Armed with winning charm and an expressive voice, Khalil Fong burst onto the scene as a 22-year-old with the aptly named debut LP, Soulboy. The US-born, Hong Kong-based artist moved audiences worldwide with tender ballads and lively grooves, including hits such as “愛愛愛” (“This Love”) and “Love Song”. From earlier albums that blend Stevie Wonder-inspired R&B with traditional Chinese textures, he moved into funkier blues rock, starting with 2011’s 15. Fong later made forays into electronic sounds, whimsical children’s songs (the Emi the Dream Catcher series) and retro-futuristic rap (“清楚點” [“Look Closer”]). The tracks on 2024’s DIY-flavoured The Dreamer, recorded during a long illness that led to his untimely death in 2025, are comforting, contemplative and good-humoured, capping two decades of thoughtful, inspiring and soulful music.