Hong Kong artist 193 (Kwok Ka-tsun) of the popular group ERROR has launched his latest single, “Your Name My Hymn” (你的名字
我的聖詩), an early holiday romance track released today, November 20th. The song transports listeners back to a nostalgic era of streetlights and festive decorations in Tsim Sha Tsui East, setting an early, cinematic tone for the Christmas season. The artist explained that the preemptive timing aimed to maximize listenership, effectively delivering an “early Christmas gift” to his audience before the crowded holiday release window.
Forging an Artistic Collaboration
“Your Name My Hymn” brings together a quartet of talented creators, featuring music composed by Delta T and production steered by Chan Ko-wai (Shuga). A major highlight for 193 was securing the lyrics from his childhood idol, veteran entertainer and writer Jim Yan, often known as Jim Shiu. The arrangement was handled by Nick Wong, ensuring a fresh texture for the festive tune.
For 193, collaborating with Yan marked a significant personal milestone. “Inviting Jim to write the lyrics was truly a childhood dream achieved, as he was one of my idols,” 193 shared. “In my younger years, I used to attend his events as a fan, so having him pen this song is absolutely an achievement unlocked.”
Initially conceived as a breakup ballad, the track underwent a fundamental shift following Yan’s lyrical contribution. The initial take, while praised for its poetic quality, led 193 to overhaul the song’s direction entirely, reshaping it into an unambiguous love theme.
“[Jim Yan] is a truly wonderful person. After I explained my ‘crazy’ idea to him, he understood and graciously accepted my decision to rebuild the song, and he wrote the current lyrics for the love story,” 193 recounted. He lauded Yan’s writing for its “beautiful and poetic imagery,” describing how the lyrics portray a couple bonding over their shared affinity for nostalgia. The song’s core motif is captured in a powerful line: “This song I wrote for you is like a hymn used to sing your praises, thus, ‘Your Name’ is ‘My Hymn,’ which is incredibly poignant.”
A Daring, Cinematic Music Video
The accompanying music video for “Your Name My Hymn” pushes creative boundaries, employing a challenging single-take filming technique to achieve a distinctive cinematic aesthetic. Due to the lack of current seasonal light installations in Tsim Sha Tsui, 193 and his production team opted to shoot in a studio, utilizing projected global scenery—such as snow in Otaru, Japan, and the Christmas lights of London’s Regent Street—against a white backdrop.
This inventive approach symbolizes a romantic worldwide journey shared by the couple. “It depicts a guy, regardless of his financial situation, determined to create surprises for his girlfriend,” 193 said, though he humorously admitted his personal romantic life is less spontaneous.
The video features four popular female talents—510, Katherine, Angelina, and Shadow—from the recently concluded online production group, Trial and Error. Recognizing that the women may soon pursue separate management or contractual paths, 193 seized the opportunity for this collaborative “grand plan.”
From 193’s perspective, representing his persona as a devoted car mechanic in the MV, the four actresses embody a singular love interest. “In the car mechanic’s view, the four ‘school beauties’ are actually the same girl—he’s utterly devoted,” he explained. However, the complexity of the video’s narrative allows for multiple interpretations, something 193 finds intriguing. “The director’s take was drastically different; he believed the mechanic was using various tactics to pursue four different women. I think the director’s interpretation is reasonable, as the MV’s story and the lyrics don’t always align, so I leave the ultimate decoding to the audience.”
With its blend of classic romance, poetic lyricism, and experimental visual storytelling, 193’s early Christmas offering aims to establish itself as a memorable addition to the festive music catalogue, setting the stage for the singer’s artistic evolution outside of his established group format.