But a harrowing incident last July dealt a heavy blow to their rise.
A giant video screen fell from the ceiling during a concert and struck two backup dancers, leaving one of them, Mo Li, severely injured. The band subsequently stopped their public appearances for two months. Hong Kong authorities have charged workers from the concert’s principal contractor alleged to be responsible for the accident. Last month, Li’s father said his son had taken his first steps with the help of an exoskeleton device.
“We will never say that we already got through it,” said Lui, adding it was a “huge lesson.” It taught them to cherish every moment, Stanley Yau said.
While Mirror works to shake off that tragedy, it has also been battered by criticism of lackluster performances, with some critics accusing the members of chasing money from advertisements rather than focusing on their singing and dancing.
Lo said the group is trying to slow down its schedule to strike a better balance and the members now gather at least once or twice a month for activities such as meetings or dance lessons – a significant change as they seldom met each other outside work in the past, he said.
The release of Rumours, whose lyrics are about chasing a girl and how rumors arise, has marked an important milestone for the group, especially since the members are all native Cantonese singers.
English pronunciation was a major challenge, Lui said, and they were all coached one-on-one during the recording sessions.
Lo said the group will monitor audiences’ reactions closely but that they will no doubt continue producing music in Cantonese even as some members might produce solo songs in Mandarin. The group also has plans to launch a worldwide tour possibly next year, he said.
Lui said their ambition of reviving Cantopop as Asia’s No. 1 music might sound “like daydreaming.”
“But I think we should have that goal inside our hearts and we should try to do our best to pursue this dream,” he said.
