If we look at the nature, this is not a personal conflict between two stars, but a "ps psychological battle" between fan communities.
The conflict arose from a seemingly small detail: how to arrange the images of the two artists on the poster of the event on Nguyen Hue walking street (HCMC). Son Tung and Soobin are both placed in the center, but the size and layout make Son Tung's fans think that their idols are not given priority commensurate with their position in the V-pop music industry.
On the contrary, Soobin's fans argued that all artists deserve equal respect and that their idols are equally famous.
From a design detail, the debate between the two fan communities (fandoms) Sky and Kingdom of the two male singers exploded online, turning a music event into a simple social topic.
In fact, debate does not come from artists but from the audience's affection for their idols. In the entertainment industry - where name stands for fame and influence, every small change in the way of communication can touch the self-respect of fans.
Modern Fandom not only loves artists, but also protects their image as an honorable collective.
Therefore, "cyber wars" like Son Tung - Soobin are not only a musical story, but also a cultural phenomenon: when the public wants to affirm the " status" of idols in a competitive ecosystem.
It is worth noting that both artists have handled the crisis civilizedly. On stage, Soobin proactively called out the names of both fandoms, calling for lets love each other, showing an open-minded and understanding attitude. Meanwhile, Son Tung chose to share a positive message: "We don't need to beat anyone, we just need to beat ourselves from yesterday".
This calm and sophisticated response not only helps reduce stress, but also shows the courage of two young artists who have gone through many media storms.
From the perspective of a media expert, Mr. Hoang Van - Communications Director of Clover Company - commented: "The incident of Son Tung and Soobin sets a lesson for the Vietnamese entertainment industry. First, the organizers need to be clearly aware of the impact of each promotional detail. A poster, performance order or small speech can all create a chain effect.
Second, artists need to interact more strongly with their fandoms, to orient and guide them to behave in a civilized way - cheer for their idols but not attack other artists. When fans understand that respecting their opponents is also respecting their own idols, then entertainment culture can mature".
Mr. Hoang Van commented that orienting and interacting with fans is very important, because otherwise it will lead to many more negative consequences. He gave a typical example of fandoms by Chinese artists. The fact that fans compete with each other to make their idols more famous and have a better reputation sometimes causes unnecessary controversy.
"The incident of Son Tung and Soobin can be considered a "challenge" for the entire V-pop ecosystem: the way artists keep calm, the way the media regulates, and the way the public expresses their feelings. No one wins the fandom war, because in the end, what remains is musical value, professionalism and attitude" - Mr. Hoang Van commented.
It can be seen that amid the noise of social networks, the image of Son Tung and Soobin still shines on stage - where they choose music as a common language, not a competition. And perhaps, that is the most beautiful way to dialogue between the two artists in today's Vietnamese entertainment industry.
