Eternal Soul

It was the night of March 1, 2025. As always, Xu had set up his performance spot, but this evening was different. “I’m about to sing a song in tribute to a great artist who has gone to heaven,” he told the gathered crowd.　

He chose “Special Person,” a beloved 2014 hit by Hong Kong singer-songwriter Khalil Fong Tai Tung. Earlier that afternoon, news of Fong’s passing had been confirmed, sending waves of grief across the Chinese-language music world.　

As Xu sang softly in the rain, more people stopped to listen. The melody, filled with longing, resonated deeply, and soon, some in the audience quietly joined in. Fong had written “Special Person” as a tribute to a once-in-a-lifetime love. Its lyrics now carried new weight in remembrance of the artist himself.　

“You were the ‘special person’ we were lucky to know, Khalil Fong,” Xu said after finishing the song.　

Khalil Fong was a true Chinese pop original. Blending Eastern and Western musical traditions, he carved out a unique space in the industry with his silky-smooth vocals, genre mixing and authenticity. His music, an eclectic mix of R&B, soul, jazz, blues, funk and traditional Chinese influences, earned both critical acclaim and widespread popularity.　

On the afternoon of March 1, Fong’s record label, Fu Music, confirmed his passing in Dali, Yunnan Province in a statement posted on Sina Weibo and Facebook. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams.”　

While the statement did not specify his illness, media reports suggested that Fong had long battled pneumothorax, a condition that affects the lungs.

“Fong wasn’t my teenage favorite. Back in high school, I was obsessed with Jay Chou and David Tao. Compared to them, Fong didn’t seem like a pop star, he didn’t even fit the typical ‘celebrity’ label. He was too modest, too low-profile. But his songs were always in my playlist,” Lu told NewsChina.　

“In mid-February this year, I followed Fong on Weibo. I did it because I knew he was still making music with sincerity and dedication, while so many veteran artists had become content with their past achievements. I also followed him because, in a way, he felt like an old friend. But less than 10 days later, instead of a new Weibo post from him, I was met with the news of his death. I couldn’t process it. It felt like losing a lifelong companion, someone whose music had been with us for so many years,” Lu said.　

The sudden news sent shockwaves through Chinese-speaking communities worldwide. Online, fans flooded social media with messages of disbelief, grief and condolences. While many were blindsided by his passing, Fong’s health struggles were not entirely unknown.　

As early as 2010, Fong had been hospitalized multiple times due to pneumothorax, a condition aggravated by overwork. He experienced recurring chest pain and shortness of breath. In recent years, he had largely retreated from public life, choosing to live quietly in Dali, a chill city in China’s southwestern Yunnan Province.　

Yet, despite his illness, Fong continued to create. On October 18, 2024, he released The Dreamer, his first album in eight years following the award-winning Journey to the West (2016).　

Some listeners posted that his voice sounded fragile on several tracks. A day before the album’s release, on October 17, 2024, Fong took to Facebook and Instagram, writing:　

“My new album, The Dreamer, is quite literally a ‘sick’ album. It was recorded at different stages of illness... While my condition has improved significantly, it will still be a while before I fully recover. In life, we all face challenges, but through it all, let’s not forget how to be dreamers.”　

Hu Tianxiao, a 32-year-old vinyl collector from Beijing, was among those who bought the album in February. “When I first received it, I never thought it would be his swan song,” he said.　

The Dreamer features 10 songs, all written and produced by Fong. Its green cover shows a cartoon figure raising his left hand in what seems like a greeting, with vines and flowers blooming behind him.　

“Like all of Fong’s albums, The Dreamer was crafted with care and sincerity,” Hu told NewsChina. “Each track was accompanied by a beautifully illustrated drawing that matched its theme, along with Fong’s personal notes about his inspiration and emotions. His devotion to his music was evident in every detail.”　

“These days, whenever I play the album, I can’t help but weep. I once thought the figure on the cover was saying ‘hello.’ Now, I realize he was saying goodbye,” he added.

By age 3, he was already traveling with his father’s band, watching them perform from the sidelines. His childhood favorite, the Mexican folk song “La Bamba,” planted the first seed of his dream to become a musician.　

At 6, Fong moved with his family from Hawaii to Shanghai, where he immersed himself in a wide range of genres, from jazz and blues to rock and traditional Chinese music. The family later moved to Guangzhou in South China’s Guangdong Province. By 15, the family had relocated to Hong Kong, where he attended high school and began seriously pursuing his dreams of songwriting and performing. Growing up in diverse environments enriched Fong’s cultural background and deepened his musical exposure to both Eastern and Western styles.　

The early 2000s saw the rise of gifted singer-songwriters in the Chinese pop scene. A new wave of artists, such as Taiwanese pop stars Jay Chou and David Tao, American-born musician Wang Leehom and Singaporean artist JJ Lin, gained popularity by blending Western pop genres, particularly R&B, with traditional Chinese music elements.　

