On the evening of May 11, 2021, another thrilling concert came to a successful close. This conclusion not only marked the end of an era but also heralded a new beginning for the Hong Kong music scene. The six consecutive MIRROR “ONE & ALL” LIVE 2021 concerts finally ended with a bang, with all 12 members of MIRROR giving their all on stage, singing and dancing with passion. Their captivating voices shone brightly, not only captivating the audience in the venue but also reaching everyone outside, exuding youthful energy and dedication. Whether you are a “Mirror Fan” or not, you cannot deny their current popularity and influence, bringing a long-awaited vitality to the Hong Kong music scene. What is it about them that drives the whole city crazy? It is truly intriguing. Especially one of them, who almost charms all women and causes a sensation every time, is a true representative of the new generation of superstars.
Jiang Tao, a young man who has gone from an ordinary boy next door to a new era idol today. Although he is still young, the experiences and pressures he has faced in the past two years have exceeded the burden that a young man in his early twenties can bear. Faced with various unexpected honors and accolades, how does he digest them one by one? In addition to encouragement and praise, there are also many criticisms and insults. How does he handle the pressure from all sides? Along the way, most of us have come to know Jiang Tao through the media and comments, but have you ever heard his true thoughts? He recently released his latest single “Master Class,” expressing his thoughts through the lyrics:
“I aim to be myself, thank you for your inspiration, but I am not willing to compromise. Quietly watch how I break through. If you don’t understand, wait for me.”
On this road paved for the all-around superstar, let’s not forget this boy who just turned 22, as this stage is just the beginning of his growth. What does growth mean to Jiang Tao? It’s been a week since the concert ended, so why not take this opportunity to listen to this big boy’s sharing and understand his feelings about the time and scenes that have passed in the past two years?
「希望我們帶給大家一份勇氣」
「新世代，就是代表著一種想法吧。」
During the MIRROR “ONE & ALL” LIVE 2021 concert held over those six days, social media was flooded with their news, almost completely dominating the entire Hong Kong internet. The most touching part of this concert was not how their voices sounded or the energetic dance moves, but seeing the unity and determination of 12Z, a testament to their blood, sweat, and tears as they strive together and grow, a moving experience witnessed by all.
MIRROR has held two concerts in just three years since its establishment, using their achievements to prove to everyone that having the right ideas and courage is the key to every step and every game. Jiang Tao shared that the longer he spends time with his brothers in MIRROR, the more he hopes everyone can go further, hoping to gain everyone’s recognition with the strength and belief of twelve people. Moreover, in the past two years of walking together with his brothers, he feels that the time spent together, whether bitter or sweet, is all precious memories. Or perhaps it should be said that the team gives him strength to continue to fight against pressure, hard work, and self-doubt.
In conversation, you can probably feel that MIRROR holds a greater significance in Jiang Tao’s heart than even himself.
Larry Full-Grain Leather Sneakers, Mr. Porter / Oversize Ami de Coeur Sweater, Carrot Fit Cuffed Hem Trousers / All from Ami Paris (I.T) / Love Earring, Cartier
Many people say they are the new hope of the music industry, the representatives of the new era. What does the term “new generation” mean to Jiang Tao?
“The new generation represents a certain mindset.” Even though he describes himself as introverted, facing such high expectations, Jiang Tao has always remained positive and proactive from the beginning, never seeking overnight success, but at the same time, envisioning an unknown path ahead. “I hope that when people see us, they will have the courage to come up with and implement some new ideas.” Because he firmly believes that maintaining a humble attitude to express oneself is more important than achieving any accomplishments, and he calls this infectiousness.
「嗯…的確沒有太多時間去消化。」
In recent years, the popularity of Jiang Tao has been increasing without decreasing. Looking back at the past two years, he has experienced a lot and very quickly: from breaking out of a talent show, shining brightly at the young age of 19, and this year, he quickly won the title of “My Favorite Male Singer”. Looking at this natural and naive big boy in front of us, it is inevitable to be curious: “Will he have enough breathing space and time to digest before standing in front of the crowd shortly after his debut?”
