Karen Mok: Where Words Fail, Music Speaks 當世界休止時，音樂從不止息
Written by Christina Li & Deborah Lau-Yu
Karen Mok performing on stage. Photo credit: Karen Mok’s official online gallery.
Karen Mok’s Limited Edition Keepsake album. Photo credit: Sony Music Entertainment Hong Kong.
Canadians, along with many other Chinese diasporas globally, paid particular attention to this song. For most individuals, it was experienced as the theme song of hit drama series, Flying Tiger 2, during a time when many were in lockdown at home and had time to watch television. The song lyrics depict the dark and suffocating sentiment of the loss of love, and how the memories around a home and every object’s smell and presence infuses into the environment, making it hard to even take a breath — something necessary to go on in life. With every breath, the air is soaked with bittersweet stench that chokes the soul. Audiences recognized another layer of meaning, at first correlating the concept of breathing in hazardous elements to the desolate feeling of the pandemic which is a respiratory disease. It led to an even more philosophical perspective on the spirit of the song — a longing for what we love and value as a society, but those very things we treasure and habits we keep are polluting and killing the environment and society, making each breath of existence a hazard to ourselves. On many levels, the song summoned a sense of relief — an acknowledgment of grieving and suffering that was common amongst the collective personal narratives that audiences associated with the song.
There is a connection between the city’s pop culture scene that has an undeniable connection with everyday life of many families worldwide that rely on Hong Kong's industry to be their main source of film, television and music. Though it has been challenged by perceptions of what it represents, succession, identity issues, and politics, what remains true is the strong relationship between pop culture in Hong Kong and its consumption by diasporas around the world which continues to have an impact on second and third generations. What makes this particular chart-topper and story extra special?
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The spotlight is on the singer, Karen Mok. At 50 years old, the last time she stepped onto the same stages to be recognized with a music award was 15 years ago in 2005. At the time, she was already a unique artist with her own distinct style, and had an amazing repertoire of experience and accolades. She was discovered earlier on during her university days in England where she collaborated with renown songwriter Mark Lui (who would later on become an influential figure in the music scene, writing for superstars like Leon Lai and Kelly Chen). However, Karen did not fit the stereotypical mold of the scathing entertainment industry, often being teased for lacking enough outer beauty, and as such, always under-appreciated for what she brought to the table. She has a lot to offer, mastering her personal style in Cantopop, C-rock, Alternative, Pop Rock, Jazz, Mandopop, and being able to write her own songs as well. Her film debut was in 1993, and memorable works place her next to icons Stephen Chow and award-winning director Wong Kar Wai. She was awarded Best Supporting Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1996. Her solo concerts debuted in 2000 in Taipei with an audience of 20,000, and she went on to perform for larger audiences, with recent tours taking her to 27 cities around the world at a time. Internationally, Mok has collaborated with numerous leading global artists, including performances with Lang Lang,The Black Eyed Peas, Andrea Bocelli, Far East Movement, John Legend, Keanu Reeves and Pharrell Williams. To date, she has released 17 solo studio albums, starred in over 40 movies, has over 15 million followers on social media platform Weibo.
Karen Mok performing on stage. Photo Credit: Karen Mok’s official Instagram.
“[L]ed to an even more philosophical perspective... a longing for what we love and value as a society”
Therefore, to the diehard fans and critics of the industry in Hong Kong, it was music to their ears when at the highly anticipated parade of music award shows that kick off each new year in the metropolis, Karen returned home to sweep all 5 major platforms’ top honours. Her song and her charitable initiative was thrust into the spotlight, officially marking its place in the hearts of millions of fans around the world. What is particularly outstanding was her performance at the 881903 Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation 2020 (2020 年度叱咤樂壇流行榜頒獎典禮 My903.com Awards), where she was a special performing guest. She had the incredible task of delivering a performance that strung together a medley of over 21 nostalgic tunes from icons such as Leslie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, Eason Chan, Leon Lai, Aaron Kwok, Sammi Cheng, Rubberband, William So, Joyce Cheng, etc. She captured a story of Hong Kong music that was moving, and marked the performance with an electrifying insertion of traditional Chinese instrument, the Guzheng. For 14 minutes, she used music to reach into the hearts of audiences in the city (and globally) who grew up with decades of Cantonese pop hits. In just two weeks, the Youtube video of her performance has almost half a million views with over a thousand comments, which in most part, express appreciation for her meaningful presentation. As she would, she sang with her own style and mastered challenging techniques required in the several key changes for songs originally sung by male artists.
