Soulboy (Khalil Fong album)

Soulboy is the debut Mandarin album by Hong Kong Mandopop artist Khalil Fong. It was released on 18 November 2005 by Warner Music Hong Kong.

Background
Soulboy music genre style was influenced by Fong when he was childhood grew up in Hawaii attracted by Ritchie Valens's music and many other 1960s–1970s musicians like Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder and James Brown. Due to his father was a professional drummer, he began to learn percussion instruments at an early age. Since he was in teens time, he started to learn to play the guitar and actively submitted his own music audition demo tapes to record companies, but declined of being too young, under difficultly chose circumstances, Warner records saw the demo no one to greets and finally chose Fong in 2000 and the record company made him a behind the scenes composer and producer, and he composed many songs for other singers such as Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Chen Kun, A-Mei and Sammi Cheng.

In 2003, when Sammi Cheng noticed that Fong wanted to sing, she specifically went to Warner's music arrangement director to intercede for him.But the change in the company's senior management has prevented him from pursuing a career as a singer.

Through continuous efforts, finally in 2005, the warner record company adopted a "listen to the voice but not the person appeared" approach to pave the way for Fong's debut, arranging for him to participate in major concert performances.

On 5 May 2005, Fong was invited to the opening guest of taiwanese pop rock group F.I.R's live broadcast concert and sang the songs "Spring Breeze" and "Sound of the South" (南音). The different life experiences in the East and the West culture provided him with rich materials and inspiration for his first music album to creation, making his works full of the collision and fusion of Eastern and Western cultures.He also desire to borrow soul music popular among black people, integrated it into the foundation of Chinese music, and develop a unique musical style.

Composition
The album fulled R&B and Soul music combined with Chinese music style. The lead song "Spring Breeze" in the debut album used a cappella style and Beatbox to acts as the drum part of the song to performed and full of Fong's unique singing voice controls the R&B style and combines Chinese culture elements on the basis of Western blues lyrics with a featured local flavor words such as "peach blossoms (桃花), willow trees (柳树), Yumen Pass (玉门关), Nanniwan (南泥湾)" and soothing melody, making this love lyric song full of pop music flavor.The song also include harmony and draws inspiration from Stevie Wonder produce song Lovin' You for Minnie Riperton.

The song "Sound of the South" was used the instrument piano and erhu to performed and show the song's title about Chinese culture nanguan music, melody is from minor scale turn to major scale. The lyrics tell about the blind Chinese musician Abing's life scenes and inner spiritual world with his Erhu instrument song "Erquan Yingyue" (二泉映月) story and reflect the bitterness of pursuing dreams and the regretlessness to pursuing reputation and living situation.It shows Fong's respect and homage to traditional music and culture. The song not only demonstrates Fong's musical attitude, which is to express modern emotions through traditional music forms, but also embodies an attempt to pass on and innovate traditional culture.

Title and art work promotion
The theme is "World Harmony" (世界大同) in this album and also about serious content, dealing with society, life and human nature and it's contain songs in Mandarin language, which is the label's plan for Fong to develop his musical path to the Mandarin-speaking markets of Mainland China and Taiwan. The title Soulboy was also the name used when Khalil Fong served as an instrumental accompaniment creative work for his own and other singers' songs appellation.

Released and reception
The album Soulboy was released on 18 November 2005 and it got into the Mandopop groovy public view of many of Fong's famous earlier hits song, such as "Spring Breeze" (春風吹) and "Everyday" (每天每天) from his debut album. With these hit songs, Fong is also known as "Hong Kong David Tao" and "Hong Kong Jay Chou", furthermore together with three other singer-songwriters Ivana Wong, Hins Cheung and Louis Cheung, they are known as the "Four Little Powers of Hong Kong Singers and Songwriters".

Track listing
All arrangement is Khalil Fong. All producers are Khalil Fong, Edward Chan and Charles Lee.

Credits and personnel

 * A&R – Evi Yang, Tommy Chui
 * Arranged by Vocals, Instruments – Khalil Fong
 * Art Direction – Eunice Volume 2
 * Executive-Producer – Gary Chan
 * Graphic Design – Tony Volume 2
 * Illustration – David Lai, K.D.T Soulboy
 * Photography By – Paul Tsang
 * Post Production – Cyndi Fung, Maggie Cheung, Shannie Yu
 * Mixing – Frankie Hung, Edward Chan, David Sum, Simon Li
 * Producer – Charles Lee, Edward Chan, Khalil Fong

Accolades
IFPI Hong Kong Record Sales Award 2005 - Top 3 Best Selling Male Local Newcomers. On 1 January 2006 evening CRHK's Ultimate Song Chart Awards presentation was take place in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and Fong was won Chik Chak New Male Singer Silver award. Chinese Music Media Awards Best Male Newcomer Award nominated in 2006.