| Twins | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Singers, actresses |
| Genre(s) | Cantopop teen pop, bubblegum pop, new wave Indie Pop (early records) |
| Label(s) | Emperor Entertainment Group |
| Years active | 2001-2008, 2010-present |
| Current Members | Charlene Choi (蔡卓妍) Gillian Chung (鍾欣桐) |
| Official Website | Twins EEG HK Official Site |
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Twins is a Hong Kong-based female Cantopop duo which was created in the summer of 2001 by Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG). Twins is made up of two girls, Charlene Choi Cheuk-Yin and Gillian Chung Yan-Tung.[1] They were a popular group in Hong Kong and a top band in China. Their fanbase included Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, United States and Philippines. Their music was generally targeted at young teens, but in 2004 they began to attract a wider audience by venturing into different styles of music. In July 2008 the duo announced their split after the Edison Chen photo scandal involving Gillian Chung.[2] After two years the group finally reunited in 2010.[3]
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Gillian Chung had also worked as a part-time model during one of her summer vacations in Hong Kong. Similar to her erstwhile partner, Charlene Choi was also a part-time model who had appeared in several advertisements. She became famous after her participation in the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) television program Y2K. Both caught the attention of EEG manager Mani Fok (霍汶希).[4] They subsequently auditioned for and later formed the duo known as "Twins".
After the pop duo was formed, Twins started their career in the summer of 2001, and was recognized for the song "明愛暗戀補習社". They initially collaborated with MSN to make personal pages and web games.[5] Their first 2001 EP Twins (AVEP) went platinum in its first week of sales.[5] During their first two years, Twins released 3 EPs and 3 albums, all of which sold very well. Most of their songs stayed at the top of many different musical charts for several weeks.
Twins had their first concert in 2002 and three more in 2003, one of which was held in Guangzhou. Between 2001 and 2003, they received a total of 72 total awards.[6] By 2003, they have received a large number of awards from the four major Hong Kong media organizations of RTHK, Commercial Radio Hong Kong, Metro Radio and TVB.[6]
At the 2006 Hong Kong Entertainment Awards ceremony Choi tearfully acknowledged that there have been criticisms of the Twins' singing abilities and that she hoped that they could better improve in the coming year.
In February 2007, they celebrated their sixth year together in the Hong Kong music industry. They released a special Sixth Anniversary New + Best Selection CD/DVD. In September of the same year, Twins embarked on a multi-city North American concert tour, with special guests Sun Boy'Z. International stops included San Francisco, Toronto, and Atlantic City.[7] It was their first time performing on a major tour across several North American cities.
In early January 2008, twins won two major awards at the 2007 Jade Solid Gold Top 10. They earned the most popular group award as well as the most popular Asia Pacific region female artist award.[8]
Apart from their singing careers, Twins have also been involved in a number of advertisements. Companies covering all types of products have advertised with the pop duo with the first advertisement with Whisper (護舒寶) in 2000. Between 2001 and 2005 they advertised more than 10 products each year. Big name companies include Nokia, Epson, Biore, Coca-Cola, LG and many more.[9]
In December 2005 a rumour mentioned the splitting of the two singers.[10] However, they attended the May 2006 MTV Asia Awards in Thailand together. They were nominated for and won the Hong Kong Favorite artist award.[11]
The group was dragged into the fray when images of Gillian were among those which found their way onto the internet at the end of February 2008. With Gillian deciding to duck out of the public eye, Twins announced its "temporary dissolution" in July 2008. Charlene said she was highly optimistic that they will reunite some day[2]
On 16 January 2009, during a TVB interview on My 2008 (我的2008), Choi talked about how she handled the media. During the 31st RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards hosted in January 2009, Choi said Twins would return.[12]
Two years after the split, many have wondered whether Twins had become a myth.[13] In February 2010 Charlene Choi talked to the media about her experience in going solo. She summed up the experience by describing the name of her song "Two without one" (二缺一). Since then she has hoped for the return of the duo.[14] She said that Twins was a symbol for the generation, and that they would never split apart.[14]
On the night of 27 February 2010 the "EEG 10th anniversary concert" was held at The Venetian Macao luxury hotel. A number of singers were present including EEG and non-EEG representatives. Some notables include Joey Yung, Nicholas Tse, Leo Ku, Vincy Chan, William Chan, Yumiko Cheng, Anthony Wong and many more.[15] Gillian Chung and Charlene Choi appeared on stage together for the first time in two years to do a small performance for the anniversary concert. They sang (風箏與風), (下一站天后), (女校男生), (飲歌), (戀愛大過天) and (人人彈起).[15]
A few days later on 3 March, Twins appeared in public at the Harbour plaza after parading around in a purple porsche.[16] A public announcement was made that Twins will reunite to perform in a three day "Nokia Twins 2010 concert" from 16 to 18 April at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom. The last time they performed at the same stage was four years ago.[3][17]
The Twins have also been selected to promote several social campaigns in Hong Kong, such as summer activities for the "Hong Kong Home Affairs Bureau" in July 2003.
Featuring Both Charlene and Gillian:
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