Stars Academy | |
---|---|
Season 1 | |
Hosted by | Sammy Leung |
Coaches | |
No. of contestants | 15 |
Winner | Gigi Yim |
Runner-up | Chantel Yiu |
Opening theme | "Stars Academy" by all contestants |
No. of episodes | 14 |
Release | |
Original network | TVB |
Original release | 10 April 19 July 2021 | –
Season chronology |
Stars Academy is a Hong Kong singing competition television series to find young singing talents. The first season premiered on 10 April 2021 and continued until 19 July 2021 for 14 episodes. Hosted by Sammy Leung, the show featured Hacken Lee as the coaching supervisor, along with AGA, Pakho Chau, Vincy Chan, JW, Gin Lee, and Janice Vidal as coaches. Throughout the competition, several performances gained popularity among the viewers, including Chantel Yiu's "Love Prediction" (戀愛預告), Gigi Yim's "Without You, I Still Love You" (沒有你還是愛你), and Yumi Chung's "Wild City" (狂野之城). The show was won by Gigi Yim. Following the finale, the contestants held a 4-day live concert titled First Live on Stage from 12 to 15 August 2021. The programme's popularity led TVB to continue its run for a second season (2022). It also inspired other TV shows, including the musical television series Forever Young at Heart (2021—2022) and the youth talent singing show Stars Junior Academy (2022).
Following their previous singing competition series, The Voice (2009—2011), TVB and its subsidiary TVB Music Group (formerly Voice Entertainment, referred to as such henceforth) intended to produce a new programme and opened applications in July 2020. [1] The original concept of the show aimed to discover young talents in Cantopop and involved sending the contestants to different parts of the world for musical training. Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, TVB abandoned this plan and instead conducted the training domestically. [2] In November 2020, fifteen contestants were introduced to the public through a group performance on TVB's 53rd Anniversary Gala show. [3] In January 2021, "The First Call" promotional footage was released, showcasing the contestants' vocals in eight group and solo performances. [4] These performances were also made available as digital singles on various music streaming platforms. [5]
Originally planned for February or March 2021, the competition faced a delay due to a management shake-up at Voice Entertainment, finally commencing in April 2021. [6] In early April, additional promotional footage titled "Prequel" introduced actor Sammy Leung as the host and singer Hacken Lee as the coaching supervisor. [7] Musician Johnny Yim joined the team as the music director. [8] The show's eponymous theme song was then digitally released on 9 April 2021, accompanied by a music video featuring all the contestants. [9] The first episode was broadcast on 10 April 2021. [10] The show used XR technology to create a unique stage effect—the first in TVB's broadcasting history. [11] A complemental TV programme titled Starry Starry Academy aired concurrently, featuring commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews. [12]
The fifteen contestants performed individually or in groups in a series of rounds. Except for the live finale, the competition was pre-recorded. Depending on the length, each round was broadcast within one or two episodes. The show employed a panel of 25 professional music judges in each round to critique and score the contestants. [13]
The competition kicked-off in Episodes 1–2 with individual performances from all the contestants. One contestant was eliminated, leaving fourteen to continue. These fourteen contestants were then divided into two teams, seven apiece, named as the Red and Blue teams. [14]
In the following four rounds (Episodes 3–9), the Red and Blue teams competed against each other under the guidance of their respective coaches. With Hacken Lee as the coaching supervisor, the Red Team was led by Vincy Chan, Pakho Chau, and JW. The Blue team was led by AGA, Gin Lee, and Janice Vidal. The losing team's coaches would eliminate one to three contestants per round, as stipulated by the rules. [13] [15] Episodes 3–4 featured individual head-to-head battles, and the team with the higher overall score would win. [15] [16] In Episodes 5–6, the teams competed in five matches, with designated lead vocalists in the first three and collaborative performances involving the full team and coaches in the latter two. The team with the most wins would be the winner. [17] Episode 7 featured three team battles competing for a cumulative score. [18] Episodes 8–9 featured a 1980s–2000s Cantopop Golden Hits theme. Under guest host Alan Tam's guidance, the teams engaged in another series of one-on-one battles, competing for the higher number of match wins. [19] [20]
In the next four rounds (Episodes 10–14), the competition returned to an individual format. Episodes 10–11 introduced guest coaches Mag Lam , Phil Lam, and Jay Fung, joining the permanent ones. Each contestant performed a duet with a chosen coach, resulting in the elimination of one contestant in each episode. [21] Episode 12 eliminated another contestant. [22] During this time, Hacken Lee departed from his coaching role due to his commitment to Sing! China. [23] In Episode 13, Hins Cheung appeared as a guest coach. The six remaining contestants were paired up based on judges' preferences to perform duets, with the higher-scoring contestant from each pair advancing to the top five. The highest scorer among the remaining contestants also advanced, while the bottom two battled in an elimination round, each performing another duet with Cheung, and the one with the lower score being eliminated. [24] The finale (Episode 14) took place on 19 July 2021 and featured the top five finalists. Unlike previous rounds, the finale incorporated both judges' scores and audience votes to determine the winner. Gigi Yim and Chantel Yiu became the top two and competed in a final round. Ultimately, Gigi Yim won three awards: Judges' Choice, Viewers' Choice, and Overall Championship, along with a HKD $100,000 prize. [25] [26]
* Song titles are loosely translated into English for better readability. Official Chinese song titles are indicated in parentheses.
