Turning experience into music
Six songs reflecting on thirteen years in Hong Kong
Published in February 2024, the interview centres on Karen’s first Cantonese EP, then in preparation. She had released Don’t Wanna Move with Ash in November 2023, followed by a solo version, as the project’s opening chapter. She described the six songs as a way to connect thirteen years of experiences in Hong Kong: stepping away from entertainment, doing office work, creating online videos and running a business. Through the record, she wanted listeners to understand how she had found her way back to music.
The decision behind Don’t Wanna Move
Karen recalled that an earlier plan for her to stay in Hong Kong and release a Cantonese record was suspended by her company. Discussions did not resolve their differences. Disappointed, she bought a one-way ticket to Hong Kong and decided to start again, leaving behind her old telephone number and company accommodation. She connected Don’t Wanna Move with that period: the wish to resist a path decided for her and choose her own direction.
Faith and friendship during a difficult period
Starting again did not immediately resolve her distress. She said she considered finding an ordinary job, yet could not let go of music. Hurt and anxiety had made her withdraw and affected her relationships. She attributed a later change to reconnecting with her Christian faith and to supportive singer friends. 陳明恩 and 劉港源 invited her to a singers’ group; a gathering at 關心妍’s home made her feel welcomed. Their willingness to listen and remain alongside her helped her gradually lower her guard and feel loved again.
Rebuilding a relationship with her former company
As she became more settled, Karen began addressing her resentment towards her former company and boss. While preparing for her wedding, she invited him; he attended with his wife and children. She recalled friends later telling her that he had been moved to tears. To her, this suggested that he still cared, helping them move beyond their estrangement. At the time of the interview, she said they remained on good terms.
Facing criticism and finding a purpose in singing
Despite having started through singing competitions, Karen said she still feared their pressures. Criticism during King Maker left her disappointed and doubting herself, but she felt her faith helped her regain balance more readily than before. She increasingly understood singing as a way to offer comfort and hope to people experiencing sadness or loneliness. She also discussed opportunities after the competition to act in Nasi Lemak 1.0 and 等一個擁抱, describing work beyond music as part of her renewed journey.
Making the EP with JNYBeatz
Work on the EP began in 2023, and Karen identified funding as its greatest challenge. Even so, creating and recording new material brought her satisfaction. She described JNYBeatz as a producer she had long wanted to work with and felt his guidance raised the quality of the project, alongside contributions from other musicians. By the interview, the six songs had been selected; she had helped create four of them, each with a clear theme. A mid-2024 release was her hope at that time, not a confirmed account of when the EP actually came out.
A short-film challenge and support at home
To concentrate on the record, Karen had paused her online-video work and was also making a short film connected with a new song. She described filming in Cheung Chau and playing a mother who had lost her son, a role requiring different emotional stages. Alongside faith, friends and fans, she thanked her husband for his companionship and suggestions on hair colour and styling.