The question seemed to startle him, and after a brief pause, he slowly replied, “Yeah, indeed, there wasn’t much time to digest it.” Winning awards and receiving praise is certainly joyful, but it also brings increasing pressure. He mentioned that because he values this concert greatly, he has put in 200% of his spirit and time into preparation. He confessed that the stress from preparing for the concert caused his emotions to deteriorate and even led to him fainting in the dance studio.
“So, this is indeed a problem, I hope to have some time to digest it in the future, to improve myself, so that I can live up to the awards I have received before.” Success is not a matter of luck. Even though he has won numerous awards and continues to work, he always looks at his situation with a grateful heart. He deeply understands that in a short period of time, he is not ready to step onto the award stage and truly deserve every honor. At this stage, he is simply not convincing enough. Therefore, he plans to work harder and more diligently to do everything well, to repay everyone’s kindness.
Because of his hard work, he can live up to everyone who supports him. Even so, this is considered the best explanation to his deceased close friend “Center”.
「希望日後大家會覺得，姜濤出現過都是一件好事」
「我是一個很需要自己空間和時間的人。」
On stage, Jiang Tao shines brightly, but offstage he is a somewhat quiet, a bit dull, and introverted boy. Whether standing in front of the photographer or in a moment alone in the dressing room, he is always quiet. He only smiles and nods when someone calls him or makes eye contact with him. He is very quiet most of the time.
“I may have been really introverted before, but now whenever I need to express myself, I become more decisive,” Jiang Tao shares his personality, he even describes his private self as possibly more negative, but he is not used to showing the negative side to everyone.
No one is born an optimist, and no one is always a pessimist. But listening to Jiang Tao’s confession, it is still awkward to reveal this fragile heart in conversation. “Because I am more rational in private, but when I am rational, my thoughts or words are not so positive. These are all aspects of myself that I have filtered out privately and will not let others see, but this is also a part of me.” And this conscious negativity is the real torment.
“When life feels like it’s been pressing down on you constantly, while also dealing with many things happening at once, it’s indeed impossible to release (stress).”
Being entrusted with high expectations is a driving force, but also an invisible burden. Despite the fans and staff being considerate and understanding, Jiang Tao is ultimately just a newcomer, and there will always be endless moments of self-doubt and lack of confidence. Coupled with his introverted nature and the habit of hiding all emotions, the pressure Jiang Tao actually bears is even greater, making it difficult to dispel the emotions in his heart at times, which is completely understandable.
He has always been a boy who needs a lot of personal space. With overwhelming work and too many things happening in the past year, he rarely shed tears of a man at the last concert. Thinking back to his words that day, that scene was particularly heart-wrenching. Physically and mentally exhausted, he currently only hopes to return to his best state, and he also said, “I hope that after the concert, I can rest well and recover as soon as possible.”
I believe this is not only Jiang Tao himself, but also the greatest hope of all his fans, brothers and friends, company, and family who cherish him.
「我最不希望變成一個失去熱誠的人。」
Although the current Jiang Tao looks extremely tired, but in response to each question in the interview, he carefully expressed his deepest feelings after thinking. Especially when asked “Continuing on, what kind of person does Jiang Tao hope to become?”, he thought particularly seriously.
“I hope that Jiang Tao can become… maybe when he fades out or even leaves this circle, everyone will think that ‘he’ can sing a little, and it’s not completely invisible to people.” He said shyly.
Jiang Tao admitted that before his formal debut, he did not have a deep understanding of the local music scene, and he even worried that this would affect his performance. However, after his official debut, he was grateful to be able to approach the current local music scene from a new perspective. Once he entered this circle, he became clearer about his mission. Therefore, he has always carried a passion for singing and dancing, hoping to keep the fire in his heart burning, presenting the best side of himself to everyone. Even if it is just a moment of brilliance, it is considered a reward for everyone, truly living his life.
He has no ambition to become a superstar, but rather “hopes that everyone will feel that it was a good thing that this person appeared after everything is over,” it’s that simple, he is already satisfied.