Color key:
Red team contestant
|
Blue team contestant
|
This contestant advanced to next round.
|
This contestant was eliminated.
|
This contestant was in the top two.
|
This contestant was in the bottom two.
|
This contestant won Stars Academy.
|
This contestant was the runner-up.
|
Order | Contestant | Song | Score | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yumi Chung | "Skylight" (天窗) by Joey Yung | 15 | Advanced | [14] |
2 | Aska Cheung | "Your Name Engraved Herein" (刻在我心底的名字) by Crowd Lu | 16 | Advanced | |
3 | Chantel Yiu | "Final Boarding Call" (在月台上等你) by Janice Vidal | 9 | Advanced | |
4 | Felix Lam | "No Other Replacement in This World" (天下無雙) by Eason Chan | 13 | Advanced | |
5 | Windy Zhan | "Bubble" (泡沫) by G.E.M. | 24 | Advanced | |
6 | Rock Ho | "Worse Comes to Worst" (壞與更壞) by Yoga Lin | 22 | Advanced | |
7 | Sherman Poon | "You Are Your Own Legend" (你是你本身的傳奇) by Charmaine Fong | 8 | Advanced | |
8 | Archie Sin | "Beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree" (櫻花樹下) by Hins Cheung | 14 | Advanced | |
9 | Gigi Yim | "Unbreakable Love" (永不失聯的愛) by Eric Chou | 19 | Advanced | |
10 | Hugo Wong | "My Vow" (我的宣言) by Pakho Chau | 13 | Advanced | |
11 | Aeren Man | "Wooden Grain" (木紋) by Denise Ho | 5 | Advanced | |
12 | Kaitlyn Lam | "True or False" (世事何曾是絕對) by Lowell Lo | 22 | Advanced | |
13 | Steven Suen | "Special Person" (特別的人) by Khalil Fong | 20 | Advanced | |
14 | Venus Lam | "I Ain't Got You" (如果沒有你) by Karen Mok | 15 | Advanced | |
15 | Lolita Tsoi | "Science of the Heart" (心之科學) by Joey Yung | 4 | Eliminated |
Order | Contestant | Song | Score [note 1] |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gigi Yim | "Snowflower" (花無雪) by Vincy Chan | 12 | [16] [39] |
Archie Sin | "Song of Happiness" (幸福之歌) by Supper Moment | 13 | ||
2 | Sherman Poon | "Perseverance" (忍) by Mag Lam | 14 | |
Steven Suen | "Full Moon Party" by Jay Fung | 11 | ||
3 | Felix Lam | "Mailman" (郵差) by Faye Wong | 7 | |
Chantel Yiu | "Escape Door" (逃生門) by JW | 18 | ||
4 | Windy Zhan | "Suffering" (煎熬) by Jess Lee | 10 | |
Aeren Man | "Superman" by AGA | 15 | ||
5 | Kaitlyn Lam | "Parabola" (拋物線) by Tanya Chua | 21 | |
Aska Cheung | "Love You Too Much" (只是太愛你) by Hins Cheung | 4 | ||
6 | Hugo Wong | "Little White" (小白) by Pakho Chau | 16 | |
Venus Lam | "Be Keen on You" (喜歡你) by Beyond | 9 | ||
7 | Yumi Chung | "Goddess" (女神) by Joyce Cheng | 3 | |
Rock Ho | "The Book of Laughter and Forgetting" (笑忘書) by Hins Cheung | 22 |
Team formation and result | |||
---|---|---|---|
Red team | Blue team | ||
Aska Cheung | Advanced | Yumi Chung | Advanced |
Rock Ho | Advanced | Felix Lam | Advanced |
Sherman Poon | Advanced | Kaitlyn Lam | Advanced |
Archie Sin | Advanced | Venus Lam | Eliminated |
Hugo Wong | Advanced | Aeren Man | Advanced |
Chantel Yiu | Advanced | Steven Suen | Advanced |
Windy Zhan | Advanced | Gigi Yim | Advanced |
Order | Contestant(s) | Song | Score [note 2] |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yumi Chung, Kaitlyn Lam, Aeren Man, Gigi Yim | "How You Like That" by Blackpink | 7 | [17] |
Aska Cheung, Archie Sin | "Colour of Your Eyes" (眼色) by Yoga Lin | 18 | ||
2 | Kaitlyn Lam | "Light Years Away" (光年之外) by G.E.M. | 3 | |
Windy Zhan | " Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj | 22 | ||
3 | Felix Lam, Steven Suen, Gigi Yim | "Onion" (洋蔥) by Aska Yang | 22 | |
Sherman Poon, Hugo Wong, Chantel Yiu | "Born Second Grade" (天生二品) by Jace Chan | 3 | ||
4 | Yumi Chung, Felix Lam, Kaitlyn Lam, Aeren Man, Steven Suen, Gigi Yim | "Lydia" by F.I.R. | 2 | |
Aska Cheung, Rock Ho, Sherman Poon, Archie Sin, Hugo Wong, Chantel Yiu, Windy Zhan | "Puzzle" (拼圖) Original song | 23 | ||
5 | Rock Ho, Vincy Chan (coach), JW (coach) | "Servant of Love" (裙下之臣) by Eason Chan | 1 | |
Gigi Yim, Janice Vidal (coach) | " Million Reasons" by Lady Gaga | 24 |
Team formation and result | |||
---|---|---|---|
Red team | Blue team | ||
Aska Cheung | Advanced | Yumi Chung | Advanced |
Rock Ho | Advanced | Felix Lam | Advanced |
Sherman Poon | Advanced | Kaitlyn Lam | Advanced |
Archie Sin | Advanced | Aeren Man | Advanced |
Hugo Wong | Advanced | Steven Suen | Eliminated |
Chantel Yiu | Advanced | Gigi Yim | Advanced |
Windy Zhan | Advanced |
Order | Contestant(s) | Song | Score [note 3] |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aska Cheung, Rock Ho, Sherman Poon, Archie Sin, Chantel Yiu | "Bicycle" (單車) by Eason Chan | 3 | [18] |
Felix Lam, Kaitlyn Lam | "Half Moon Serenade" (月半小夜曲) by Hacken Lee | 22 | ||
2 | Hugo Wong | "The Last One" (煞科) by Sammi Cheng | 4 | |
Yumi Chung, Aeren Man | "Dancing Street" (跳舞街) by Priscilla Chan | 21 | ||
3 | Windy Zhan | "Without You, I Still Love You" (沒有你還是愛你) by Sandy Lam |
2 | |
Gigi Yim | 23 |
Team formation and result | |||
---|---|---|---|
Red team | Blue team | ||
Aska Cheung | Eliminated | Yumi Chung | Advanced |
Rock Ho | Advanced | Felix Lam | Advanced |
Sherman Poon | Eliminated | Kaitlyn Lam | Advanced |
Archie Sin | Advanced | Aeren Man | Advanced |
Hugo Wong | Advanced | Gigi Yim | Advanced |
Chantel Yiu | Advanced | ||
Windy Zhan | Advanced |
