Man, I freakin’ love the 90s! It was the ultimate era for CantoPop, with tunes that were all that and a bag of chips. Growing up in Guangzhou, I jammed out to these bangers on my Sony CD Walkman D-E707 like a boss. Andy Lau 刘德华 was — and still is — the Michael Jackson of China, making us dance like it was prom night and we were all trying to be as cool as Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell. And let’s not forget Faye Wong 王菲, the queen of psychedelic dream pop, whose ethereal voice could make anyone feel like they were floating through a cloud of neon lights. From love ballads that hit you in the feels to R&B jams smoother than a boy band harmonizing, the 90s had it all. So, dust off your digital tape player and get ready to vibe with these rad CantoPop — sometimes MandoPop — mixtapes. It’s gonna be da bomb!
Featured: Shirley Double Feature
Before Faye Wong was Faye Wong, she went by Shirley and there was another Shirley that sang dream pop: Shirley Kwan. Dive back into the nineties and early noughties with this double feature!