Right from the time the teaser was announced, the project attracted attention when using the release time zone in many major cities such as Los Angeles, New York or Singapore. Many viewers realized that Son Tung no longer directs products entirely to the domestic market but is considering international coverage on streaming platforms.
Unlike previous Vpop hits such as "Lạc trôi", "Nơi này có anh" or "Chúng ta của hiện tại", "Come My Way" follows a clear international music direction. The song uses almost entirely English, combining Afrobeats, hip-hop and modern pop styles - music genres that are popular in the US and Europe.
Afrobeats are inherently a genre that favors light groove rhythms, creating a "chill" feeling, easy to listen to and suitable for music culture on TikTok and Spotify. This is also a trend pursued by many international artists such as Drake, Wizkid or Tyla in recent years.
Son Tung's choice of this music material shows that the male singer no longer focuses on the Vietnamese public taste like in the previous period. Instead, he is trying to create a product with a "global pop" color, easier to reach international audiences.
Not only changing in music, Son Tung also has a clear shift in the way he builds his image. If in the early stages of his career, he was often associated with the image of a Kpop-inspired idol, then in "Come My Way", the male singer pursues a high-fashion, cinematic and European-American style.
The MV is built with many minimalist frames, leaning towards fashion and spirit rather than storytelling. This is similar to how many international artists are developing personal images in the streaming era, where visual recognition plays an equally important role to music.
However, Son Tung does not completely abandon Vietnamese identity. In the MV, the audience can still recognize details that evoke associations with Vietnamese culture such as the image of Lac birds or folk art materials interwoven in a modern setting in Los Angeles. This is considered the way the male singer tries to bring Vietnamese imprints into a global-oriented product.
Another noteworthy point is that Son Tung continues to collaborate with American rapper Tyga. After collaborating with Snoop Dogg in "Hay trao cho anh", the collaboration with Tyga shows the male singer's consistent strategy: building an image of Vietnamese artists capable of connecting with the international market.
However, "Come My Way" also created a lot of controversy. A part of the audience believes that the song is difficult to listen to, lacks climax and Son Tung's English pronunciation is not really outstanding. But in the opposite direction, many opinions assess that the male singer is accepting to trade safety to try a new direction.
In the context of Vpop becoming increasingly competitive and difficult to make breakthroughs with just the old formula, "Come My Way" shows that Son Tung M-TP no longer wants to stop at the position of a purely Vietnamese music star. The male singer is gradually trying his hand at the model of Asian artists making music according to international standards, aiming for a wider market instead of just focusing on domestic achievements.
The success or failure of "Come My Way" may still need time to verify, but it is clear that this product has shown Son Tung M-TP's great ambition in his journey to expand his position on the international pop music map.