Order | Contestant | Song | Score [note 4] |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yumi Chung | "Impatient Beings" (心急人上) by Cookies | 19 | [19] [20] |
Hugo Wong | "Side Face" (側面) by Leslie Cheung | 6 | ||
2 | Kaitlyn Lam | "Embraced by the Starlight" (繾綣星光下) by Shirley Kwan | 22 | |
Windy Zhan | "I Must Leave" (非走不可) by Cass Phang | 3 | ||
3 | Chantel Yiu | "Love Prediction" (戀愛預告) by Sandy Lamb | 19 | |
Aeren Man | "Don't Know" (未知) by Joey Yung | 6 | ||
4 | Felix Lam | "Impression" (印象) by Sam Hui | 4 | |
Archie Sin | "The Night No Longer Comes" (黑夜不再來) by Eason Chan | 21 | ||
5 | Gigi Yim | "Love Trap" (愛情陷阱) by Alan Tam | 16 | |
Rock Ho | "Wait" (等) by Danny Chan | 9 |
Team formation and result | |||
---|---|---|---|
Red team | Blue team | ||
Rock Ho | Advanced | Yumi Chung | Advanced |
Archie Sin | Advanced | Felix Lam | Advanced |
Hugo Wong | Advanced | Kaitlyn Lam | Advanced |
Chantel Yiu | Advanced | Aeren Man | Advanced |
Windy Zhan | Eliminated | Gigi Yim | Advanced |
Order | Contestant with a coach of choice |
Duet song | Score [note 5] |
Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Felix Lam, Phil Lam | "Breaking Up On a Rainy Day" (分手總要在雨天) by Jacky Cheung | 11 | Eliminated | [21] |
2 | Kaitlyn Lam, Vincy Chan | "Love Commandments" (情誡) by Faye Wong | 17 | Advanced | |
3 | Archie Sin, Jay Fung | "Rustle of Rain" (沙沙的雨) by David Lui | 23 | Advanced | |
4 | Aeren Man, Mag Lam | "Love Is Full of Doubt" (愛是懷疑) by Eason Chan | 13 | Advanced | |
5 | Gigi Yim, AGA | "Hard Life" (命硬) by Justin Lo | 23 | Advanced | |
6 | Rock Ho, Gin Lee | "The Dark Day" (天黑黑) by Stefanie Sun | 11 (13) | Advanced | |
7 | Hugo Wong, Pakho Chau | "Willing To Replace You" (甘心替代你) by Ekin Cheng | 11 (12) | Eliminated | |
8 | Chantel Yiu, JW | "A Life of Contradictions" (矛盾一生) by JW | 18 | Advanced | |
9 | Yumi Chung, Janice Vidal | "Even If the World's No Fairy Tales" (就算世界無童話) by Janice Vidal | 20 | Advanced |
Order | Contestant | Song | Score | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Archie Sin | "Late Person" (昨遲人) by Andy Hui | 18 | Advanced | [22] |
2 | Kaitlyn Lam | "If I Don't Have You" (如果沒有你) by Karen Mok | 7 | Eliminated | |
3 | Aeren Man | "Bad Boy" by A-Mei | 9 | Advanced | |
4 | Chantel Yiu | "In Love Again" (我這樣愛你) by Leon Lai | 23 | Advanced | |
5 | Gigi Yim | "The Goodbye Kiss" (吻別) by Jacky Cheung | 18 | Advanced | |
6 | Yumi Chung | "Wild City" (狂野之城) by Aaron Kwok | 20 | Advanced | |
7 | Rock Ho | "I Can't Sing" (我不會唱歌) by Hacken Lee | 24 | Advanced |
Order | Contestant | Duet song | Score | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gigi Yim | "Encounter" (遇見) by Stefanie Sun | 11 | Bottom two | [24] |
Chantel Yiu | 14 | Advanced | |||
2 | Aeren Man | "All Summer Holiday" (全身暑假) by Joey Yung | 2 | Bottom two | |
Yumi Chung | 23 | Advanced | |||
3 | Rock Ho | "How Could I Not Regret Having Let You Go" (怎麼捨得你) by Jacky Cheung | 12 | Advanced | |
Archie Sin | 13 | Advanced | |||
Elimination round | |||||
4 | Aeren Man, Hins Cheung (coach) | "At Least I've Got You" (至少還有你) by Sandy Lam | 0 | Eliminated | |
Gigi Yim, Hins Cheung (coach) | "Gossip" (流言) by Vivian Chow and Kevin Lin | 25 | Advanced |
Order | Contestant | Song | Score [note 6] |
Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yumi Chung | "The Fourth Night's Mood" (第四晚心情) by Aaron Kwok | 18.9% | Third place | [25] |
2 | Archie Sin | "What I Miss" (我懷念的) by Stefanie Sun | 17.6% | Fourth place | |
3 | Chantel Yiu | "I Love You" (愛很簡單) by David Tao | 25.0% | Top two | |
4 | Rock Ho | "Slip Out" (衝口而出) by Eason Chan | 5.3% | Fifth place | |
5 | Gigi Yim | "Understanding" (領悟) by Winnie Hsin | 33.0% | Top two | |
Second round | |||||
6 | Chantel Yiu | "Chotto" (Chotto等等) by Sammi Cheng | 3 | Runner-up | |
7 | Gigi Yim | " Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga | 22 | Winner |
Color key:
Winner
|
Runner-up
| |
Advanced as an individual contestant
|
Advanced as part of the Red team
|
Advanced as part of the Blue team
|
Eliminated as an individual contestant
|
Eliminated as part of the Red team
|
Eliminated as part of the Blue team
|
Contestant | Episode 1–2 | Episode 3–4 | Episode 5–6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8–9 | Episode 10–11 | Episode 12 | Episode 13 | Finale | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gigi Yim | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Winner | |
Chantel Yiu | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Runner-up | |
Yumi Chung | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |
Archie Sin | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |
Rock Ho | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |
Aeren Man | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | ||
Kaitlyn Lam | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |||
Hugo Wong | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | ||||
Felix Lam | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | ||||
Windy Zhan | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |||||
Sherman Poon | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | ||||||
