The difficulty of HIEUTHUHAI

HIEUTHUHAI's latest single reminds listeners of the Vietnamese music scene of the 2000s, a period that was somewhat outdated but still closely followed the international Y2K trend.

HIEUTHUHAI desperately needs a truly powerful comeback after a long year dedicated to game shows and concerts. He has attracted a significant number of new fans, providing a boost for his next phase after the successful album "Everyone Has to Start from Somewhere," which has had lasting appeal with hits like "Can't Get Drunk" and "Exit Sign" that have been well-received by audiences for a long time.

In fact, with his current popularity, any product HIEUTHUHAI releases can easily climb to the top of the trending charts. Last year, he spontaneously released a diss rap song about Trinh , without investing in either production or marketing, yet it quickly reached number 1. The same is true now; HIEUTHUHAI's popularity is strong enough to compete for the top spots on the charts upon release.

The challenge for HIEUTHUHAI is maintaining a quality level good enough to sustain his reputation and standing in the music industry, rather than just being an artist who rose to fame through game shows.

The single "Crocodile Tears," released by Hieu in early April, reached the top 1 trending spot in just over a day, as predicted. However, the song's quality has sparked much debate.

Does it have the vibe of Vpop from the 2000s?

Upon its release, the single "Crocodile Tears" was widely compared by audiences to Vpop artists of the 2000s such as Luong Bang Quang and Pham Truong . There were even opinions suggesting the song resembled the hit "Bye Bye Bye" by the legendary boy group NSYNC.

In fact, HIEUTHUHAI wasn't the first to start this Y2K-style musical direction. Many artists had already embraced Y2K music a few years prior, such as Olivia Rodrigo, who brought a pop-rock feel reminiscent of Avril Lavigne's early 2000s style to her hugely successful hit "Good for You ." The band Newjeans also embraced the Y2K concept, from their fashion style to their music, heavily influenced by Baltimore Club, UK Garage, and New Jack Swing, a stark contrast to contemporary trends.

Even just since the beginning of this year, international music fans have been treated to Lady Gaga's album Mayhem , which incorporates many electro-pop elements that she herself used nearly 20 years ago in hits like The Fame and The Fame Monster . Even domestic music listeners have been able to enjoy Wren Evans's Save the Music , which closely follows the Y2K trend.

HIEUTHUHAI closely follows the Y2K music trend, which has been and is being used by many Vietnamese and international artists in their new musical products.

Therefore, "Crocodile Tears" isn't a surprising direction because Hieu and Kewtiie are closely following current trends both domestically and internationally. Specifically, they utilize dance-pop elements from the early 2000s, featuring characteristic snare and kick drum sounds similar to how NSYNC created their hit "Bye Bye Bye ," along with some influences from R&B/hip-hop, reminiscent of artists like Eminem and Jay Z from that era. This allows "Crocodile Tears" to quite effectively recreate the 2000s musical atmosphere that Hieu Thu Hai and Kewtiie desired.

Furthermore, HIEUTHUHAI's approach to the melody also reminds listeners of artists like Luong Bang Quang or Pham Truong from the past. This is because it evokes the familiar atmosphere of K-pop boy groups' songwriting style during that period.

Luong Bang Quang himself, with his series of hit songs like "I Believe We've Given Each Other a Memory" or "Waiting for the Past," bears the strong influence of K-pop groups like Shinhwa or DBSK - major Korean groups of the 2000s - so when HIEUTHUHAI wanted to recreate this musical atmosphere, it's understandable that it would immediately remind the audience of some domestic singers from that era.

Old-fashioned or trendy?

Theoretically, HIEUTHUHAI's adherence to the Y2K trend, bringing back the musical atmosphere of the 2000s, is quite similar to that of current international artists. However, what makes the single "Crocodile Tears" quite controversial is that Hieu focused too much on recreating the old musical atmosphere while lacking contemporary elements.

Returning to Wren Evans' equally controversial single from earlier this year, " Save the Music , " despite its unpopular format and promotional message, the quality of its arrangement and production was still highly praised.

That's because, although it also has many characteristics of 2000s dance pop, Wren Evans still knows how to incorporate his own elements and contemporary style into his work, such as the use of trendy synth pop, or the way he builds the transition between verse 1 and verse 2 in a very unpredictable way, preventing the song from feeling "outdated". Furthermore, Wren Evans maintains his unique, playful lyric writing style and wordplay, which helps "Save the Music" retain its contemporary feel and unmistakable identity.

Conversely, in "Crocodile Tears ," HIEUTHUHAI failed to leave a strong personal mark or reflect the times. Almost the entire song, from composition to arrangement, is heavily influenced by early 2000s music, with virtually no elements of modern music. Kewtiie is a talented producer; however, his strength lies primarily in producing catchy, trend-following pop songs, rather than leaving a distinct personal mark like his colleagues itsnk or 2pillz. Therefore, when creating a song heavily influenced by others, Kewtiie could only ensure catchiness, but lacked a strong, memorable signature.

HIEUTHUHAI and the production team lacked the contemporary elements and personal identity to make "Crocodile Tears" truly special.

HIEUTHUHAI also hasn't shown any breakthrough in this single. His approach to the melody isn't innovative, heavily influenced by artists from previous eras. He sings a lot in the song, but his vocals haven't improved. In particular, his choice of theme and lyrics in "Crocodile Tears " feels outdated, using many clichéd ideas from the 2000s such as "He did everything for you/Even if blood was shed, it was only for you" or "But besides sadness and lies/What have you given me?"

When venturing into the Y2K style of music, the line between outdated and trendy is very thin. HIEUTHUHAI had a decent idea in using dance-pop elements from the early 2000s in his new single, but he only managed to recreate the atmosphere of the old music; he still lacks many personal elements to truly make these sounds his own.

Source: https://znews.vn/cai-kho-cua-hieuthuhai-post1543349.html