Farewell to Hong Kong's Sour Beauty

They called her the Asian Madonna because, in the ultra-staid world of Hong Kong pop music, her boldness was not just a sensation but an affront. If Madonna was the Material Girl, Anita Mui Yim-fong was the Bad Girl. That was the title of her 1985 hit song (which was briefly banned from radio for its raunchy lyrics) and best-selling album. In concert, Mui was a strutting, scowling presence, exuding sexuality like a visual and aural musk. She didn't simply command the stage; she commandeered it. She set attendance records with concert series in 1987 and 1991, and her 40-plus albums...

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