This symbolic performance is definitely one that many fans around the world who grew up with the music industry of the 80’s to present day would appreciate and long for... she connected generations and various subcultures within culture with her unique tone and arrangement. For many consumers of Chinese media and Hong Kong pop, her own song and this medley spoke for them in ways that only music could do.
The greatest triumph though is not solely in the song, nor simply in the singer delivering a stellar performance. The most remarkable sentiment is the timely intersection of this moment in Hong Kong pop music when hope is desperately needed in society, and an overdue celebration of Karen Mok as one of the most achieved female artists of her time, on her home stage, being gloriously recognized in a moment she long deserved. Her journey and her challenges demonstrate to other dreamers to hold onto hope, and trust in the process of becoming the best version of yourself. She has devoted her life to being a performer, giving to the stage, the screen, the audience, the work, the purpose of music. Still holding onto a peak in her career, she uses her voice to inspire every artist. Music transcends time, space, and helps to break down barriers, because it represents a universal language of hope. And in our convoluted world today, where all else might fail, let us connect through music — let music speak.
Karen Mok with music award. Photo Credit: Karen Mok’s official Instagram.
「缺氧到似有幻象，乏力地躺於地上 合上雙眼，用皮膚感應無常」...可會是你對2020年、又或此時此刻的感受？《呼吸有害》的成功，反映出在多無常的時間，仍然可以預料之內，仍然有憧憬與希望！
《我們在中場相遇》
《呼吸有害》，是莫文蔚2020年再推出的原創粵語作品，無線電視劇《飛虎之雷霆極戰》主題曲。入行28年，莫文蔚上一次派廣東歌已要數到《眾生緣》，相隔十多年，《呼吸有害》一發表大獲樂迷好評，即時登上各地音樂平台的排行榜冠軍，成為全港首支《五台冠軍歌曲》；更在樂壇掀起旋風，超過70組歌手、社會知名人士於網上或社交平台爭相發佈翻唱影片，包括鄭秀文、容祖兒、糖妹、林二汶、岑寧兒、林家謙、譚嘉儀、田蕊妮、Cousin Fung、吳浩康、小肥、One Promise、連詩雅等。
《呼吸有害》恍惚描繪著當下的我們 — 歌詞的細膩，再配歌者冷漠卻動人的聲線、故事敘述式編曲，扣人心弦！製作團隊心思細密，數位單曲收錄兩個不同版本，包括：錄音室版及現場版。錄音室版本沒有前奏；現場版則以鋼琴伴奏，並加上前奏、橋段及結尾，呈現兩種不同感覺。由七個多月前發佈至今，莫文蔚演繹的多個版本，在YouTube點擊率合共五百多萬，受歡迎指數，一時無兩。
成功，全因不放棄！「真的連做夢也沒想到，28年前我在香港開展我的演藝事業，經過多年來一直默默努力 ，今年獲得全港四大媒體音樂頒獎禮的'大滿貫'。對我來說可算是一個圓滿的旅程。」~ 莫文蔚
《沒有圍牆的世界》
音樂無分界限、無分背景，只有知音。莫文蔚獨一無二的魅力、《呼吸有害》一聽難忘的旋律，令此歌一如預測，成績彪炳，成為該年度唯一四台歌曲獎大滿貫的單曲作品，取得香港三大頒獎禮歌曲獎的最高榮譽：先後於第四十三屆十大中文金曲及2020年度勁歌金曲頒獎典禮中分別勇奪「全球華人至尊金曲獎」及「勁歌金曲金獎」，在2020年度叱咤樂壇流行榜頒獎典禮，更破天荒，成為史上第一首無線電視劇集主題曲斬獲「叱咤樂壇至尊歌曲大獎」。
「不完美人生指南 —- 不管它完不完美，做就對了！」~ 莫文蔚
《一切安好》共度時艱
「一呼一吸都有害。」 呼吸本應冇害，但環境令我們對簡單的呼吸也產生恐懼。此歌推出時適逢新型冠狀病毒疫情，樂迷將歌詞中有毒氣體當成是「含有病毒的氣體」，歌詞好像反映著，全世界的憂慮 ——— 面對疫情，如何走出寂寞充斥空氣內、生死劫難，反省自己的人生，《呼吸有害》或許給人啟示。其實，歌詞將有毒氣體比喻人類的貪嗔痴，執著虛幻的權力，情感和慾望。以音樂表現：無論情感上多麼愚昧不悟，但理智上應該清醒認識：無用的執念，如呼吸有毒的氣體，必須勇敢的摒棄，否則不能真正的活下去。
Karen Mok’s Limited Edition Keepsake album. Photo credit: Sony Music Entertainment Hong Kong.
