Floating along Hong Kong’s waters on a mellow afternoon, Cantopop artist Kiri Tse Hiu-ying threw a listening party for her new album, A Kiridiculous Distance.
A day before the album’s official release, dozens of fans boarded the Star Ferry in Tsim Sha Tsui for a music experience unlike any other.
The ferry’s familiar wooden benches were lined with Tse’s lyrics and musings on the theme of distance, as well as props from the quirky world shown in the singer-songwriter’s viral music videos.
With their headphones on at golden hour, participants focused solely on listening to the album from start to finish.
Tse – known by her stage name Kiri T – and her team had considered hosting the event on a bus or tram but ultimately decided “the sea and water are the most romantic”.
“Looking out at Victoria Harbour, watching the sunset, I felt moved by every single track,” the singer said. “Facing the ocean – hearing the waves while listening to the songs – triggers so many memories for me.”
At the event’s end, she thanked her fans for riding “the Kiridiculous Star Ferry”.
“Being in the same space, listening to the same song, looking at the same sea, and feeling emotional together was such bliss,” she said. “I also really hope that everyone who came today will step off the boat carrying some reflections with them and the things that came to mind while they were on board.”
This intimate listening experience captured the spirit of her latest album, a playful and relatable take on the distances between people, love, music and joy.
Two years in the making, the 14-track album distils the singer’s reflections on staying connected and drifting apart in a city where change is a constant. Her lyrics discuss emotional avoidance, ambiguous modern relationships and wanting the freedom of a break-up.
The album includes her hit “You Gotta Screw Up at Least Once”, which has over 10 million views on YouTube.
Tse noted that a new song, “Exit to a Whole New World”, was close to her heart. While she composed it, the lyrics were written by Wyman Wong, who has penned countless viral Cantopop hits.
In Tse’s words, it is “a quiet prayer for a kinder and saner world”.
She felt especially moved while hearing this song on the ferry, explaining: “I was thinking, what if, when we get off the boat, we arrive in a utopian world?”
The album also features an English track called “Safe But Sorry”, a raw confession exploring the fatigue of trying to appear fine when she is unwell on the inside – and the desire to break free from the performance of happiness.
The first half of the album is lighter, according to Tse, while the second half represents her honest self.
“If you listen to the album in order, track by track, it’s like peeling an onion,” she said.
“By the end, you’ll cry, but at the same time I also hope it helps everyone release their emotions.”