Aska Cheung | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | ||||||
Steven Suen | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |||||||
Venus Lam | Advanced | Eliminated | ||||||||
Lolita Tsoi | Eliminated |
As of September 2021, Chantel Yiu's performance of "Love Prediction" (戀愛預告) has accumulated 4.08 million views on YouTube, making it the most-watched performance. Following closely behind are Gigi Yim's rendition of "Without You, I Still Love You" (沒有你還是愛你) with 2.3 million views, and Yumi Chung's performance of "Wild City" (狂野之城) with 2.18 million views, ranking as the second and third most-viewed performances, respectively. [31] Yiu, Yim, and Chung also received significant media coverage and were considered popular among the viewers, contributing to the overall success of the show. [27] [40] The finale had an average viewership of 1.57 million, reaching a peak of 1.63 million viewers. [41]
Episode | Airing date | Viewership rating [note 7] | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hong Kong | Macau | |||
First Call | 3 January 2021 | 14 points | 8.3 points | [43] |
Prequel | 4 April 2021 | 17.3 points | 10.6 points | [44] |
1 | 10 April 2021 | 19 points | 13.9 points | [45] |
2 | 17 April 2021 | 16.9 points | 11.7 points | [46] |
3 | 24 April 2021 | 17.2 points | 12.2 points | [47] |
4 | 1 May 2021 | 16.3 points | 10.7 points | [48] |
5 | 8 May 2021 | 16.3 points | 11.3 points | [49] |
6 | 15 May 2021 | N.A. | N.A. | |
7 | 22 May 2021 | N.A. | N.A. | |
8 | 5 June 2021 | 16.1 points | N.A. | [50] |
9 | 12 June 2021 | 17.1 points | N.A. | [51] |
10 | 19 June 2021 | 16.6 points | N.A. | [52] |
11 | 26 June 2021 | 17 points | N.A. | [53] |
12 | 3 July 2021 | 17.1 points | N.A. | [54] |
13 | 17 July 2021 | 18.2 points | N.A. | [55] |
14 (Finale) | 19 July 2021 | 23.9 points | N.A. | [56] |
Finale Special | 19 July 2021 | 17.1 points | N.A. | |
First Live on Stage (concert) | 28 August 2021 | 13.3 points | N.A. | [57] |
Alongside a management contract with TVB, the contestants also signed a record deal with Voice Entertainment. In October 2021, a dedicated sublabel, All About Music, was established under Voice Entertainment to handle the release of their musical works. [58] The top five finalists—Gigi Yim, Chantel Yiu, Yumi Chung, Archie Sin, and Rock Ho—became the first artists to launch their solo careers under the label. [note 8] In addition to the solo endeavors, All About Music also formed a girl group called After Class which included Gigi Yim, Windy Zhan, Chantel Yiu, and Yumi Chung. [60] The contestants made their acting debut starring in the musical television series Forever Young at Heart (2021—2022). [61]
First Live on Stage was a live concert featuring the fifteen contestants, with the music coaches making special appearances as guest performers. Originally planned for two dates, Voice Entertainment added two more dates to accommodate the overwhelming popularity. [62] [63] The concert ran from 12 to 15 August 2021 at MacPherson Stadium, featuring a setlist primarily consisted of songs performed by the contestants during the singing competition. [64] A televised version of the concert was broadcast on 28 August 2021. [65]
The contestants reunited two years later for What We Become Live, a concert that took place on 22 December 2023, at Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre. The show was said to experience lower-than-expected ticket sales and received criticism for its disappointing setlist. [66]
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 54th TVB Anniversary Awards | Best Variety Show | Itself | Won | [70] |
Best TV Themesong | "Stars Academy" | Won | [70] | ||
Best TV Host | Sammy Leung | Nominated | [71] | ||
2022 | New York Festivals TV & Film Awards | Entertainment Programme Promotion (bronze) | Itself | Won | [72] |
Stars Academy | |
---|---|
Season 1 | |
Hosted by | Sammy Leung |
Coaches | |
No. of contestants | 15 |
Winner | Gigi Yim |
Runner-up | Chantel Yiu |
Opening theme | "Stars Academy" by all contestants |
No. of episodes | 14 |
Release | |
Original network | TVB |
Original release | 10 April 19 July 2021 | –
Season chronology |
Stars Academy is a Hong Kong singing competition television series to find young singing talents. The first season premiered on 10 April 2021 and continued until 19 July 2021 for 14 episodes. Hosted by Sammy Leung, the show featured Hacken Lee as the coaching supervisor, along with AGA, Pakho Chau, Vincy Chan, JW, Gin Lee, and Janice Vidal as coaches. Throughout the competition, several performances gained popularity among the viewers, including Chantel Yiu's "Love Prediction" (戀愛預告), Gigi Yim's "Without You, I Still Love You" (沒有你還是愛你), and Yumi Chung's "Wild City" (狂野之城). The show was won by Gigi Yim. Following the finale, the contestants held a 4-day live concert titled First Live on Stage from 12 to 15 August 2021. The programme's popularity led TVB to continue its run for a second season (2022). It also inspired other TV shows, including the musical television series Forever Young at Heart (2021—2022) and the youth talent singing show Stars Junior Academy (2022).
