Viet Nam News
By Thu Anh
HCM CITY — Young pop idol Son Tung M-TP’s latest music video (MV) has attracted more than 167 million viewers on YouTube.
The MV, Lac Troi (Drifting) is a production between the singer who composed the electronic music piece and Triple D, his partner, producer and DJ who worked on mixing.
Produced by Tung’s company MTP Entertainment, Lac Troi reached a new record in Viet Nam after attracting nearly five million viewers on the first day of its release on January 1, 2017.
The work broke the record made by the singer after his album, Chung Ta Khong Thuoc Ve Nhau (We’re Not Together), attracted three million fans on the first day of its release in 2016.
Another MV of Tung, Noi Nay Co Anh (You’re Waiting Here), released last Valentine’s Day, has attracted over 161 million viewers, making the singer, a native of Quang Binh Province, the year’s most popular artist.
His songs are a mix of Vietnamese folk music and K-pop.
“I wanted to impress my fans who have supported my career since I was just a rural boy who loved singing and composing,” said 23-year-old Tung, winner of the MTV EMA Milan 2015 for the Best Southeast Asian Act.
Tung began his career in 2012 after moving to HCM City. He works as a singer and songwriter.
He quickly became a star after most of his songs became big hits and ranked at the top of Vietnamese music charts and online forums.
His hits, including Con Mua Ngang Qua (The Rain), Em Cua Ngay Hom Qua (You of Yesterday), Thai Binh Mo Hoi Roi (Sweat of Thai Binh) and Khong Phai Dang Vua Dau (I’m Quite Different), have attracted millions of fans, mostly teenagers.
Another singer, Huong Tram, is looking for a new idol to fill the gap left by older pop star Phuong Thanh.
Her MV, Em Gai Mua (Love in Rain), released in September on YouTube, has attracted 89 million viewers, following two MVs by male producers Huynh James, Pjnboys and Only C.
Tram, winner of the Voice of Viet Nam 2012, a Vietnamese version of the American TV reality show The Voice, has worked hard to reach her career today.
Born in a traditional family in Nghe An Province, 23-year-old Tram inherited her love for music from her parents when she was a child.
Tram’s strong and emotional voice was influenced by her father, Meritorious Artist and folk singer Tien Dung, who is deputy director of Nghe An Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Her natural dance talent comes from her mother, a veteran dancer of the Nghe An Music and Dance Troupe.
“I was the winner of Voice of Viet Nam 2012 at the age of 18. In music, your fame comes and goes quickly; only your career lives long,” said Tram in a recent interview with local media.
Em Gai Mua is a production by Tram and young composer Mr Siro, one of HCM City’s young music producers. It features a teenage love story.
MVs by female singers, Bich Phuong and Bao Anh, are also hits.
While Phuong’s Bao Gio Lay Chong (When Do You Get Married) has had 51 million views, Anh’s Song Xa Anh Chang De Dang (Without You) has reached 50 million views. Both MVs feature women and love.
“Young singers have invested a lot in their MVs, appealing to fans with their unique voice and dancing, and their videos that resemble movies. Some albums used 3D technology to enhance them,” said composer and music producer Nguyen Hong Thuan told Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper.
“You see American and Korean singers act like movie stars. Vietnamese artists are no exception to the trend,” he said. — VNS