negative things).

“Throughout these five years, we have been getting more pressure. I think it would be a lot easier if we learnt that earlier (during our debut).”

“Wow,” was what Edan said, when asked what their fans could expect from Mirror in the next five years. 

“Stanley getting married,” he joked, eliciting laughter and applause from everyone in the room. 

Stanley is currently in a relationship with fellow Hong Kong artiste Alina Lee, and marriage plans between the couple have been a talking point in recent interviews. Veteran Hong Kong actress Carol Cheng had asked in an interview in March if marriage plans were on the table, and whether he would be the first in the group to tie the knot.

Surprisingly, fans could expect Mirror to do more movies in the next five years, something which the group has been venturing into the past two to three years, according to Anson Lo. 

“We really appreciate that we can get the chance to do it because before we debuted, we never thought that we could do acting.” 

Several members of Mirror have also ventured into acting in local movies and TV dramas, most recently The Moon Thieves released in February starring Edan, Anson Lo and Keung To, as well as We 12 in March, a heist movie featuring all 12 members of Mirror. 

While nothing has been confirmed, Anson Lo tells CNA Lifestyle that Mirror hopes to release another English single in the future. 

The group had recently released its second English single Day 0, featuring NBA star Damian Lillard, also known by his stage name Dame Dolla. The song comes after their first English release, Rumours, in 2023.