A Voice Across The World

Evergreen Idol Fei Xiang Makes a Triumphant Return in Creation of the Gods

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For Millennials (Generation Y: those born between 1981 and 1994) and Zoomers (Generation Z: those born between 1995 and 2009) who grew up following Mandopop in the 90s and 2000s, the prominence of leading Taiwanese-American singers in the Chinese music scene may be something that is taken for granted. During that period, American music’s influence on Mandopop was far and wide reaching. R&B (Rhythm & Blues) and rap music regularly topped the charts, and the popularity of Taiwanese-American pop stars like Wong Leehom, Vanness Wu and Stanley Huang was soaring.

But for those of us born a little earlier (stand up, Generation X’ers!), we know that this was not always the case. In fact, during the early 80s, there was only one name and one name alone which sprang to mind when it comes to naming Taiwanese-American pop stars. This icon was one of the biggest stars in the 80s Mandopop scene, and his fame and talent have shone so brightly across generations that while the younger likes of Wong, Wu and Huang have somewhat faded, he has continued to retain the adulation of legions of fans - even staging a late career comeback with a Chinese action-fantasy blockbuster in 2023. His name is Fei Xiang, also known as Kris Phillips.

EARLY LIFE

Born on 24 December 1960 in Taipei to an American father (a military personnel based in Taiwan) and a Chinese mother (a radio broadcaster), Fei Xiang was named Christian Rand Phillips (Kris Phillips for short) at birth. He had an elder sister Anya Phillips, born to a different father, who was a fashion designer and the co-founder of the legendary New York nightclub the Mudd Club. His name Fei Xiang was derived from his English surname (the Chinese translation of Phillips is Fei Li Pu) and a desire from his mother for him to soar and strive (Fei Xiang rhymes exactly with the Chinese term for “flying”).