「勉強再試試站立，自願地展開學習。」平常為公益不遺餘力的莫文蔚，在這段抗疫期間，更決定發行《呼吸有害》慈善限量CD SINGLE + CASSETTE 套裝，扣除成本之後，將收益捐給受疫情影響的演藝界同行，希望和大家互勉，共度時艱。同時，推出鋼琴伴奏版本的《呼吸有害Live Version》終極版，特別搭配以2D情境動畫，在疫情期間撫慰人心。故事中，憶起在戶外享受新鮮空氣美好時光的小女孩，因應防疫在家裡隔離，貓咪看見小主人鬱鬱寡歡希望能讓她重拾歡笑，用「貓步」彈出動聽旋律，與鄰居鋼琴家、愛唱歌的女人一同將像徵「愛」的音樂傳遞到每個人家裡。
「疫情給予的寶貴時間，是一個思考自己前路的良機。」~ 莫文蔚
《愛自己，做自己》
初出道時，莫文蔚被香港媒體視為另類，更被評不夠美麗，一眾甚至以為她剃光頭、半裸等突圍而出，純粹宣傳唱片。
台上一分鐘，台下十年功！《呼吸有害》的卓越，與及日前，在叱咤樂壇流行榜頒獎典禮的表演繞梁三日，印證著莫文蔚堅持不懈、努力求變，多年的正果。或許，有些評論認為，她在叱咤那十五分鐘、串燒21首對廣東流行曲致敬的演繹，不甚完美；筆者倒覺得，她以爵士旋律作起承，注入古箏演奏為轉合，把融匯中西的廣東歌的神髓發揮得淋漓盡致。想想，莫文蔚不是一直以中西音樂藝術融匯，創作出「莫」式風格而知名嗎？
她近30年的演藝界道路，告知我們：與其模仿，不如做真誠的自己！與其為討好、沿用舊框架，不如破格注入新元素！路或許不易行，但凡事只要用心，總有一日會發光———與其爭取他人認同自己，不如自己先確認自己！
莫文蔚看似我行我素，其實每一步都有勇有謀。2013年，一篇訪問她分享：「我完全沒有計謀，都是從心而發，只是知道了要往哪個方向走，就會好好裝備自己，這樣碰到機會才抓得住，嘿嘿。」
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《自洽》：給年輕人的《透視》
自洽一詞來自英語self-consistent，不是世事洞明、人情練達，而是遵從自己的內心。不用刻意取悅別人，而是做好自己，給別人化解尷尬，自己也不覺得委屈。如何才能更好的按照自己的本心活著 ——— 無數人，窮一生之力都在探尋的課題。而人的一生，就只活這一次，為了別人的要求、別人的評價而活，我們活到最後活的根本不是自己的人生，那豈不遺憾？
「人們在年輕的時候，只知道每天向前衝，以為有大把時間可以去浪費、去揮霍。而在某個成長的瞬間會驟然感受到時間流逝的無力感，這是人生必經的階段。時間有時是痛苦的來源，但終究是一份巨大的禮物！我們在時間中存在，就在時間中 ‘自洽’ 。」~ 莫文蔚
後註：《就是莫文蔚》
莫文蔚（Karen Joy Morris，藝名Karen Mok），原自香港，典堂級華語全方位女藝人、製作人。在其寫真集《文丞武蔚》中，她父親曾細述：『文蔚』兩字可追溯至易經革卦 ---『君子豹變，其文蔚也』。寄望人如其名，不斷更新自身的形象，一如花豹的斑紋，隨著時間，愈變愈美。入行至今28載，發行超過17張個人專輯，莫文蔚參演40多部電影以及舉行超過120場個人演唱會，獲獎無數，曾奪中港台、亞洲各地頒發的女歌手、電影獎項。在英國大學期間為音樂人雷頌德擔任Demo主音而被發掘，從而加入樂壇。到1997年轉戰台灣，推出首張國語唱片《做自己》一砲而紅，主打歌〈他不愛我〉更成為其代表作之一，專輯於全亞洲銷量更衝破1,000萬張。在音樂領域，莫文蔚以香港女歌手身份仍然在華語樂壇保持多項驕人紀錄：她是贏得台灣金曲獎的首位香港女藝人，也成為領銜百老匯熱門音樂劇《吉屋出租Rent》10週年全球巡演的首位亞洲明星，…
《呼吸有害 Breathing is Hazardous》
唱：莫文蔚
詞：羅健成
曲：鄧智偉
編：鄧鼓
缺氧到似有幻象 乏力地躺於地上
合上雙眼用皮膚感應無常
這裡有過你 未及步離場
被你的氣味 築起了圍牆
從頭再呼吸 殘存那種美
現在嚐到的苦 從前是最動人甜味
舊事物充斥空氣內 一呼一吸都有害
床邊有你 廳有你 進出於腦海
寂寞充斥空氣內 抑鬱吸入來
寧願閉氣 吸進你會沾濕眼袋
