This thesis presents a comprehensive analysis of the evolving role of Cantopop within Hong Kong’s dynamic and increasingly constrained socio-political landscape. It argues that Cantopop should not be understood as a static cultural artifact but rather as a fluid and adaptive political tool whose function has transformed in direct response to shifting political conditions. The study charts this evolution across two distinct phases: first, as a powerful medium for unification and mobilisation during active social movements, namely, in 2012, 2014, and 2019, where it served to construct collective identity, mobilise participants and create profound moments of collective effervescence. Second, as the space for overt political expression contracted, Cantopop morphed into a crucial infrastructure for sustaining community, fostering resilience, and enabling coded resistance during subsequent periods of movement abeyance.
To investigate this phenomenon, the research employs a multi-faceted qualitative methodology designed to capture the lived experience of music in politics. The study is anchored by 18 in-depth interviews with active participants (i.e. musickers) who have engaged with Cantopop such as creators and consumers, and have participated in any protest events during the movements. This primary data is triangulated with a robust discourse analysis of public expression on key digital platforms, including YouTube and the local forum LIHKG, which serve as vital archives of the movement’s cultural life. Central to the theoretical framework is Christopher Small’s concept of “musicking”, the active, participatory experience of music in all its forms. This lens allows the analysis to move beyond the study of music as a textual object, instead focusing on the processes through which people use music to construct meaning and social relations.
The findings reveal that “musicking” operates as a primary cultural practice for political subject formation. During active protest, it is instrumental in forging a cohesive collective identity, while in periods of abeyance, it strategically adapts to sustain that identity, expanding to encompass themes of endurance and a nascent diasporic consciousness. Furthermore, the study demonstrates how participatory music-making became a core and evolving component of the movement’s repertoire. This is traced from the proliferation of overt protest anthems during mass mobilisations to the later continued development of the “yellow music circle”, which refers to a system of supportive consumption and implicit lyrical communication that enables continued political expression within a restrictive environment. Finally, the research argues that shared “musicking” acts as a powerful mechanism for transcending generational divides, uniting different age cohorts within the pro-democracy camp through the collective experience of both nostalgic anthems and contemporary protest songs, thereby creating a continuous historical narrative.
In conclusion, this thesis chronicles the journey of a sound from the protest line to the pop charts, offering a nuanced analysis of how popular music sustains a political project long after the crowds have dispersed. It contributes significantly to the fields of popular music scholarship and social movement studies by providing a longitudinal perspective on the adaptive role of music in constructing identity, facilitating mobilisation, and sustaining the energy of a movement through challenging times.
