The "model-style" singing of a bygone era

Quang Lê belongs to the generation following in the footsteps of male singers like Trường Vũ, Mạnh Quỳnh, Mạnh Đình..., shining impressively even during a period when Vietnamese sentimental music was no longer thriving.

In his youth, he was a rare male singer who balanced both voice and appearance. His handsome, scholarly looks, gentle eyes, and charming smile made him very popular with audiences and captivated many ladies.

Quang Lê's voice is resonant and bright, his breath control is full, and his singing style is meticulous and precise, from pronunciation and enunciation to intonation and pitch.

This singing style is considered by connoisseurs as a "model song," with recordings so flawless and polished that younger singers or anyone else can use them to learn how to sing.

Quang Lê back then.

Currently, Quang Lê is a star, a representative male voice of the contemporary generation of Vietnamese sentimental music. He is quite different from before, no longer possessing the boyish appearance or the "natural," innocent, and instinctive quality in his singing voice.

He has improved both in vocal technique and experience in interpreting musical pieces; his singing remains "clean" and smooth, but lacks depth—something that should have come naturally from experience over time.

Sometimes, singers overuse techniques, and their overly meticulous singing style can easily become affected or create a forced feeling for the listener.

Since reaching stardom, Quang Lê has not shown significant career advancement. He has remained within his comfort zone, maintaining a consistent performance schedule and rarely attempting new works.

The products released in recent years have been monotonous, lacking any exploration, in-depth innovation, or improvement in the harmony and arrangement.

Over the years, Quang Le has organized many live shows, but they all share a formulaic, ostentatious style to easily sell tickets. While called live shows, most follow the format of a tea-house concert or a variety show – bringing together a large number of artists but lacking artistic merit.

If We Are Separated - Quang Le ft. Mai Thien Van

Scandalous private life

Instead of advancing his career or delving deeper into music , Quang Lê has become prominent due to his scandalous personal life.

Throughout the 2010s, he was constantly in the news because of scandals ranging from love affairs and ostentatious displays of wealth to controversial statements and inappropriate behavior towards colleagues and students. Some of these scandals occurred before he released any products or performed shows.

The two biggest scandals were Quang Lê posting a nude photo with hot girl Thanh Bi and his arrogant statement, denying the abilities of singer Phương Mỹ Chi.

Besides his main job, Quang Le is also a YouTuber, and has been criticized many times for sensational and misleading titles or cheap clickbait content, contributing to a decline in his public image.

A few years ago, the 7X generation posted a photo of themselves posing in a gold-plated villa without any caption. Many netizens praised, congratulated, or questioned him, but he ignored them all.

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Quang Lê today.

As a result, rumors that Quang Le owned a gold-plated house worth hundreds of billions of dong spread rapidly and persist to this day. Meanwhile, in a talk show, he nonchalantly said that posting that photo was due to "innocence." He denied all criticisms of creating scandals to boost his fame.

Currently, Quang Lê is quite fulfilled in both his career and personal life. After the controversies, his reputation has suffered, although his singing remains popular.

Unfortunately, the Vietnamese sentimental music market later lacked outstanding male voices. The number of singers who branched out or sang in multiple genres increased, but their performances were lackluster. Therefore, Quang Lê remains a contemporary name in the public eye.

In recent years, Quang Le has been more cautious in his behavior and statements. Instead of creating scandals to maintain his fame, the artist needs to focus on honing his skills, developing his career, and serving his audience.

Hardworking artists can make a good living and are less likely to be phased out. This is also a general trend that many professional singers are pursuing.

Le Thi My Niem

Photo: Archival material,FPT Play

Singer Quang Le had to pay $18,000 in compensation for canceling a show without apologizing. The singer recently shared about a past professional incident that resulted in him having to pay up to $18,000 in compensation for canceling a show.