On the contrary, what kind of person do you least want to become? “I, least want to become a person who has lost their passion.” Although he occasionally wishes to be lazy, the desire to achieve his dreams has never diminished. He continued, “I don’t want to become someone who does things just for the sake of doing them in the future, I hope that in the future, everything I do will have a reason.”
Who says young people are useless? Jiang Tao hopes to demonstrate the power of young people through action.
「有決心做好一件事，而這就會令你有信心」
「其實大大小小的目標都是一種動力。」
說起年輕人的力量，一直拼盡全力的姜濤，對於未來的路認為更需要的是信心還是決心？
“This is a good question,” he thought seriously, and then replied, “I think having determination to do something well will give you confidence. But I feel that so far I still don’t have the confidence to do my own thing, and because I haven’t done it well yet, I actually still lack confidence.” He continued, “But I hope to have the determination to do this thing well first, so in that case, I think I will naturally have confidence.”
Confidence and determination are indispensable on the road to success, and the relationship between the two can be said to complement each other. Just having confidence without the determination to take action will not lead to success; but having a strong determination without confidence will also not lead to success. Although Jiang Tao has been enjoying a bright future since his debut, this newcomer understands very clearly that only he can help himself overcome these inner struggles. Jiang Tao believes that the driving force to break through obstacles often comes from the original intention. “The source of motivation comes from ideals. Whenever I think of that ideal image, I feel motivated.” Using this concert as an example, he rehearsed day and night for several months, and the only thing that kept him going was his inner willpower. “If I want to do well in this performance, I will imagine that the performance is excellent, and then I will have the motivation to make it happen.”
As the saying goes, “opportunity makes a hero.” When you have confidence and determination, the efforts you have put in will not be in vain. Jiang Tao understands this principle well, so he works hard with a pure heart, persevering through one challenge after another. Perhaps he has not reached the perfect stage yet, but at least he is moving forward on the path of progress.
And his efforts and hard work, I believe everyone can see.
When it comes to pursuing dreams, most people hope to have the right timing, favorable conditions, and support from others in their hands. However, this newcomer in the music industry chooses to lead themselves with a cautious attitude. Whether the ultimate result is good or bad is completely unknown, but one thing is certain – Jiang Tao knows better than anyone else who he belongs to and what his dreams are all about.
“Keeping hope” and “continuing to strive” have never been easy tasks. In the pursuit of dreams, facing “failure” is very normal. Receiving awards, holding successful concerts again, no matter what comes next, for Jiang Tao, the next stage will inevitably bring even greater challenges. Hopefully, at twenty-two years old, after becoming an “adult,” he will not forget his current self, continuing to experience everything with body and heart, hoping to cultivate the courage that can ignite like a wildfire along the path of growth. The current path may be difficult to traverse, but after undergoing trials, one will experience a rebirth in the baptism of fire, even if one is a wallflower, one must bloom with infinite beauty.
Jiang Tao, now take a good rest, please continue to believe in yourself in the future.
後記
After reading the above interview, I believe everyone can get to know this young man more from Jiang Tao’s words, understand his pursuit of work and dreams. In addition to the image in front of the screen that everyone usually sees, what is Jiang Tao like in private? What are his hobbies? What is his favorite food? What is his most frequently used app…? In this interview, we specially arranged a “rapid fire Q&A” session, where he will personally answer a few things about himself, further entering his inner world and understanding the side of him that is not known to the public.
To increase the difficulty, he will showcase his “Ginger Abstract Painting Skills” for the first time, answering questions while painting the MIRROR concert poster within a limited time. What unique characteristics do the 11 members have under his brush? How does he demonstrate “skill and imagination” to complete this challenge? Don’t miss this “extra episode.”
Bonjour le monde
Producer: Vicky Wai
Photography: Matt Hui
Videography: Andy Lee, Napoleon Lee & Yanice Lee
Styling: Vicky Wai
Make up: Circle Chong @ Annie G. Chan Makeup Centre
Hair: Lydia Yung @ Chic Private I Salon
Video Editor: Andy Lee
Editor: Carson Lin
Designer: Tanna Cheng
Jewellery: Cartier
Wardrobe: Boss, I.T, Mr Porter
