For the eight members of Hong Kong girl group Lolly Talk, being eliminated from ViuTV’s talent competition King Maker IV two years ago seemed to mark an end to their hopes and dreams.
The singing contest was, however, only the beginning of their story. Fast forward to today and the group are making their mark in Hong Kong with energetic, youthful pop songs of contagious exuberance. They will be up against local pop heavyweights Mirror, Collar, Dear Jane and Error for the “My Favourite Group” award at this year’s Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation organised by Commercial Radio.
Sinnie (Ng Sin-yee), MeiMei (Tsang Mei-yan), Yanny (Lau Yee-ting), Egg (Wong Wing-lam), Elka (Cheng Chi-kei), Tania (Chan Kei-ching), Mui (Wong Man-kiu) and Ahyo (Kwok Hiu-yin) make up the current line-up of Lolly Talk.
At the time, several of them were still in school.
“We talked about our inner feelings, our first impressions of each other, our struggles and our hopes, and really learned about each other … we all of a sudden became very united, and we could feel a genuine desire to perform.”
The next Mirror? Hong Kong stars introduce King Maker hopefuls in Canada
The next Mirror? Hong Kong stars introduce King Maker hopefuls in Canada
That staycation was also when they listened to a demo version of what would become their official debut song, “Triple Sweetness”. Their love for the track sealed their fate – collectively they decided they would become a girl group.
Their name, Lolly Talk, is taken from “lollipop” and a desire to give listeners a sweet feeling, while the “talk” reflects the group’s desire to express themselves.
The group’s beginning was the most difficult period of their career, Egg says.
“At first, we weren’t confident or sure about how we would develop. Some of us were in school or working, so we weren’t sure if we should put our all into it. And because we formed the group ourselves and had to run everything, we had to face a lot.”
Sinnie adds: “For a girl group, what people see on the surface level is the singing and dancing, and maybe the creativity. But there’s a lot behind it too, like promotion – if we didn’t have as much promotion, fewer people would know about us – administration, finances and more.
“People see the tip of the iceberg, but we also have to sort out everything underneath, which is the most challenging.”
Lolly Talk persisted and have since released a number of hit songs, including “5 Ciphers Of Love”, “My Seven Stars”, “Set a Fire” and “For Us”. Their most recent song, “Daydreaming Our Little Things”, is an upbeat track centred around the daydreaming of a sweet love story.
The group knew immediately that they wanted to record the song after listening to the demo because of the lighthearted, lively feeling it gave listeners. “It has a sense of imagination – this fun, romantic [feel],” Sinnie says.
Sinnie, who wanted to become a lyricist, had already penned several Lolly Talk tracks by this point, while Tania was writing for the first time. Egg drew some of the graphics for the music video, which was shot in Japan and marked the first time all eight members were able to go on a trip together.
Lolly Talk recently held a sold-out debut concert over two nights at Star Hall in the Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre. The concert name, “Little Things”, was a nod to their most recent song and an ode to their journey.
“In everyone’s lives, there are a lot of little things – events and objects – that can affect them. But these things, when you have them or when they’re happening, you might not realise that they can actually have a big impact on your life,” Sinnie says.
“For example, when we first entered into the competition, all we did was fill out a form online and then click submit – such a little step. But we never thought that would result in Lolly Talk, and that we would be able to hold a concert at Star Hall.”
Indeed, the girl group have achieved something beyond their wildest dreams with the help of fans and supporters – who include their parents; they even follow the girls’ fan pages.
“Our parents follow us very closely,” Mui says. “Even if we haven’t decided what we’re going to do ourselves, they’ll already have caught wind of it somewhere.”
Above all, what Lolly Talk are most grateful for is their ability to impact others with their music, and the simple fact that they were able to realise their dreams together.
“Within the group we’ve each found our place, our passion and our life purpose,” Sinnie says.