Butterfly Effect
The Butterfly Effect is defined as small events that seem to have little impact but can ultimately lead to unpredictable results, much larger than expected.
The comparison is easy to understand, the "butterfly effect" is a metaphor, which describes the movement of small butterflies in the middle of the old forest but can create a chain of continuous fluctuations that change the environment, leading to the formation of a big storm.
In that frame of reference, we can see the “butterfly effect” in the entertainment industry.
Kpop – is currently the most powerful empire in the world, where music groups are born that can cause global storms, creating widespread influence around the world.
The Kpop industry started with a very small “butterfly”, the boy band Seo Taiji and Boys, who were formed with a random formula in 1992.
Seo Taiji and Boys became a strange phenomenon in the eyes of Korean audiences when they debuted. Before that, Koreans rarely listened to rap and there were almost no groups performing with flashy red and blue costumes, singing, dancing, and talking (rap). The group was born with a new formula when singers combined with dancers, they also performed in an unprecedented style.
From the formula of Seo Taiji and Boys, a billion-dollar industrial empire was born. Kpop is a systematic, professional system for groups that can sing, rap and perform skillful choreography.
The Korean Culture and Tourism Institute said experts estimate that each concert organized by BTS can bring 500-984 million USD to the Korean economy.
Concerts by BTS, Blackpink or any other famous group bring huge profits to many industries, from tourism, cosmetics, fashion to the business products of the companies that manage the groups.
“Butterfly Dream” in Vietnam Performance Market
It was thought that the power of Kpop had "manipulated" the majority of Vietnamese audiences, until a series of reality TV shows about music aired in 2024.
During its launch, the "butterfly" "Anh trai say hi" was almost unnoticed. "Call Me by Fire" also encountered numerous "challenges", and did not have the expected appeal because it gathered artists who were past their peak.
Through each episode, through the live stage performances, the power of handsome men who can sing, rap and perform professional choreography gradually begins to be revealed, creating attraction, and becoming a "storm" in the final stage of the show.
With a formula similar to Kpop, investing in the smooth combination of artists with good looks and talent, supporting each other in group performances has brought unpredictable attraction to the 2 Brother programs.
According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan An - Communications Director of "Call Me by Fire" shared with Lao Dong, they needed a huge human resource to produce the program for more than 3 months of broadcasting. For the concert alone, they needed more than 1,000 staff to organize.
From the "butterfly" nurtured through reality TV, a series of concerts attracting 20,000-30,000 audiences were held continuously in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi at the end of 2024, creating an unprecedented phenomenon in Vietnamese music.
Vietnamese audiences have always been used to small live shows. Every year, only a handful of artists dare to do concerts because of losses and unsold tickets.
It was not until 2024, especially in the last months of the year, that the media continuously witnessed unprecedented ticket hunting when a series of concerts were held in Hanoi. There were consecutive "sold out" ticket sales, website crashes, and buyers being stuck for 40 minutes. Black market tickets caused a fever during the time Anh trai say hi, Call Me by Fire prepared for the December concert.
Investment from reality TV is like a "butterfly" that changes in the "beat of its wings" of the staging format, creating unprecedented phenomena in the performance market in 2024.
Experts have high hopes for the performing arts industry as many positive signals have been nurtured. Among the 12 key industries in the Strategy for the Development of Vietnam's Cultural Industry to 2030 with a vision to 2045 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, there is a performing arts sector (including music, circus, dance, etc.).
As musician Quoc Trung said: "To have a performance industry like KPop, many factors are needed, from business investment to support mechanisms, market demand, audience tastes... Above all, it is the consensus, diligence, effort and ambition of the artists to step out into the world."
(Posted in the special publication Lao Dong Xuan At Ty).
