This is MC

This is MC
Studio album by MC Cheung
Released	January 20, 2023 (2023-01-20)
Genre	Cantopop
Length	33:19
Label	Warner Music Hong Kong
Producer	Terry Chui Gareth Chan Edward Chan
MC Cheung chronology
Have a Good Time (2021) This is MC (2023)

This is MC is a studio album by Hong Kong singer MC Cheung, released by Warner Music Hong Kong in January 2023. The album reached the number one spot on the Hong Kong Record Merchants Association weekly album chart. It features three chart-topping singles, namely "Caution Wet Floor," "A Gentleman's Guide to Old-Fashioned Dating," and "The One For U." To accommodate the album's release, Cheung held a three-day live concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum.

Background and release

MC Cheung has gained notable popularity since his debut, becoming a highly sought-after artist for advertisers. ^[1] As of December 2022, he was ranked the third highest streaming Hong Kong artist on the Spotify platform. ^[2] Cheung received the Gold Award for Best New Artist at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation 2021. ^[3] Following the release of his debut EP in December 2021, he proceeded to unveil a series of standalone singles throughout 2022, all of which were subsequently incorporated into the album, alongside other new songs. This is MC was digitally released on January 20, 2023, with the physical album following on March 15, 2023. ^{[4] [5]} The album is said to highlight Cheung's exploration of new experiments, diverse themes, musical styles, and visuals. ^[6]

Singles and composition

"Caution Wet Floor" is a rock-oriented song that explores the theme of karma, tracing the transformation of a kind-hearted individual who, faced with unjust consequences, undergoes a dark evolution filled with resentment. Cheung deliberately executed the song with "a contrasting and intense mood", particularly towards the end, to amplify the detestable tone inherent in the lyrics. ^[7] The lyrics, penned by Wyman Wong, draw inspiration from the anger-driven rock music and Wong's personal life disappointments. Despite the words carrying a sense of raging anger, Wong revealed that the initial inspiration for the title "Caution Wet Floor" stemmed from a vision of two individuals skating together, sharing a sweet moment. The term "floor" in the lyrics represents the numerous life traps, cautioning against the ubiquitous challenges and hidden dangers. ^[8] The song peaked at number one on the Hong Kong Songs chart. ^[9]

"A Gentleman's Guide to Old-Fashioned Dating" is an attempt to blend R&B and traditional Chinese sounds. During a collaborative songwriting session with Goo Chan, Cheung stumbled upon his demo, leading them to complete the song together. Its concept involves incorporating elements of "time travel" and introducing traditional Chinese instruments like the guzheng in the chorus to enhance the song's depth. The lyrics align with this concept, depicting a bittersweet love story that transitions between the "modern" era before the chorus and shifts into the "ancient" era during the chorus. Also written by Wyman Wong, the lyrics draw inspiration from a prose piece by the late Taiwanese author Weijing Li. ^{[10] [11]} The song also peaked atop the Hong Kong Songs. ^[12]

"Overkill" is characterized as an EDM track infused with a K-pop-influenced flavor, featuring rhythmic beats and sharp synths. The lyrics are highlighted by phrases like "Going non stop / Every time the beat drops / Going non stop / I can hear no pin drops". The music video presents Cheung as a character of both righteousness and wickedness, demonstrating his dancing skills for the first time. ^{[13] [14]}

"The One For U" is described as a R&B track, ^[15] with an additional duet version featuring Kiri. ^[6] With Wyman Wong serving as the lyricist for the third time, the song expresses a deep and devoted love, emphasizing the importance of being the number one in someone's heart and the joy of having that special person by your side. ^[16] The original version reached the top position at number one ^[17] while the duet version peaked at number 12 on Hong Kong Songs chart. ^[18] Its music video also topped YouTube Hong Kong's year-end list. ^[19]

Promotion and reception

The album peaked at number one on Hong Kong Record Merchants Association weekly "Best-selling albums" chart, maintaining a position in the Top Ten for eight weeks. ^{[20] [21]} To accommodate the album release, Cheung held three consecutive sold-out live concerts titled This is MC at the Hong Kong Coliseum on January 20–22, 2023. ^{[22] [23]}