Following their previous singing competition series, The Voice (2009—2011), TVB and its subsidiary TVB Music Group (formerly Voice Entertainment, referred to as such henceforth) intended to produce a new programme and opened applications in July 2020. [1] The original concept of the show aimed to discover young talents in Cantopop and involved sending the contestants to different parts of the world for musical training. Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, TVB abandoned this plan and instead conducted the training domestically. [2] In November 2020, fifteen contestants were introduced to the public through a group performance on TVB's 53rd Anniversary Gala show. [3] In January 2021, "The First Call" promotional footage was released, showcasing the contestants' vocals in eight group and solo performances. [4] These performances were also made available as digital singles on various music streaming platforms. [5]
Originally planned for February or March 2021, the competition faced a delay due to a management shake-up at Voice Entertainment, finally commencing in April 2021. [6] In early April, additional promotional footage titled "Prequel" introduced actor Sammy Leung as the host and singer Hacken Lee as the coaching supervisor. [7] Musician Johnny Yim joined the team as the music director. [8] The show's eponymous theme song was then digitally released on 9 April 2021, accompanied by a music video featuring all the contestants. [9] The first episode was broadcast on 10 April 2021. [10] The show used XR technology to create a unique stage effect—the first in TVB's broadcasting history. [11] A complemental TV programme titled Starry Starry Academy aired concurrently, featuring commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews. [12]
The fifteen contestants performed individually or in groups in a series of rounds. Except for the live finale, the competition was pre-recorded. Depending on the length, each round was broadcast within one or two episodes. The show employed a panel of 25 professional music judges in each round to critique and score the contestants. [13]
The competition kicked-off in Episodes 1–2 with individual performances from all the contestants. One contestant was eliminated, leaving fourteen to continue. These fourteen contestants were then divided into two teams, seven apiece, named as the Red and Blue teams. [14]
In the following four rounds (Episodes 3–9), the Red and Blue teams competed against each other under the guidance of their respective coaches. With Hacken Lee as the coaching supervisor, the Red Team was led by Vincy Chan, Pakho Chau, and JW. The Blue team was led by AGA, Gin Lee, and Janice Vidal. The losing team's coaches would eliminate one to three contestants per round, as stipulated by the rules. [13] [15] Episodes 3–4 featured individual head-to-head battles, and the team with the higher overall score would win. [15] [16] In Episodes 5–6, the teams competed in five matches, with designated lead vocalists in the first three and collaborative performances involving the full team and coaches in the latter two. The team with the most wins would be the winner. [17] Episode 7 featured three team battles competing for a cumulative score. [18] Episodes 8–9 featured a 1980s–2000s Cantopop Golden Hits theme. Under guest host Alan Tam's guidance, the teams engaged in another series of one-on-one battles, competing for the higher number of match wins. [19] [20]
In the next four rounds (Episodes 10–14), the competition returned to an individual format. Episodes 10–11 introduced guest coaches Mag Lam , Phil Lam, and Jay Fung, joining the permanent ones. Each contestant performed a duet with a chosen coach, resulting in the elimination of one contestant in each episode. [21] Episode 12 eliminated another contestant. [22] During this time, Hacken Lee departed from his coaching role due to his commitment to Sing! China. [23] In Episode 13, Hins Cheung appeared as a guest coach. The six remaining contestants were paired up based on judges' preferences to perform duets, with the higher-scoring contestant from each pair advancing to the top five. The highest scorer among the remaining contestants also advanced, while the bottom two battled in an elimination round, each performing another duet with Cheung, and the one with the lower score being eliminated. [24] The finale (Episode 14) took place on 19 July 2021 and featured the top five finalists. Unlike previous rounds, the finale incorporated both judges' scores and audience votes to determine the winner. Gigi Yim and Chantel Yiu became the top two and competed in a final round. Ultimately, Gigi Yim won three awards: Judges' Choice, Viewers' Choice, and Overall Championship, along with a HKD $100,000 prize. [25] [26]
* Song titles are loosely translated into English for better readability. Official Chinese song titles are indicated in parentheses.
Color key:
Red team contestant
|
Blue team contestant
|
This contestant advanced to next round.
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This contestant was eliminated.
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This contestant was in the top two.
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This contestant was in the bottom two.
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This contestant won Stars Academy.
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This contestant was the runner-up.
