Like many singers who rose to prominence in Vpop during the 2010s, Bao Anh's career is closely associated with ballads. Although she also released dance-pop music and collaborated with Khac Hung during the producer's peak period, her biggest and most talked-about hits are still "Anh muốn em sống sao" (How Do You Want Me to Live?), "Trái tim em cũng biết đau" (My Heart Also Knows Pain), and "Yêu một người vô tâm" (Loving an Indifferent Person ).
Bao Anh's ballad style has undergone positive changes in recent years. She avoids overly sentimental and melancholic songs, instead focusing on ambiguous, vague emotions that authentically portray her feelings during a particular emotional phase. The arrangements also incorporate gentler rhythms, rather than the simple and formulaic style of her songs from previous decades. The success of "Em xinh say Hi" (You're Beautiful, Say Hi) also helped Bao Anh connect with younger songwriters and producers, expanding her musical horizons beyond those she'd known for years, such as Kai Dinh, Chau Dang Khoa, and Mr. Siro.
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"Em xinh say Hi" (You're beautiful, say Hi) was a stepping stone for Bao Anh to connect with a wider young audience. |
Bao Anh's two latest singles, " Tim Lai " (when she was a guest on Hngle) and especially "Niu Keo Mai Khong Phai Cach" ( Holding On Forever Is Not the Way) , are clear evidence of the singer's new direction.
Reinventing itself after more than a decade.
From the moment Bảo Anh rose to fame with The Voice Vietnam 2012 , she has been known to the public for 14 years. While this journey isn't excessively long, it's enough to place her among the veteran singers and establish a distinct image for herself in the hearts of her audience. Over the past 14 years, Vpop has changed considerably; most noticeably, the once-popular melancholic ballad style has gradually faded, giving way to other trends.
In response to this shift, Bao Anh also made her own efforts to adapt to the new era. She worked with Khac Hung on fast-paced dance-pop tracks, experimenting with choreography. She collaborated with rapper Tao when rap/hip-hop was reaching its peak in Vietnamese music. She released the EP "I Don't Know Whether I Should Be Happy or Sad" after many years of releasing only singles. Although it didn't bring her the resounding success it did when she sang ballads, it helped Bao Anh maintain a relatively stable reputation; she never flopped or was forgotten.
But clearly, ballads have always been Bao Anh's forte, and the genre she performs most comfortably. In her EP "I Don't Know Whether to Be Happy or Sad ," she perhaps found the best way to reconcile her own aesthetic with the current trends of the audience. She continues to utilize that musical style in both of her latest releases: the melodies remain pure ballads, but the arrangements have added more rhythm and a more distinct "bounce" compared to her previous approach.
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In the hit song "Tìm em" (Finding You), a collaboration with Hngle, both artists opted for a lo-fi style with slightly muffled, noisy sounds, somewhat similar to W/n's approach with their popular 3107 series. Bảo Anh's vocals are positioned in the song as a light, airy, chill, and gentle female vocal, characteristic of this genre, recorded with a slight distortion and placed beneath the sound layer, rather than standing out as in mainstream music. This change was quite popular with young audiences, evidenced by the fact that " Tìm em" rose to the top trending charts even as big names in Vpop like Sơn Tùng, MCK, and Mono were releasing their products.
The single "Holding On Forever Isn't the Way" also shows Bảo Anh's youthful and contemporary style, with a focus on content innovation. While her previous ballads often featured melancholy and a somber, sorrowful singing style, this song uses a lighter, brighter approach, aiming to depict a couple's journey of being together and then peacefully parting ways. Accepting the truth, without blaming or tormenting each other, is a highlight of Bảo Anh's song : "A dry branch cannot sprout leaves, stones cannot bloom / Our love is like that, my dear."
Reeze, a young producer from DreamS Entertainment, handled the arrangement and post-production of the song. He demonstrated a modern approach to songwriting by using a fast, crisp, and clear rhythm, similar to indie ballads, combined with a light rap section in the middle that seamlessly blended without any emotional interruption. The post-production also ensured that Bao Anh and HYO's vocals were at a moderate volume, avoiding the excessively loud sound often seen in ballads of previous decades.
Bao Anh's mindset when collaborating with young artists.
Bảo Anh has made a notable shift by collaborating with Hngle on the single "Tìm em" (Find You) – a relatively new artist who only rose to prominence last year with the hit "Không buông" (Don't Let Go), which took streaming platforms by storm. This is not only a move to support young artists, but it also marks a change in Bảo Anh's mindset as she is willing to experiment with indie music production, not needing to be "perfect" in every aspect, accepting that her vocals will be subdued to create a different musical space.
Holding on indefinitely isn't a more mainstream production approach , however, Bao Anh still took a risk by collaborating with newcomer HYO. HYO is even "newer" than Hngle, as the male singer had never released any music before and only became known to the public as part of the lineup for Tinh Ha Say Hi this year. This song can be considered HYO's first foray into the music industry.
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The collaboration with newcomer HYO, and previously with Hngle, shows a shift in Bao Anh's approach to musicmaking. |
Bảo Anh clearly favored HYO's appearance in the song, allowing him to sing first and perform both the vocals and rap parts. Viewers can also see that HYO will pursue an idol-style image, similar to previous members of DreamS Entertainment like Jsol and Hoàng Duyên, as he has a smooth, pleasant singing voice and his rap melodies are easily accessible to a wide audience. In particular, HYO's appearance in the MV showcases his bright, attractive looks and pleasant acting.
Despite providing many opportunities for newcomers, Bao Anh still delivered a rather outstanding performance. Over time, her voice has become more stable and steady, rather than the bright and clear tone of her early days, expressing a wider range of complex emotions. She also demonstrated good control over her songs, with no sections exceeding her vocal range, building up to a moderate climax, and seamlessly coordinating her vocals with younger artists.
"Holding on forever isn't the way" isn't a groundbreaking move for Bao Anh; it still stems from what she does best and has been most successful at. However, it incorporates subtle changes and fresh combinations, preventing the name Bao Anh from becoming outdated or stuck in the "ballad trap," allowing her to reach a younger audience. Newcomer HYO also had a solid debut, a suitable stepping stone for him to enter the "Starry River Say Hi" competition with much attention.
Source: https://znews.vn/bao-anh-thoat-bay-post1663702.html
