Is there any reason to feel sorry for Black?

Den Vau's music no longer reflects the thoughts of young people as "doubtful, insecure, and romantically dreamy" (as the audience wrote), but rather mature, humble, and content with what he has.

Black in "Lãng đãng" (Drowsy), the new music video, although not having high view counts, is quite emotionally resonant - Photo: FBNV

From an underground rapper with gritty rap tracks more than 10 years ago, Den (Den Vau) has achieved incredible fame, becoming a mainstream Vietnamese artist familiar to audiences everywhere.

That journey wasn't without its sacrifices. Some fans who had supported him for over 10 years have given up. But with his latest rap song, "Lãng đãng" (Drowsy ), Đen demonstrates maturity, humility, and contentment. He draws a clear line between himself and his past youth.

The era of rap for "young people in old bodies"

Back then, people liked him because his lyrics were full of self-reflection, expressing hardships and worries in a very rebellious and carefree way.

That's Tan Ka Ka , when Den raps amidst "cigarette smoke": "The setting sun casts its light on the red-stained shoulders of the worker. The long days are like a noose tightening around his neck, a familiar feeling. Muttering a few old, unfamiliar songs..."

We are young people in old bodies. We sing songs stained with sweat, bitter with bitterness. We are not doves wanting to spread our wings. For freedom does not come from crumbs of bread. Smoke and we are entangled, music and we are in a passionate embrace. The room is cramped and cluttered, the ceiling fan gently swaying.

MV "Take Each Other Away" - Den, Linh Cao

In "Take Each Other Away ," the hit that helped Den gain popularity in the underground and indie music scene, he wrote rap lyrics that became catchphrases for young people: "Once in a while, live like homeless kids. Wake up early in a faraway place," "Let's leave the crowded, bustling city. Where even breathing is a struggle."

At the time, Den was in his 20s, rapping about his own thoughts: a yearning to escape the arduous daily struggle for survival, to find the "green forest" within his soul.

More than 10 years later, Den is no longer in his 20s. The lush green forests he once dreamed of in his rap songs, he now goes there to film music videos. The music videos are beautiful and poetic, with a professional crew and the most artistic camera angles. Regarding his private life, he is very secretive but is said to be quite well-off.

So why expect Den to rap about the anxieties of young people in their twenties?

Don't force Black to carry the "big dream bag" at age 20.

The Den Vau FC page recently wrote: "Please don't force a man approaching 40 to keep clinging to the 'big dreams' of his 20s" and asked: "Has Den lost his essence, or are we stuck in the past?"

Den's rap was loved in the past because of its "authenticity." It was genuine, reflecting real life, unaffected by the desire for fame or media messages.

Den and Phuong Anh Dao from the era of "This Song Is Really Chill" (2019) - Photo: FBNV

This song is really chill . Den raps as if he's speaking for the feelings of young people: "How are you doing lately? Still working at the old company? Still going to work early and coming home late, but the salary is still not enough? How are your colleagues? Do you greet each other in the elevator? Do you talk back and forth, and do you dig into each other's affairs in meetings?...

And don't let life be just a series of days spent punching the clock. Don't smile like the summer sun on your face, but feel the chill of winter inside. If you're too tired of living in this crowded city, at most, you can go back to your hometown, raise fish and grow vegetables."

Black as it is now: success and humility, gratitude, contentment - Photo: FBNV

It's not just Den's big hits that have created "national" catchphrases. In his 2016 song "Dream ," he raps: "I have a big bag of dreams hidden inside a skinny outer layer." The three words "big bag of dreams" became popular and even became the name of a popular cafe in Da Lat.

But many fans loved Den so much back then that they forget that in his latest rap song, "Lang Dang," Den is still "real." It's simply that at 36, his "realness" is different from the "realness" of the past.

"There's no longer a need to prove anything. The stony ego has long been uprooted. It took a long time to realize how small I truly am" - the lyrics of "Lãng đãng" are not flowery, simply a different Den that some listeners are no longer looking for.

When he was young and struggling, rap was about escape, insecurity, and romance. When he achieved success, rap became about gratitude, contentment, and encouraging listeners to "heal themselves."

Perhaps that's a way to summarize Den Vau's journey so far.

Black doesn't lose itself.

"Saying 'Black isn't the same as before' is true. But saying 'he's lost himself' is wrong," commented one viewer under the song "Lang Dang ," receiving 2,000 likes.

This audience member analyzed: "Music always reflects the life journey of an artist. Ten years ago, Den was a young man struggling with life, aimless at crossroads, so his music is deeply introspective, rebellious, and full of anxieties - because at that time he didn't know who he was, he had nothing but his legs and dreams. Songs like 'Take Each Other Away,' 'Dream,' 'Wandering Days'... all carry that mindset: doubt, insecurity, and romanticism in a state of uncertainty."

But today he knows who he is, what he wants, and where he stands in society. His arrogance has given way to mature reflection. And now that the pressures of making a living are gone, his music has begun to shift: less about himself, more about the community and about others.

Back to the topic

MI LY

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-can-tiec-cho-den-20250808092538278.htm