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Order | Contestant | Song | Score | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yumi Chung | "Skylight" (天窗) by Joey Yung | 15 | Advanced | [14] |
2 | Aska Cheung | "Your Name Engraved Herein" (刻在我心底的名字) by Crowd Lu | 16 | Advanced | |
3 | Chantel Yiu | "Final Boarding Call" (在月台上等你) by Janice Vidal | 9 | Advanced | |
4 | Felix Lam | "No Other Replacement in This World" (天下無雙) by Eason Chan | 13 | Advanced | |
5 | Windy Zhan | "Bubble" (泡沫) by G.E.M. | 24 | Advanced | |
6 | Rock Ho | "Worse Comes to Worst" (壞與更壞) by Yoga Lin | 22 | Advanced | |
7 | Sherman Poon | "You Are Your Own Legend" (你是你本身的傳奇) by Charmaine Fong | 8 | Advanced | |
8 | Archie Sin | "Beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree" (櫻花樹下) by Hins Cheung | 14 | Advanced | |
9 | Gigi Yim | "Unbreakable Love" (永不失聯的愛) by Eric Chou | 19 | Advanced | |
10 | Hugo Wong | "My Vow" (我的宣言) by Pakho Chau | 13 | Advanced | |
11 | Aeren Man | "Wooden Grain" (木紋) by Denise Ho | 5 | Advanced | |
12 | Kaitlyn Lam | "True or False" (世事何曾是絕對) by Lowell Lo | 22 | Advanced | |
13 | Steven Suen | "Special Person" (特別的人) by Khalil Fong | 20 | Advanced | |
14 | Venus Lam | "I Ain't Got You" (如果沒有你) by Karen Mok | 15 | Advanced | |
15 | Lolita Tsoi | "Science of the Heart" (心之科學) by Joey Yung | 4 | Eliminated |
Order | Contestant | Song | Score [note 1] |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gigi Yim | "Snowflower" (花無雪) by Vincy Chan | 12 | [16] [39] |
Archie Sin | "Song of Happiness" (幸福之歌) by Supper Moment | 13 | ||
2 | Sherman Poon | "Perseverance" (忍) by Mag Lam | 14 | |
Steven Suen | "Full Moon Party" by Jay Fung | 11 | ||
3 | Felix Lam | "Mailman" (郵差) by Faye Wong | 7 | |
Chantel Yiu | "Escape Door" (逃生門) by JW | 18 | ||
4 | Windy Zhan | "Suffering" (煎熬) by Jess Lee | 10 | |
Aeren Man | "Superman" by AGA | 15 | ||
5 | Kaitlyn Lam | "Parabola" (拋物線) by Tanya Chua | 21 | |
Aska Cheung | "Love You Too Much" (只是太愛你) by Hins Cheung | 4 | ||
6 | Hugo Wong | "Little White" (小白) by Pakho Chau | 16 | |
Venus Lam | "Be Keen on You" (喜歡你) by Beyond | 9 | ||
7 | Yumi Chung | "Goddess" (女神) by Joyce Cheng | 3 | |
Rock Ho | "The Book of Laughter and Forgetting" (笑忘書) by Hins Cheung | 22 |
Team formation and result | |||
---|---|---|---|
Red team | Blue team | ||
Aska Cheung | Advanced | Yumi Chung | Advanced |
Rock Ho | Advanced | Felix Lam | Advanced |
Sherman Poon | Advanced | Kaitlyn Lam | Advanced |
Archie Sin | Advanced | Venus Lam | Eliminated |
Hugo Wong | Advanced | Aeren Man | Advanced |
Chantel Yiu | Advanced | Steven Suen | Advanced |
Windy Zhan | Advanced | Gigi Yim | Advanced |
Order | Contestant(s) | Song | Score [note 2] |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yumi Chung, Kaitlyn Lam, Aeren Man, Gigi Yim | "How You Like That" by Blackpink | 7 | [17] |
Aska Cheung, Archie Sin | "Colour of Your Eyes" (眼色) by Yoga Lin | 18 | ||
2 | Kaitlyn Lam | "Light Years Away" (光年之外) by G.E.M. | 3 | |
Windy Zhan | " Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj | 22 | ||
3 | Felix Lam, Steven Suen, Gigi Yim | "Onion" (洋蔥) by Aska Yang | 22 | |
Sherman Poon, Hugo Wong, Chantel Yiu | "Born Second Grade" (天生二品) by Jace Chan | 3 | ||
4 | Yumi Chung, Felix Lam, Kaitlyn Lam, Aeren Man, Steven Suen, Gigi Yim | "Lydia" by F.I.R. | 2 | |
Aska Cheung, Rock Ho, Sherman Poon, Archie Sin, Hugo Wong, Chantel Yiu, Windy Zhan | "Puzzle" (拼圖) Original song | 23 | ||
5 | Rock Ho, Vincy Chan (coach), JW (coach) | "Servant of Love" (裙下之臣) by Eason Chan | 1 | |
Gigi Yim, Janice Vidal (coach) | " Million Reasons" by Lady Gaga | 24 |
Team formation and result | |||
---|---|---|---|
Red team | Blue team | ||
Aska Cheung | Advanced | Yumi Chung | Advanced |
Rock Ho | Advanced | Felix Lam | Advanced |
Sherman Poon | Advanced | Kaitlyn Lam | Advanced |
Archie Sin | Advanced | Aeren Man | Advanced |
Hugo Wong | Advanced | Steven Suen | Eliminated |
Chantel Yiu | Advanced | Gigi Yim | Advanced |
Windy Zhan | Advanced |
Order | Contestant(s) | Song | Score [note 3] |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aska Cheung, Rock Ho, Sherman Poon, Archie Sin, Chantel Yiu | "Bicycle" (單車) by Eason Chan | 3 | [18] |
Felix Lam, Kaitlyn Lam | "Half Moon Serenade" (月半小夜曲) by Hacken Lee | 22 | ||
2 | Hugo Wong | "The Last One" (煞科) by Sammi Cheng | 4 | |
Yumi Chung, Aeren Man | "Dancing Street" (跳舞街) by Priscilla Chan | 21 | ||
3 | Windy Zhan | "Without You, I Still Love You" (沒有你還是愛你) by Sandy Lam |
2 | |
Gigi Yim | 23 |
Team formation and result | |||
---|---|---|---|
Red team | Blue team | ||
Aska Cheung | Eliminated | Yumi Chung | Advanced |
Rock Ho | Advanced | Felix Lam | Advanced |
