The Canto-pop Queen is back with her 37th studio album Fabulous. New additions to her long-time production team have brought about an unconventional, yet splendid work of art. Fabulous is Cheng’s best collection of songs since 2009’s chart-topping Faith.
Album opener Through The Hurdles is the theme song for the new governmental mental health programme Joyful @ HK. Once a victim of severe depression herself, Cheng’s singing provides all the positivity one would need on a bad day.
Title track Fabulous is not just another pop banger by Cheng – what makes it special is its experimental approach to EDM, a typically unwelcome genre in the Canto-pop market. The song speaks of finding freedom and courage within one’s self in a casual manner. The vocal production of this song is particularly impressive – every line consists of several layers of vocals at different registers, very much like a cappella.
My favourite song from the album is Into Sharp Relief. It has a jazzy, orchestral sound with a touch of modern soul. The song discusses humanity’s weaknesses despite presenting a beautiful version of themselves to the world, and the fear of not understanding how the world works. The lyrical component of this song is great, and the rhyme scheme contributes greatly to the elegant sound. You can draw parallels with it and her 2013 duet with Andy Lau, Blind Love, both of which are sensational soulful songs rarely found in the Canto-pop industry.
Don’t miss out on this album. While many try to sell what is lovable on the market, Sammi breaks barriers and defines what the market should find loveable.