In the 1980s, Ip released five albums with a local producer. After complaining about the direction of the Cantopop industry and falling out with her then label, Black and White, Ip chose to retire from music in 1988 and went into semi-retirement, with occasional roles in movies. She returned to the Cantopop scene in 2002 with an EP, which, along with a live recording of her 2002 concert in Hong Kong, were both released by Universal Music Group. In the mid-90s she teamed up with male star Andy Hui to produce the hit duet "教我如何不愛他" and again in 2004 for the award-winner "美中不足".
Film career and recognition
Ip has been recognised on several occasions for supporting actress roles except for her role in A Simple Life, where she won Coppa Volpi for the Best Actress at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. Hong Kong's Secretary for Commerce & Economic DevelopmentGregory So congratulated her for winning the award. Mr So said this award is not only an international recognition of Ms Ip's outstanding achievement, but a testimony of the level of excellence of the Hong Kong film industry. A Simple Life marked the 10th collaboration between Ip and actor Andy Lau, they first starred together in The Unwritten Law in 1985. Ip has won the Best Supporting Actress awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards twice, for her roles in Dances with Dragon, and in My Name Ain't Suzy. Ip also had three other nominations for Best Supporting Actress for Wrong Wedding Trail, Spiritual Love and for Murder. She has also won Best Supporting Actress at the 36th Golden Horse Awards for Crying Heart. Before filming A Simple Life, Ip had a 12-year hiatus from acting, about the hiatus she stated “I was viewed by some in the business as a disobedient actress who loves to play the role of a director on set. I am also not great at networking. I guess these are the reasons why I haven’t been offered a lot of work."
Politics
Ip participated in Hong Kong's 2014 Umbrella Movement, where protesters demanded electoral reform from the government. She was involved in recording Denise Ho's Cantopop song "Raise the Umbrella". The song had been described as an inspiring anthem for the pro-democracy movement. During the 2016 Hong Kong legislative election campaign, Ip expressed her support for activist Nathan Law and stated, "I believe that this young man does everything he does for Hong Kong, and for his generation." In 2019, Ip joined the pro-democracy demonstrations during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests. She was one of the few Hong Kong celebrities who had spoken up for the protesters, albeit Ip's vocal support led to her songs being removed from Mainland China's music streaming platforms. Ip remained unfazed by the ban and stated that "doing the right thing" was more important to her than the money.
