SGGP
A generation of young artists, Gen Z (born between 1996 and 2012), are different, aiming for versatility, and daring to proactively experiment with art, even knowing the possibility of failure… this is what the public has been seeing in V-pop.
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| Vo Viet Phuong performs with the MTV group. |
Versatile, colorful
"The biggest strength and also the biggest challenge for young artists, Gen Z, is their exposure to many different cultures and music both domestically and internationally. This helps young artists quickly grasp and learn the essence of music, thereby perfecting their own music to become richer and more modern," young musician and singer Thai Dinh expressed when talking about his generation.
The Vietnamese music market is becoming increasingly diverse with a host of new artists. If we had to choose a starting point for this diversity, we could consider 2020. Audiences embraced a series of meaningful songs, music videos, and long-term music projects from young artists, especially Generation Z. In 2021 and 2022, they continued to be full of creative energy in the V-pop scene. Hoang Dung, K-ICM, Thai Dinh, Doan Viet Phuong, Phung Khanh Linh, Wren Evans, Erik, Doan Hieu, G Ducky, Jucky San, Hieuthuhai, Hoang Duyen… and many other artists and groups who rose to prominence from Rap Viet and Rock Viet are the young force contributing to shaping the face of the music scene.
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K-ICM is a young artist who has made his mark with traditional musical elements. |
The process of self-improvement has created individuals who can compose, arrange, and perform, capable of mastering the art world. With numerous hit songs, two albums (25 and Yên), and two live shows in 2020 and 2022, Hoàng Dũng is very popular with young people. He has a distinctive and easily recognizable style. Notably, most of his songs are composed and sung by Hoàng Dũng himself. He carefully selects relatable, everyday musical elements while still expressing his ambitions and transmitting positive energy to young people. This is also a similarity between Hoàng Dũng and Thái Đinh, Võ Việt Phương, and Doãn Hiếu. Female singers like Phùng Khánh Linh and Kim Kunni are also capable of composing and singing well. Kim Kunni, the first Vietnamese female artist to join the international entertainment company and record label Sony Music Entertainment, with her strong foreign language skills, modern musical mindset, and professional support, is expected to become one of the successful Gen Z artists in the international music scene.
Thinking differently
Goodbye, my child!/ Father is leaving, but he will return/ This season there/ There are many storms, my child… Here, father misses you dearly/ But the earth roars/ The wind carries father to heaven. If you knew that these lyrics in "Goodbye, Father is Leaving," commemorating 13 officers and soldiers who died in a landslide at Forestry Station 67 (Thua Thien - Hue ) in 2020, were composed and sung by young musician and singer Vo Viet Phuong, born in 2003, many would find it… hard to believe. At the time of composition, Vo Viet Phuong was only 17 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City, and had never been to the impoverished areas of Central Vietnam, but with a sensitive heart, he wrote a humane song full of compassion. Later, he became more well-known when he composed "Then We Will Meet Again in a Hundred Years," "Days in the Sick City," encouraging people during the pandemic…
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Young artists are gaining attention. |
Vo Viet Phuong knows that the music he chooses is unlikely to create a "shockwave" among young, mainstream listeners, because those songs require time for contemplation... As musician Vo Thien Thanh once shared with the press, Vo Viet Phuong's music is contemporary and humanistic; it will only change if the temptations of showbiz force him to compromise like many other young artists. Vo Viet Phuong expressed that he is walking on an artistic path that is not easy, and he accepts the challenges with a different mindset, hoping to deliver meaningful products.
The number of Gen Z artists is increasing, but finding artists with a distinctive style is not easy. Music producer K-ICM (Nguyen Bao Khanh, born in 1999) is one of the young artists who has made his mark. Besides conquering modern musical styles, he chooses to explore traditional elements. This is a good choice, but no less challenging, because while traditional elements can create a unique identity and reach international audiences, they may not necessarily reach the majority of young audiences in a short time. In 2022, K-ICM affirmed his talent with the album "Hoa," featuring Phuong Thanh, Van Mai Huong, Trung Quan, and others. K-ICM shared that he doesn't focus on the product's achievements or revenue; he only hopes that audiences will see how beautiful Vietnamese music is.
Previously, artists like Tung Duong, My Tam, Ho Ngoc Ha, Uyen Linh, Van Mai Huong, Hoang Thuy Linh… defined the identity of the Vietnamese music market, but especially in 2022, Gen Z artists became a "breath of fresh air." The essence of Gen Z isn't about wearing designer clothes, releasing expensive music videos, or having a large production team behind them, but rather about a new musical mindset, paying attention to trends while also knowing how to express their individual voices through music.
In 2022, the EP project "Gen Z and Trinh Cong Son" revitalized the songs of composer Trinh Cong Son, featuring the voices of Gen Z artists such as Hoang Dung, My Anh, Juky San, Hoang Duyen, and Obito. Leaving behind the stereotypes that not everyone can sing his songs, these Gen Z artists still sing Trinh Cong Son's music as a way for young people to venture into new colors from the old songs. The artists inevitably fear comparisons and criticism, but above all, they want to bring something new to this timeless music, so that the younger generation, like themselves, will love it even more.
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