Beautiful sister" changed who I am!
After the "Sisters Who Make Waves" journey, what is the biggest thing Ai Phuong realized about herself as an artist? Was there a moment that made you decide you had to change?
- For me, "Sisters Who Make Waves" is like a "legitimate opportunity" to experience and express Rachel P's "personality" in the most comfortable way.
Actually, there is no specific moment that made me decide to change, because everything is accumulation. From the time of looking back at myself, delving deeper into the journey of creating songs to the performance experiences on the stage of "Sisters Who Make Waves", all of this made me realize that I can have many different versions coexisting.
I can be both Ai Phuong that everyone is familiar with, and bring a very different source of energy on stage.
Audiences used to be familiar with Ai Phuong's emotional ballads. Why after the program, did you choose Afro Pop and Latin to open a new chapter, instead of continuing the safe path?
- I don't think I choose Afro Pop or Latin to open a new chapter, but to choose the time to introduce a part of the human being that has always existed within me.
Before entering the profession, I listened to a lot of US - UK music, loved the Latin spirit, performance and dance. It's just that for many years, by some kind of fate, the audience remembered me more through Ballads.
After many experiences and enough time to understand what I want, I feel it's time to introduce myself more fully as an artist.
You once said Rachel P is not a new stage name but a "musical personality" that has existed for a long time. Why is it only now that you are confident enough to introduce that aspect?
- I don't think I'm "confident enough" in the sense that I used to be insecure. More precisely, everything has come at the right time now.
There was a period when I spent a lot of time looking back at myself, healing the wounds and understanding what I really wanted from music. After that journey, I realized I had kept too much energy and many other aspects of myself for a long time.
In the recent event, I shared that I had "squeezed" everything for too long, so now I want to "flutter, flutter".
That is not the desire to become a different person, but to let the human part that has always existed appear more naturally through music and stage.
I also hope everyone does not see Rachel P as a "makeover". This is just the time I decided to be more honest with my original value and willing to share that aspect with the audience.
If you hadn't participated in "Sisters Who Make Waves", would the project "Gentle and Gentle" and Rachel P appear at this time? How did the program affect your decision?
- "Sisters Who Make Waves" is like an opportunity for me to experience and express Rachel P more comfortably. However, this project did not start from the program but is the result of a long accumulation process.
Stage experiences help me realize that I can exist in many different versions. The program becomes a catalyst for that human part to appear more clearly.
Throughout the journey in "Sisters Who Make Waves", what did you regret the most and what are you most grateful for?
- The thing I regret most is probably that I "went home" a bit early, not having time to "weld the floor" to the fullest.
As for gratitude, I am grateful to everyone: Opportunities, performances, sisters who always support and love me very "gently", especially the affection of Little Friends - the affectionate name of Ai Phuong's fans.
What is the biggest pressure when stepping out of an influential program like "Sisters Who Make Waves"? Are you worried that the audience will find it difficult to accept changes in your music and image?
- The biggest pressure for me is not what I will be like after leaving the program, but how to make the next music products truly reflect who I am at the present time.
I also wondered if the audience would be surprised to see me appear in a different color or not? But then I realized that the most important thing is still sincerity.
Rachel P is not an image created to change or refresh herself, but a part of the human being that has always been there. If telling that story is true enough, I believe the audience will feel it.
This is also not a step to move away from the old image. Ballad has always been an important part of my music. It's just that from now on, the audience will have the opportunity to see another aspect that I have not had the opportunity to share much before.
Balanced artistic journey
In your current career, do you think artists should prioritize maintaining a familiar image for safety or accept risks to be themselves?
- After a journey in the profession, I think the important thing is not to choose safety or risk, but whether I still feel connected to what I am doing or not?
The image of Ai Phuong with Ballads has been a very beautiful part of my journey. But besides that version, I also have other hobbies and energy sources that have existed for a long time but have not found a suitable time to express them.
Perhaps my biggest struggle is learning to believe in myself, that the things I love and want to share have their own value. When I am truly comfortable with my choices, change is no longer pressure but becomes a natural journey.
The MV "Gentle and Gentle" carries many symbols of healing, rebirth and connection with the goddess. What stage in Ai Phuong's real life do those images reflect?
- That is exactly the current stage, after I go through healing journeys, transformation and connection with the original values within myself.
After "Sisters Who Make Waves", do you feel more open to performing, dancing and showing stage energy? What has changed in your professional thinking?
- After the program, I have more opportunities to experience and show another source of energy on stage. However, in terms of professional thinking, I don't think I have changed too much.
From before until now, I have always believed that artists need to constantly learn and improve the necessary skills for the creative process. For me, singing, composing and performing are all skills that need to be constantly cultivated to create a truly quality artwork.
This project is introduced as a long journey with a private art world. What do you expect the audience to remember Ai Phuong in the new stage?
- At the press conference, I joked that "Gentle gentleness" is a "psychological manipulation strategy" of mine. Instead of trying to erase the nicknames or images that the audience was familiar with Ai Phuong before, I think I can create a new association with music itself.
What I want most is for the audience to see a more complete version of me. Not only Ai Phuong of Ballad songs, but also an artist who loves performance, loves other sources of energy in music and always wants to experiment to develop herself.
Through Rachel P's art world, I hope the audience can feel the spirit of freedom, seduction and comfort with themselves.
This is not a new chapter to deny what has been, but a continuation for me to tell more stories with music.
Thank you for sharing!