勉強再試試站立 自願地展開學習
盡快適應著 殘忍的低氣壓
似欠缺勇氣 不敢失去你
亦欠骨氣讓 身心也逃離
從頭再呼吸 沉沉那死氣
滲滿氧化浪漫 沉迷在這耐人尋味
舊事物充斥空氣內 一呼一吸都有害
床邊有你 廳有你 進出於腦海
寂寞充斥空氣內 抑鬱吸入來
寧願閉氣 吸進你會沾濕眼袋
窒息都不意外 不呼不吸不盼待
不要你 不要你 要清空腦袋
盡量振作也應該 每一扇窗也打開
不怕你 不怕你 怕呼吸有害
I'm lacking in oxygen to the point where it's like I'm imagining things
Lying on the floor and without energy
Closing my eyes and using only my skin to feel, this shouldn't be normal
You used to be here
You haven't left, unlike your steps
From your odor,
A wall is built
I'm taking another breath
To preserve these beautiful memories
The pain that is felt now
Used to be the most moving sweetness
Our old memories fill the air
Each breath brings harm
You're still at the bedside, still in the living room
And on my mind
Loneliness fills the air
Breathing in depression
I'd rather shut off the air
Breathing you in will wet my eyes
Staying strong, trying to stand up again
Willingly starting to learn
Quickly adapting to
The brutal low air pressure
As if lacking in courage
I'm afraid to lose you
Also lacking in moral character
My heart and body have escaped
I'm taking another breath
Addicted to this lifelessness
Romance is full of air
Our old memories fill the air
Each breath brings harm
You're still at the bedside, still in the living room
And on my mind
Loneliness fills the air
Breathing in depression
I'd rather shut off the air
Breathing you in will wet my eyes
If I suffocate, it won't be an accident
Won't breathe, won't wait
I don't need you, I don't need you
Need to clear my head
Need to be active
Open every window
I'm not afraid of you, I'm not afraid of you
I'm afraid that breathing is hazardous
English Translation Source: www.musixmatch.com
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