EEG Signs Mag Lam and Dumps Yumiko Cheng
At the Spring Celebratory Dinner held on February 14th, Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG) officially announced that the company signed The Voice 2 <超級巨聲>winner, Mag Lam Yan Tung, for four years. EEG will jointly share the management contract with TVB, who discovered Mag’s talent. Throughout the entire evening, EEG owner, Albert Yeung, often accompanied Mag and introduced her to the guests present.
Since winning The Voice 2, Mag Lam has been extremely popular and appeared at numerous promotional events. Her appearance fee has increased to $80,000 (HKD) per event, matching hot model, Chrissie Chau Sau Na! Many music companies fought to sign Mag due to her powerful vocals. However TVB picked EEG for her music contract.
EEG Dedicating All Resources in Promoting Mag Lam in 2011
EEG vowed that it will spend millions to promote Mag into a big star! An inside source at EEG stated, “Last week, Albert Yeung held a confidential conference. He stated explicitly that all of the company’s resources in 2011 will be dedicated to promote Mag Lam. Mr. Yeung will even cast Mag in a new film. Vincy Chan and Sherman Chung will not have new albums released this year. Gillian Chung will focus on filming in China . Aside from Joey Yung and Charlene Choi continuing their music and film careers, other female artists will have far less opportunities!”
Perhaps Mag did not know how much EEG valued her. Mag said, “TVB chose the EEG contract for me. I don’t know the length nor price of the contract. I am just interested in producing music I like!”
Yumiko Cheng Sacrificed at EEG
With Mag joining EEG, many second-line female artists’ careers were threatened. This included 29-year-old Yumiko Cheng Hei Yi, who joined EEG in 2002. With Mag’s alleged $4 million (HKD) EEG contract, Yumiko may be one of the first artists let go by the company. With her contract expiring soon, Yumiko’s popularity was at an all-time low. Sales for her music albums have been terrible. Allegedly, Yumiko was disgruntled with EEG and even spoke poorly about the company in front of other people. As a result, Albert Yeung has decided not to renew Yumiko’s contract.
A one-time hot car model, Yumiko had two accidental exposure incidents revealing her nipple and thong-clad butt in 2007 and 2006 respectively. Since 2008, Yumiko has not released any music albums. Last year, she started filming series in China , abandoning the Hong Kong market. Allegedly, Yumiko was upset that EEG did not put in their best efforts to promote her.
Yumiko Cheng has been dating wealthy make-up artist, Andy Leung for the last six years. The couple currently live together in a luxury apartment in Sai Kung. The monthly rent is $60,000 (HKD). Yumiko was spotted frequently driving her boyfriend’s $50,000 (HKD) Audi TT sports car.
Excerpt from Face Magazine #196
Jayne: Mag Lam indeed has a very powerful voice, but she sometimes slurs song lyrics. Guess it’s a matter of singing suitable songs for her. I am excited to see a new star like Mag rise, but why does it have to be EEG again? I find that EEG is more of a commercial machine rather than a music company true in developing unique musical talent. With TVB’s poor relationships with the other music companies, guess there’s not much choice left.
With TVB’s royalty issues with some of the other record companies, I was pretty sure that they would have Mag sign with EEG. It’s true that they might not have the best singers with the most musical talent with the exception of a few, but I think TVB likes EEG because they have high commercial and marketing values. TVB just wants their artists to be famous and make the most money possible. What’s good about EEG, is that if they like you and you are obedient and have a high market value, they can successfully promote their artists. Look at Joey Yung and Raymond Lam for example. And Twins (whom were horrible to start with) but the audience loved them. Since Mag is already quite popular, EEG is not going to let the momentum stop and promote her as much as possible to be the next diva after Joey.
And of course, they will sacrifice certain artists. Yumiko has never been highly promoted, Same with Vincy and Sherman. So that’s why I don’t like EEG’s politics either. Just like TVB.
I actually was hoping TVB might have Mag join Amusic, but maybe the company might not have the best connections with them Would have loved to see Mag in the same company as Janice Vidal. I like the artists signed under that company and its sister company East Asia where Andy Lau, Sammi, Denise, Ivana and others are at.
Exactly! EEG can push Mag to popularity and have record breaking sales and can promote her in movies that’s why TVB picked EEG.
A-Music has Janice vidal, Janice Man, aarif Lee and JW but Leon are already occupied with them to take in another young girl.
East Asia is not a good place to a starter. I don’t recall East Asia successfully promote a new singer from scratch. TVB artistes who joined East Asia with an existing fanbase is an exception.
I think TVB don’t consider Neway where Myolie and Linda are at because they already have Myolie and Linda and most of the resources this year is going to Chilam’s concert.
Uhm, Linda is not with Neway but a sister company of Neway :P. Linda and Stephanie are like biggest sisters in their company while Myolie is just a name in Neway.
If TVB wants Mag to have fame in the shortest time, EEG is an excellent choice. Not mention of the good relationship between EEG and TVB, EEG is having a great demand to expand the company itself. That’s why Mag will be skyrocketed to get the fame ASAP. Just look at LF and WCL to know how TVB’s are treated in EEG.
On the other hand, Bosco is in East Asia and he is failed.
Now I’m wondering which company TVB will pull Super Four to. I personally like Alfred Hui, although his singing is so-so only.
