Concert review: Cantopop duo Twins take fans down memory lane in their 100th show

Twins Spirit Live Around The World – Singapore

Sands Grand Ballroom Dec 28

Singapore now holds a special place in the career history of Cantopop stars Charlene Choi, 42, and Gillian Chung, 43.

At Marina Bay Sands on Dec 28, they staged their 100th show since they debuted as a duo named Twins in May 2001.

Their current concert is part of their Twins Spirit Live Around The World tour, which kicked off in Hong Kong in January to celebrate the group’s 22nd anniversary. It has made stops in cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Vancouver, Las Vegas and, most recently, London.

With their longevity in show business, one might assume that they have staged far more than 100 concerts.

But Choi and Chung have also branched out into acting – becoming household names in the Chinese entertainment industry – and other projects. This included taking part in the third season of Chinese reality TV competition series Sisters Who Make Waves in 2022.

At the first of their two-night concert in Singapore, Choi told the 6,000-strong audience that sharing the stage with Chung was an experience that both did not take for granted.

She chuckled at the recollection of their first concert after they catapulted to fame.

“In less than a year, we held our first concert with only six or seven songs. The pressure was immense,” she recalled. “And this is our 100th show tonight. Can you believe it?”

Twins, who have 12 Cantonese studio albums and four Mandarin ones under their belt, can now dig deep into their discography.

Known for their bubblegum pop numbers about young love and teenage dreams, they opened the two-hour performance with a medley of seven hits, such as Open Love, Secret Love In Tutoring Class and Slam Dunking Love from 2001. They were backed by 10 dancers.

Their singing sounded shaky at times, but the pixie-faced stars took concertgoers down memory lane, which was all that really mattered.

After all, one does not attend their gig and expect to be blown away by their vocal prowess, such as that of their celebrity bestie Joey Yung, who performed at the same venue in 2023.

The fellow Hong Kong singer showed her support by acting with them in a series of skits, which were screened when the duo went for three costume changes. The skits also starred Philippines-born Hong Kong singer Kenny Kwan.

In the second half of the concert, the duo belted out new tracks, such as Loyal Fans from We Are Twins 22, an album launched in January to commemorate their anniversary.

Choi was no doubt the livelier performer and had a bright smile throughout the show. This was perhaps because Chung is an introvert, as she described herself in an earlier interview with The Straits Times.

Chung said to the audience: “We have different personalities, but when we’re together, we draw on each other’s strength.”

Will they be back to commemorate their 25th anniversary? The duo had the answer.

As the lights dimmed at the end of the show, they chimed in unison: “If fate allows, let’s meet again.”