Among them, David Tao, often called the “godfather of Chinese R&B,” pioneered the fusion of rock and R&B in Mandopop. Jay Chou, arguably the most influential Mandopop star of the 21st century, is credited with the genre zhongguofeng, or “Chinese-style” pop, which mixes R&B, hip hop and pop rock with traditional Chinese instruments, folk tunes, opera and classical Chinese-inspired lyrics.　

In 2005, at a time when these singer-songwriters dominated the industry, Fong emerged as a dark horse. That year, Warner Music Hong Kong released his debut album, Soul Boy, which uniquely blends R&B, soul and jazz with Chinese musical elements. His sophisticated artistry and creative prowess stunned the industry, earning him the Chik Chak New Male Singer Award in 2006, an annual honor from Commercial Radio Hong Kong.　

Over the next decade, Fong released eight albums, wrote numerous hits and performed in stadiums and concert halls around the world. At the core of his music is a deep appreciation for R&B and soul, shaped by artists like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, D’Angelo and John Mayer, his velvety vocals complementing a bed of rich harmonies, intricate guitar work and sophisticated rhythms.　

Fong was nominated six times for Best Male Artist at the Golden Melody Awards, one of the most prestigious honors in the Chinese music industry. In 2017, he finally won the category with his album Journey to the West.　

Beyond his solo career, Fong made significant contributions to Mandopop as a songwriter and producer, crafting music for Chinese pop icons like Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, A-mei, Eason Chan and Fiona Sit.　

In 2018, he expanded his creative vision beyond music, releasing a six-book graphic novel series for children titled Emi the Dream Catcher. He had planned to publish 30 titles over the next decade.

“When evaluating a musician’s impact, there are two key criteria: popularity among the public and influence on other artists within the industry. A great musician must have both.　

“Khalil Fong possessed both kinds of influence. He wrote numerous hits that resonated across generations, and, more importantly, he shaped the music of his time and inspired younger artists,” Erdi wrote.　

As Erdi pointed out, mainstream audiences in China have traditionally focused on a song’s melody, lyrics and vocals, often overlooking rhythmic complexity.　

“Khalil Fong placed rhythm at the heart of his music, allowing listeners to truly feel the groove of soul, R&B, funk and jazz. He shifted the audience’s attention beyond melody and lyrics to appreciate intricate arrangements, instrumentation, harmonic composition and meticulously crafted rhythmic structures. He deepened the mainstream appreciation of rhythmic music and elevated their musical sensibilities,” Erdi said.　

Since the 2010s, genres such as R&B, neo-soul and hip-hop have flourished in Mandopop, especially among China’s Gen-Z. According to Erdi, Fong played an important role in this transformation.　

Following his passing, artists from across the industry, particularly younger musicians, expressed their grief and shared personal stories about how his music had shaped them. “To my surprise, among the countless tributes from within the industry, the most prominent voices of mourning came from Chinese rappers,” Erdi observed. Figures such as Tizzy T, After Journey, PACT, PSY.P, Vinida Weng, Young Jack and Ice Paper all paid their respects, highlighting how Fong’s music had shaped their artistic journeys. “His impact on Chinese pop music was far greater than I had ever imagined,” Erdi wrote.　

Aspartame (Tian Hongkun), a 22-year-old rapper, expressed his sorrow on Weibo shortly after Fong’s passing was confirmed: “It broke my heart. Because of you, I chose music. Your songs carried me through nights filled with every imaginable emotion, from joy and sorrow to excitement and loneliness. Your music taught me how to feel, to love and to understand the world. Every song of yours fills a day in the calendar of my life. I hope you continue chasing your dreams in another world.”　

At Fong’s memorial service on March 1 in Dali, his final words, written from his hospital bed, were shared with the public: “Time waits for no one. As we grow older, we come to understand both the reality and illusion of time. Life presents us with challenges and unexpected turns, but I believe one of our goals should be to walk its path with grace... The name The Dreamer symbolizes that even in the face of illness and adversity, I remain here, filled with creativity and dreams.　

May you, in the days to come, continue to hold fast to your dreams, persevere in your efforts, grow, evolve and fully realize your potential at every stage of life.”　

Beyond mourning, many netizens reflected on Fong’s passing as a reminder of life’s brevity. “His death shocked me and forced me to confront the inevitability of loss. We’ve reached the age where we must face the passing of idols, our old friends who once accompanied us through life’s journey. Life is short and unpredictable; we must live fully, pursue what truly matters, and cherish time with those we love,” wrote RedNote user Li Mini. Her post garnered nearly 4,000 likes.　

Meanwhile, demand for Fong’s Emi The Dream Catcher series surged, leading to preorders for reprints.　

Zhang Rong, a longtime fan and mother of a 4-year-old in Shanghai, joined an online group dedicated to tracking updates on Emi The Dream Catcher. “Many group members are both Khalil Fong fans and parents,” she told NewsChina. “I’ve managed to preorder the first three volumes, but the remaining ones aren’t available yet. Once I receive them, I plan to read them to my son. I hope he grows up to be as pure, bold and persevering as Fong was.”