Good luck to Mag. Her debut will decide she’ll be next top promoted artist or not. I’m glad that the chances to Mag is high. I like her.
Not surprised and what has Yumiko done anyway? Exactly! Nothing! And yes the young girl does slur her words, she sounds so much like Sammie Cheng when talking. Hopefully a better actress and singer.
Yumiko is a bad singer and its best if she leave singing since she failed after so many years in EEG.
“Perhaps Mag did not know how much EEG valued her. Mag said, “TVB chose the EEG contract for me. I don’t know the length nor price of the contract. I am just interested in producing music I like!””
Not so soon, Mag. When EEG spends millions to promote you, you produce the music they like not the music you like.
Maybe when you reach the level of Eason Chan, you can sing the music you like.
As for Yumiko. She’s not a good singer. She’s better off as an actress and dancer. I like her. She can be beautiful and cute at the same time and I think she can act. But, she’s an average singer at best.
Yumiko can happily get married and lead a “Siu Lai Lai” life… I mean who didn’t see it coming that her career is so over from a long time ago? Let’s hope she doesn’t screw it up like Bobo Chan…
bobo didn’t screw it up. she got screwed.
let’s get it straight on who’s at fault with the whole Edison scandal.
also .. not implying it was Edison’s fault. it was a breach of privacy.
well.. if Bobo had not let Edison filmed her in the first place..she would have been happily married leading a siu lai lai life… she`s stilll not married to this date..there was a rumour she gotten herself pregnant, which could have been the saving grace for her to get married but it wasn`t true after all… (a lesson to all girls out there… never let someone filmed you naked or having sex, no matter who the person is because this will come back to haunt you!)
well.. if Bobo had not let Edison filmed her in the first place..she would have been happily married leading a siu lai lai life… she`s stilll not married to this date..there was a rumour she gotten herself pregnant, which could have been the saving grace for her to get married but it wasn`t true after all… (a lesson to all girls out there… never let someone filmed you naked or having sex, no matter who the person is because this will come back to haunt you!! and this also includes the man that tells you… let’s just record it and see how it goes.. and if you don’t like it, we can delete it.. Yeah right, anything can be recoverable!!)
Yumiko’s singing and acting career have vanished so far so it’s best for her to just get married. She also has a negative image because of the incidents.
Yumiko seems like a good actress to me. I loved her in The Handsome Siblings.
TVB choose EEG because EEG is great at promoting new artistes to be very popular in a short time. EEG has the best promotional and marketing among HK music companies.
If they send Mag to East Asia the company won’t do much to make her popular it’s their style. A-Music is too controlled by who Leon Lai likes. Neway has already got Myolie and Linda. The other companies are small and TVB is enemies with BMA and Big 4.
Wonder which company TVB will pull Super 4 to :).
I don’t like Super 4.
“Uhm, Linda is not with Neway but a sister company of Neway . Linda and Stephanie are like biggest sisters in their company while Myolie is just a name in Neway.”
What a joke to have Linda as a big sister. I don’t like her singing at all but she has the looks.
“On the other hand, Bosco is in East Asia and he is failed.”
That’s why I said TVB artistes who joined East Asia are in a different categories. The just join to serve their fanbase. Bosco’s 2 Gold sales are only bought by his acting fans. Bowie also once joined East Asia and banking on his acting fanbase many years back then. Both are failed in singing.
What company did Louis Koo joined? Was it EEG? He was also failed in singing and now I think he left it for good LoL.
Never mind I googled it and it was Capital Artist. I’m surprised. Capital Artist was a famous company for many great singers but Louis Koo’s singing is horrible.
Capital Artist was a joke…I`m so glad that company folded… it was expected that they would fold… the only reason they lasted so long was they could cherry pick from a huge pool of wannabe singers from their annual singing contest….
I heard they are trying to revive Capital artists again or was it just a hearsay.
BTW I think the way EA invest on Bosco’s album is better than EEG with LF. Bosco’s MVs in the album look like they invested a lot of money, at least more than LF’s.
Bosco’s 2 dishes were just EPs which can be produced with lesser budget than a full album due to lesser songs, and he only makes 2-3 MVs per EP so there’s enough budget allocation for the MV. I know there’s some singers who makes an MV for every song in the album, what the heck $$$. I think even Raymond don’t do that..
Since the target is mostly his fans, the promotion team especially for the second EP uses mainly facebook and weibo to save money instead of targeting the more expensive mediums of advertisements(Businesses, TV commercial eats up your money!), so this way the cost wouldn’t hike up too high.
Mag has potential to me. I don’t think she’s as bad as a lot of people are telling to my ears, but everyone has different opinions.
I don’t know one single song from Yumiko Cheng nor can I recall her singing anything. I remember that I saw her in an MV back in 2004 and thought ‘meh’. That’s all my memories of her singing career. I think she should just let it go and focus on filming in China- where the money’s at. Earn some money and go do other things in life.
Concerning Mag Lam- I don’t think she can choose which company will produce her music. She likely signed an agreement that if she wins Super Voice she must sign with TVB management. I’m also that management contract required her to basically sell her soul for n-1 years with dictatorial rights for TVB to unreasonably terminate it on whim. Of course its a contract with an annual salary revised also on whim by TVB depending on the success of her albums. That’s right! When you’re just a mere singer in HK, you earn nothing because none of the intellectual property is yours you mere tool! Hopefully she can survive this disgrace of an industry.