Have a Cantopop Christmas

There are many Cantopop songs about Christmas and the festive season. Unlike the Mainland China where it is not a public holiday, Christmas is celebrated in Hong Kong and Macau and has always been one of the most important holidays in the calendar. While in the West, Christmas is usually a time for family reunion (we leave that till Chinese New Year), in Asia Christmas is when we party with friends or couples spending time together. As a result, many of these songs are about love and romance, or loneliness for those who are singles.

If you are sick of Mariah Carey or George Michael this Christmas, give these Cantopop songs a try.

• Next Year Christmas by Black Box - a hopeful song from 1996:

  No matter how it turns and changes, there'll always be some people looking forward to its arrival, as innocently as a four-year old
  How it turns and changes, I always believe there'll be people who come with the best stories and bring in the good news.

• Santa Claus by Leo Ku - a sad song from 1997 about losing a loved one in Christmas:

  Santa Claus, can you give me an ego?
  Santa Claus, I don't want to plan for love anymore.

• Lonely Christmas by Eason Chan - another heartbroken song from 2002 about a guy being rejected during Christmas:

  Merry, Merry Christmas. Lonely, Lonely Christmas.
  I want to sincerely confess my love in the crowd, but you just want to hear the jokes.
  Merry, Merry Christmas. Lonely, Lonely Christmas.
  By tomorrow the light decorations must be taken down, all these in exchange for a moment of cheers.

• Zero Degree Christmas by RubberBand - a 2008 song about a secret admirer with his best friend:

  Oh Christmas time, since knowing you few winters ago, playing all night and staying by your side, like a friend who never changes.
  Forgive me for wanting your body warmth to touch my face.
  But all I see is you hugging and kissing him instead.

• Dear Christmas by Dear Jane, a sweet ballad by the pop rock band in 2019.

  It's Christmas, I can be with you
  No other business to deal with
  Purely devoted to love

• Night Life. Take Us to the Light by Accusefive - An upbeat song from 2020 in mandarin (not Cantopop) from the Taiwanese band. The MV was filmed in Tokyo (like the one above). You can see that Mandarin lyrics are often more abstract than Cantonese ones.

  If you are everything, if I am absolute, if sobriety is a sin
  Let love spread and fulfill every night

• Lonely Winter by Jay Fung - a pretty chilled R&B song from 2021. This is the English version of the same song in Cantonese.

  A lonely winter, reminds me of you
  A lonely winter, that I once shared with you
  A lonely winter, I’ll do without you, without you

• Sweet Sweet Christmas by Serrini - a moody song from 2021. It comes with English subtitle so help yourself.

  Just getting together is never enough
  The future that I crave is intangible
  Sorrowful much? Not as much as life is ridiculous!
  Refill the drinks...still some more

• 12 by MIRROR - a more joyful tune from the 12-member boy band in 2021:

  How wonderful it is to have you
  I want to fly higher with you tonight
  With you I just want to celebrate
  The melody embraces you along the starry sky
  It's really great to have you
  I will count down with you again soon
  By Christmas I just want to be satisfied
  Stay in the sea of ​​people and be blessed with you

• Wanna Watch Fireworks with You Again (Last Christmas version) by Alan Po - it is a recent remix of a song released 2 years ago. The MV was again filmed in Tokyo (our "ancestral home" these days):

  Look up and see the most colourful universe
  My brows and forehead are all waiting for you to comprehend
  Ten seconds, let the fireworks give me an excuse

Sorry many of these songs are melancholic and probably not your usual Christmas songs. There are many more Christmas themed Cantopop (and most of them are more positive) but I am not going to list them all here. Anyway I hope you enjoy the music and wish you a wonderful holiday.