HONG KONG, November 19—Acclaimed Cantopop artist Andy Chan (陳健安) today launched his fifth solo album, Sense of Time [Late] (時間感【遲】), challenging listeners to confront their personal perceptions of temporality. The six-track collection is meticulously designed to be experienced sequentially, guiding audiences through Chan’s philosophical exploration of what constitutes “late” or “early” in life’s journey. Unusually, Chan also marked the release day by navigating a dramatic, on-set hair color change—dyeing his hair in a studio bathroom immediately after shooting an upcoming concert poster—to prepare for the album’s visual elements.
The central theme of time’s ambiguity is visually manifested through the metaphor of water, which serves as the primary visual motif across the album’s cover and photo booklet. Chan explained that the concepts of “late” and “early” are inherently subjective, varying wildly depending on an individual’s life stage and experiences. This profound, complex theme fueled his desire to use the album as a medium for public dialogue.
Water and Distortion Mirror Time’s Subjectivity
The visual campaign, overseen by art director Victor, employs diverse representations of water—flowing, frozen, realistic, and even expelled from Chan’s mouth—to symbolize time’s fluid yet erratic nature. Chan noted, “The movement of water echoes the feeling of time. Do you see the water flowing, or is it frozen? That is for you to interpret.”
A key element in the album’s photo shoot involved magnifying glasses suspended on pendulums, creating unique distortions over Chan’s face and body as they swung past. He highlighted the “twisting” effect of the magnifying glass as a deliberate parallel to how various individuals experience time differently. “The facial distortion represents time,” Chan stated, “Each person has their own degree of distortion and perception of time.”
Stylist Herman contributed to this concept by dressing Chan in highly textured fabric that could be manipulated and wrinkled on command, generating “stoppages” and improvisational shapes during the shoot. Photographer HungMC further embraced the unpredictable nature of the element by designing a clear, irregularly twisted headpiece over which water was poured, capturing the moment of uncontrolled flow. The artist even suggested a final spontaneous shot, demonstrating his ability to spray water from his mouth—a skill honed during childhood—to capture splash patterns, adding an element of raw unpredictability to the visual narrative.
Unique Album Design Encourages Fan Customization
Breaking from standard album packaging, the cover for Sense of Time [Late] was conceived by designer Sunny as a customizable photo album. This innovative design allows fans to freely move internal components and swap out the included photos, offering the option to replace Chan’s image entirely with their own pictures. This interactive feature reinforces the album’s theme that the “sense of time” is deeply personal and open to individual interpretation.
While Chan prepares for his first-ever outdoor solo concert, scheduled for January, which is three weeks away, he took a moment to express gratitude to his fanbase for their long-term support of his artistic endeavors. He encourages listeners to delve into the album and independently experience its nuanced perspective on the inescapable passage of time.
Suggested Takeaways:
- Explore Customization: The creative use of customizable album packaging represents a fresh trend in physical music formats, aiming for deeper engagement.
- Thematic Depth: Chan’s use of water as a unifying metaphor for time provides rich context and visual language for exploring abstract philosophical concepts.
- Artistic Integration: The immediate hair color change highlights the intensive coordination required among music, visual art, and promotional timelines in modern music releases.
