Paving the way for Vietnamese music to reach new heights
Recently, the songs of Vietnamese singers have left many impressions on the world music map, creating trends in many countries. To create a buzz and affirm the identity of Vietnamese music, participating in international music competitions is a potential direction.
Over the past 2 months, Vietnamese audiences have been excitedly following Phuong My Chi's journey in Sing! Asia 2025. She entered the top 3 finalists and had many performances that were praised by international audiences such as "Bong Phuong Hoa", "Buon Trang", "Lac Troi"... Amidst the dramatic competitions, the singer born in 2003 cleverly incorporated folk music materials such as cai luong, ca lu into the modern mix.
Previously, Chi Pu also spread Vietnamese culture when she became the first Vietnamese singer to participate in the program "Sister Riding the Wind" in China. Initially, she was not expected by domestic audiences, but during her participation, Chi Pu showed outstanding aspects of herself such as dance, fashion, and openness to connect with international artists. When Chi Pu advanced in the contest, she introduced Vietnamese culture, cuisine, and language many times.
From this momentum, Chi Pu received many other game shows in China, gained a large number of international fans and became close to many international artists, including Huang Xiaoming. After that, Suni Ha Linh also participated in "Sisters Who Ride the Wind".
Phuong My Chi shared that she strives so that the spirit of Vietnamese culture can truly touch the hearts of international judges and audiences. For her, each performance is not simply a competition, but an opportunity to introduce national identity on the regional stage.
The combination of Phuong My Chi and the DTAP producer group not only creates works rich in cultural materials, but also shows the spirit of creativity and dedication to preserving Vietnamese identity in contemporary music.
Challenges and requirements are not easy
When the voice of Vietnamese artists resounds in the international arena, the fate of each song is also very different. Phuong My Chi competes in Sing! Asia and Em xinh say hi at the same time and both achieved good results, but her colleagues such as LyLy and Anh Sang AZA did not have that luck.
In 2023, LyLy participated in The Next Stage - a reality TV show in China that gathered 27 artists from Asian countries. The contestants also formed teams and competed in qualifying quite intensely. However, due to LyLy's closed personality, lack of a methodical strategy and safe presentation, she did not have time to shine and stopped at the top 13.
Anh Sang AZA, when competing in the 2024 Asian Championship, is considered a "war horse" due to her extensive experience but is still not competitive enough with trainees from many Asian countries. Coming out of the program, Anh Sang still could not find a suitable direction to develop her career.
When coming to the international arena, a series of difficult questions were raised, such as the gap in language and culture, different musical personalities, carefully constructed images, and sensitivity to grasp the tastes of judges as well as international audiences.
To solve those problems, there needs to be determination, courage, and smart thinking of the singer and the entire crew behind. With Phuong My Chi's story, she almost "losed everything" in her first time participating in a Chinese music competition. The investment is expressed through music that DTAP has been meticulously crafted and creative; meticulous crew in each costume and prop; Phuong My Chi's efforts to sing Chinese, learn about the culture of the host country.
As for Chi Pu, she made a difference by performing ability, promoting her appearance strengths to make up for her limitations in singing. In a contest with many experienced singers from many countries, Chi Pu chose a unique way of practicing to swing on a rope, get into solos, and perform.
When a Vietnamese singer comes to an international competition, they all have investment in their "overseas excursion". But whether efforts are effective or not depends on the tactics of each crew, and the singer himself also needs to highlight his personal color in the spirit of harmony between entertainment and Vietnamese cultural identity.