Sherman Poon | Eliminated | Kaitlyn Lam | Advanced |
Archie Sin | Advanced | Aeren Man | Advanced |
Hugo Wong | Advanced | Gigi Yim | Advanced |
Chantel Yiu | Advanced | ||
Windy Zhan | Advanced |
Order | Contestant | Song | Score [note 4] |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yumi Chung | "Impatient Beings" (心急人上) by Cookies | 19 | [19] [20] |
Hugo Wong | "Side Face" (側面) by Leslie Cheung | 6 | ||
2 | Kaitlyn Lam | "Embraced by the Starlight" (繾綣星光下) by Shirley Kwan | 22 | |
Windy Zhan | "I Must Leave" (非走不可) by Cass Phang | 3 | ||
3 | Chantel Yiu | "Love Prediction" (戀愛預告) by Sandy Lamb | 19 | |
Aeren Man | "Don't Know" (未知) by Joey Yung | 6 | ||
4 | Felix Lam | "Impression" (印象) by Sam Hui | 4 | |
Archie Sin | "The Night No Longer Comes" (黑夜不再來) by Eason Chan | 21 | ||
5 | Gigi Yim | "Love Trap" (愛情陷阱) by Alan Tam | 16 | |
Rock Ho | "Wait" (等) by Danny Chan | 9 |
Team formation and result | |||
---|---|---|---|
Red team | Blue team | ||
Rock Ho | Advanced | Yumi Chung | Advanced |
Archie Sin | Advanced | Felix Lam | Advanced |
Hugo Wong | Advanced | Kaitlyn Lam | Advanced |
Chantel Yiu | Advanced | Aeren Man | Advanced |
Windy Zhan | Eliminated | Gigi Yim | Advanced |
Order | Contestant with a coach of choice |
Duet song | Score [note 5] |
Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Felix Lam, Phil Lam | "Breaking Up On a Rainy Day" (分手總要在雨天) by Jacky Cheung | 11 | Eliminated | [21] |
2 | Kaitlyn Lam, Vincy Chan | "Love Commandments" (情誡) by Faye Wong | 17 | Advanced | |
3 | Archie Sin, Jay Fung | "Rustle of Rain" (沙沙的雨) by David Lui | 23 | Advanced | |
4 | Aeren Man, Mag Lam | "Love Is Full of Doubt" (愛是懷疑) by Eason Chan | 13 | Advanced | |
5 | Gigi Yim, AGA | "Hard Life" (命硬) by Justin Lo | 23 | Advanced | |
6 | Rock Ho, Gin Lee | "The Dark Day" (天黑黑) by Stefanie Sun | 11 (13) | Advanced | |
7 | Hugo Wong, Pakho Chau | "Willing To Replace You" (甘心替代你) by Ekin Cheng | 11 (12) | Eliminated | |
8 | Chantel Yiu, JW | "A Life of Contradictions" (矛盾一生) by JW | 18 | Advanced | |
9 | Yumi Chung, Janice Vidal | "Even If the World's No Fairy Tales" (就算世界無童話) by Janice Vidal | 20 | Advanced |
Order | Contestant | Song | Score | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Archie Sin | "Late Person" (昨遲人) by Andy Hui | 18 | Advanced | [22] |
2 | Kaitlyn Lam | "If I Don't Have You" (如果沒有你) by Karen Mok | 7 | Eliminated | |
3 | Aeren Man | "Bad Boy" by A-Mei | 9 | Advanced | |
4 | Chantel Yiu | "In Love Again" (我這樣愛你) by Leon Lai | 23 | Advanced | |
5 | Gigi Yim | "The Goodbye Kiss" (吻別) by Jacky Cheung | 18 | Advanced | |
6 | Yumi Chung | "Wild City" (狂野之城) by Aaron Kwok | 20 | Advanced | |
7 | Rock Ho | "I Can't Sing" (我不會唱歌) by Hacken Lee | 24 | Advanced |
Order | Contestant | Duet song | Score | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gigi Yim | "Encounter" (遇見) by Stefanie Sun | 11 | Bottom two | [24] |
Chantel Yiu | 14 | Advanced | |||
2 | Aeren Man | "All Summer Holiday" (全身暑假) by Joey Yung | 2 | Bottom two | |
Yumi Chung | 23 | Advanced | |||
3 | Rock Ho | "How Could I Not Regret Having Let You Go" (怎麼捨得你) by Jacky Cheung | 12 | Advanced | |
Archie Sin | 13 | Advanced | |||
Elimination round | |||||
4 | Aeren Man, Hins Cheung (coach) | "At Least I've Got You" (至少還有你) by Sandy Lam | 0 | Eliminated | |
Gigi Yim, Hins Cheung (coach) | "Gossip" (流言) by Vivian Chow and Kevin Lin | 25 | Advanced |
Order | Contestant | Song | Score [note 6] |
Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yumi Chung | "The Fourth Night's Mood" (第四晚心情) by Aaron Kwok | 18.9% | Third place | [25] |
2 | Archie Sin | "What I Miss" (我懷念的) by Stefanie Sun | 17.6% | Fourth place | |
3 | Chantel Yiu | "I Love You" (愛很簡單) by David Tao | 25.0% | Top two | |
4 | Rock Ho | "Slip Out" (衝口而出) by Eason Chan | 5.3% | Fifth place | |
5 | Gigi Yim | "Understanding" (領悟) by Winnie Hsin | 33.0% | Top two | |
Second round | |||||
6 | Chantel Yiu | "Chotto" (Chotto等等) by Sammi Cheng | 3 | Runner-up | |
7 | Gigi Yim | " Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga | 22 | Winner |
Color key:
Winner
|
Runner-up
| |
Advanced as an individual contestant
|
Advanced as part of the Red team
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Advanced as part of the Blue team
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Eliminated as an individual contestant
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Eliminated as part of the Red team
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Eliminated as part of the Blue team
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Contestant | Episode 1–2 | Episode 3–4 | Episode 5–6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8–9 | Episode 10–11 | Episode 12 | Episode 13 | Finale | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gigi Yim | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Winner | |