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Overkill"	HRDR Jason Guerra Luyo Richard Lam	Terry Chui	3:18
2.	"This is MC"	Dash Guy Moode Orae Richard Lam	Terry Chui	3:13
3.	"The One For U (世一)"	Jay Fung JNYBeatz Gareth Chan Young Hysan Wyman Wong	Gareth Chan	4:23
4.	"A Gentleman's Guide to Old-Fashioned Dating (老派約會之必要)"	MC Cheung Goo Chan Wyman Wong	Terry Chui	3:43
5.	"Obedience (乖乖報到)"	Terry Chui Tsang Lok-tung	Terry Chui	3:38
6.	"Fun Fair (只限成人入場)"	SeaTravel Richard Lam Hong Jian-rui Wang Zi-min	Gareth Chan	3:23
7.	"Caution Wet Floor (小心地滑)"	Terry Chui Wyman Wong	Terry Chui	3:59
8.	"Assurance (最低保障)"	Lesta Cheng Richard Lam	Terry Chui	4:01
9.	"Drink Up (乾)"	Raymond Wan Erin Yan	Edward Chan	3:39
Total length:				33:19

Deluxe edition (bonus track)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
10.	"The One For U (Not For Me) (世一 (不可一世)) (feat. Kiri T.)"	Jay Fung JNYBeatz Gareth Chan Wyman Wong	Gareth Chan	4:23
Total length:				37:43

Personnel

Credits for This is MC adapted from AllMusic. ^[24]

• MC Cheung  – vocals, background vocals, composer
• Anson Chan – arranger
• Edward Chan – arranger, producer, programming, recording
• Gareth Chan – composer, producer
• Chan Hsien-che – guitar
• Lesta Cheng – composer
• Fergus Chow – arranger, bass, piano, programming
• Terry Chui – arranger, bass, choir/chorus, composer, drums, keyboards, mixing, piano, producer, programming, synthesizer, background vocals
• Lee Yat-ding – drums
• Enzo – programming
• Susan French – violin
• Jay Fung  – composer
• Goo Chan – composer, arranger, guitar
• Dash Guy – arranger, bass, composer, keyboards
• Cass Ho – viola
• Gallant Ho – violin
• HRDR – arranger, composer, programming
• Young Hysan – lyricist
• JNYBeatz – composer
• Chan Siu-kei – bass
• Anna Kwan – cello
• Jackson Lam – lyricist
• Leslie Quartets – strings
• Luyo – composer
• Wang Zi-min – composer
• Moode – arranger, composer
• Orae – arranger, composer, drums, synthesizer
• Álex Psaroudakis – mastering engineer
• Jackel Pun – guitar
• Katrina Rafferty – violin
• Hong Jian-rui – composer
• Leslie Ryan – violin
• Leslie Moonsun Ryang – violin
• SeaTravel – arranger, composer, guitar, programming
• Derrick Sepnio – arranger, guitar
• Zhang Shu-ying – viola
• Matthew Sim – mixing
• Soho – choir/chorus
• Jay Tse – mixing engineer
• Nic Tsui – guitar
• Tsang Lok-tung – lyricist
• Jason Guerra Valencia – composer
• Raymond Wan – arranger, composer, guitar, programming, background vocals
• Miyaka Suzuki Wilson – violin
• Nick Wong – arranger, piano, synthesizer
• Wyman Wong – lyricist
• Erin Yan – lyricist

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart	Peak position
Hong Kong Albums (HKRMA) [20]	1

Release history

Release dates and formats for This is MC

Region	Date	Version	Format(s)	Label	Ref.
Worldwide	January 20, 2023	Standard	digital download streaming	Warner Music Hong Kong	[4]
	March 15, 2023	Deluxe	CD digital download streaming		[5] [25]

References

1. 陳芷穎 (22 January 2022). "25歲MC張天賦成廣告商新寵兒 三個月冇停手勁接30個廣告！" [25-year-old MC Cheung Tin Fu becomes the new darling of advertisers, tirelessly taking on 30 advertisements in the span of three months!]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
2. 關穎賢 (2 December 2022). "Spotify 2022｜姜濤成香港最受歡迎歌手 最高串流量歌曲包辦4首" [Keung To became the most popular singer in Hong Kong, with all four of his songs dominating the streaming charts]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
3. Le, Diem Nguyen (May 30, 2023). "Meet 'MC' Cheung Tin-fu, Hong Kong's rising Cantopop star: the Gen Z singer came second on King Maker II in 2019 and rejected joining a boy band to embark on a solo career". South China Morning Post . Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
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25. "This is MC (Deluxe) by MC Cheung". Spotify. 15 March 2023. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.

External links

• This is MC at AllMusic