Chantel Yiu | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Runner-up | |
Yumi Chung | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |
Archie Sin | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |
Rock Ho | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |
Aeren Man | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | ||
Kaitlyn Lam | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |||
Hugo Wong | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | ||||
Felix Lam | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | ||||
Windy Zhan | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |||||
Sherman Poon | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | ||||||
Aska Cheung | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | ||||||
Steven Suen | Advanced | Advanced | Eliminated | |||||||
Venus Lam | Advanced | Eliminated | ||||||||
Lolita Tsoi | Eliminated |
As of September 2021, Chantel Yiu's performance of "Love Prediction" (戀愛預告) has accumulated 4.08 million views on YouTube, making it the most-watched performance. Following closely behind are Gigi Yim's rendition of "Without You, I Still Love You" (沒有你還是愛你) with 2.3 million views, and Yumi Chung's performance of "Wild City" (狂野之城) with 2.18 million views, ranking as the second and third most-viewed performances, respectively. [31] Yiu, Yim, and Chung also received significant media coverage and were considered popular among the viewers, contributing to the overall success of the show. [27] [40] The finale had an average viewership of 1.57 million, reaching a peak of 1.63 million viewers. [41]
Episode | Airing date | Viewership rating [note 7] | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hong Kong | Macau | |||
First Call | 3 January 2021 | 14 points | 8.3 points | [43] |
Prequel | 4 April 2021 | 17.3 points | 10.6 points | [44] |
1 | 10 April 2021 | 19 points | 13.9 points | [45] |
2 | 17 April 2021 | 16.9 points | 11.7 points | [46] |
3 | 24 April 2021 | 17.2 points | 12.2 points | [47] |
4 | 1 May 2021 | 16.3 points | 10.7 points | [48] |
5 | 8 May 2021 | 16.3 points | 11.3 points | [49] |
6 | 15 May 2021 | N.A. | N.A. | |
7 | 22 May 2021 | N.A. | N.A. | |
8 | 5 June 2021 | 16.1 points | N.A. | [50] |
9 | 12 June 2021 | 17.1 points | N.A. | [51] |
10 | 19 June 2021 | 16.6 points | N.A. | [52] |
11 | 26 June 2021 | 17 points | N.A. | [53] |
12 | 3 July 2021 | 17.1 points | N.A. | [54] |
13 | 17 July 2021 | 18.2 points | N.A. | [55] |
14 (Finale) | 19 July 2021 | 23.9 points | N.A. | [56] |
Finale Special | 19 July 2021 | 17.1 points | N.A. | |
First Live on Stage (concert) | 28 August 2021 | 13.3 points | N.A. | [57] |
Alongside a management contract with TVB, the contestants also signed a record deal with Voice Entertainment. In October 2021, a dedicated sublabel, All About Music, was established under Voice Entertainment to handle the release of their musical works. [58] The top five finalists—Gigi Yim, Chantel Yiu, Yumi Chung, Archie Sin, and Rock Ho—became the first artists to launch their solo careers under the label. [note 8] In addition to the solo endeavors, All About Music also formed a girl group called After Class which included Gigi Yim, Windy Zhan, Chantel Yiu, and Yumi Chung. [60] The contestants made their acting debut starring in the musical television series Forever Young at Heart (2021—2022). [61]
First Live on Stage was a live concert featuring the fifteen contestants, with the music coaches making special appearances as guest performers. Originally planned for two dates, Voice Entertainment added two more dates to accommodate the overwhelming popularity. [62] [63] The concert ran from 12 to 15 August 2021 at MacPherson Stadium, featuring a setlist primarily consisted of songs performed by the contestants during the singing competition. [64] A televised version of the concert was broadcast on 28 August 2021. [65]
The contestants reunited two years later for What We Become Live, a concert that took place on 22 December 2023, at Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre. The show was said to experience lower-than-expected ticket sales and received criticism for its disappointing setlist. [66]
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 54th TVB Anniversary Awards | Best Variety Show | Itself | Won | [70] |
Best TV Themesong | "Stars Academy" | Won | [70] | ||
Best TV Host | Sammy Leung | Nominated | [71] | ||
2022 | New York Festivals TV & Film Awards | Entertainment Programme Promotion (bronze) | Itself | Won | [72] |