Explaining the "North Bling" craze surrounding Hoa Minzy

The craze created by Hoa Minzy has crossed the borders of Vietnam. After nearly 3 days, the music video reached almost 10 million views.

Bac Bling ranked among the top 6 most-watched music videos worldwide in 24 hours, top 18 trending music videos globally, and number 1 trending on YouTube Vietnam, along with many other countries and territories: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan (China), Singapore, Australia… Bac Bling also attracted the attention of artists, linguists, and educators in Vietnam.

Hoa Minzy.

Old and new intertwine, creating a captivating visual experience.

People's Artist Rơ Chăm Phiang commented: "The Bắc Bling music video opens up a beautiful space, deeply marked by the cultural essence of the Kinh Bắc region. The artists performed well." She wasn't impressed with the Bắc Bling music itself , but liked the combination of folk and modern influences.

Associate Professor, Doctor of Science, Meritorious Teacher Nguyen Van Cuong, former Rector of Hanoi University of Culture, assessed: "I think Bac Bling was well-promoted, but not as well as Hoa Minzy's previous MV, Thi Mau MV."

While musically, I'm not entirely satisfied, but I appreciate the direction Hòa Minzy and many other Vietnamese artists are taking. They combine tradition and modernity in their music. Bắc Bling's performance, featuring Meritorious Artist Xuân Hinh rapping, was quite interesting."

Hoa Minzy creates a sensation with her music video "Bac Bling".

Poet and musician Nguyen Vinh Tien observes that this trend is a continuation of contemporary folk culture, with young people continuing to innovate, bringing in rhythms, stories, and contemporary elements to honor the beautiful traditional values ​​of Vietnamese people in different regions, reflecting the diversity of musical and cultural identity.

"I find it interesting and hope this trend will continue to develop even more strongly, profoundly, and creatively," he said.

Associate Professor of Linguistics Pham Van Tinh said: "The 'North Bling' debate is a story related to language and culture. Playing with words or using linguistic techniques for fun and novelty is normal."

But language has functional styles, meaning it's used in certain situations. A song or slogan intended for widespread acceptance must be carefully considered."

"Bac Bling" also easily evokes associations with speech impediments. Therefore, Associate Professor Pham Van Tinh believes that naming the music video "Bac Bling" does not create an aesthetic effect in terms of language.

The Kinh Bac region has been immortalized in poetry and music. The late poet Hoang Cam left behind the poem "On the Other Side of the Duong River," which has resonated with generations of readers: "Whoever goes to the other side of the Duong River / Let me send this black silk cloth / For hundreds of years, dreams of peace have flickered / Festivals and celebrations / On Thien Thai Mountain / In But Thap Pagoda / In Lang Tai District…".

The late composer Phan Lac Hoa left behind the song "Love by the Quan Ho River" (based on the poem "Night on Cau River" by poet Do Trung Lai), which was once famous through the voice of People's Artist Thanh Hoa: "Your voice is warm like a breath / I listen to remember it forever," or the song "My Quan Ho Village" by the late poet and composer Nguyen Trong Tao, set to a poem by Nguyen Phan Hach. But only Bac Bling is a poem and a song about Bac Ninh that has become a sensation today.

Musician Duong Truong Giang believes that "Bac Bling" is a bold and interesting idea. "Including a province in Vietnam in a viral song on the Vietnamese music market is something few people can do."

"Before that, there was Son Tung M-TP with the song 'Thai Binh, Sweat Falling'. We must acknowledge this breakthrough by Hoa Minzy and her team. Bac Bling has both old and new elements interwoven. Artist Xuan Hinh reappears in a role that leaves viewers only able to express their admiration. Coming up with such combinations is already interesting," he said.

Duong Truong Giang also praised the MV's message: " Bac Bling doesn't involve dark romance like many easily spread MVs nowadays. It's connected to love for the homeland and country. Names like Hoa Minzy, Masew, and Tuan Cry have proven their ability to make the song interesting."

I also find the musical proportions in "Bac Bling" quite balanced, with segments by Hoa Minzy and other artists well-balanced. Masew's music in this song is subtle but quite good. I think the electronic music creators have learned to tone down the noise to make it more refined."

According to musician Duong Truong Giang, Bac Bling acknowledges the significant progress made by the producer, singer, and guest artists.

Artist Xuan Hinh surprises everyone by rapping in Bac Bling.

From Bac Bling to Lao Style, Count Bang, Lang Stone…

The "North Bling" craze is leading to a trend of naming provinces and cities in Vietnam with Westernized styles. For example, Lao Style (Lao Cai), Count Bang (Cao Bang), Lang Stone (Lang Son), Thank Hoa (Thanh Hoa), High Phong (Hai Phong), Ning Ping (Ninh Binh), Bac Real (Bac Lieu),… creating hilarious emoji reactions on social media.

Educator Nguyen Van Cuong expressed: "I don't really like the word 'Bling'. Initially, I felt a bit uneasy, wondering if the young people of Bac Ninh call it 'Bac Bling'? Singer Hoa Minzy explained that the word means 'shining' and that she had sought the opinion of the leaders of Bac Ninh province. But which leaders? She hasn't said who agreed. But anyway, we should be happy, because Hoa Minzy is young, and she's being a little mischievous to make life more interesting."

I've heard people call Trong Hieu "Strong Hieu," and I've also heard people jokingly say that Bac Ninh has become Berlin (the capital of Germany). Anyway, Bac Bling hasn't caused any harm yet, it hasn't become a trend that tarnishes the identity or brand."

Poet Tran Thanh Canh, a native of Kinh Bac, has watched "Bac Bling" many times and fully supports the music video. He is not bothered by the title: "I'm comfortable with this. People in Bac Ninh, and even in some provinces in the Northern Delta, commonly mispronounce the letters 'l' and 'n', that's undeniable. But she explained that 'Bling' means 'shining'. From a writer's perspective, I think this wordplay is acceptable. As a resident of Bac Ninh, I find it amusing."

Artist Nguyen Minh Chau, who was born and lived in Bac Ninh for over half a century, disliked the term "Bac Bling." He reacted, saying, "People from Bac Ninh town (now Bac Ninh city) don't mispronounce the letters n and l."

Not only artists but also many viewers debated the MV's title. A user named Tong Thi Thu An wrote: "Bling means sparkling; only something precious and bright like a gem or diamond can shine so beautifully! A clever idea." Another user, Nguyen Gili, lamented: "Bac Ninh is the most beautiful place; changing it to 'Bling' is so disappointing."

Musician Duong Truong Giang expressed his view that society has changed so much, and he believes there is no problem with young people speaking their minds about different regions.

"We only consider it when something is incompatible with censorship or it's nonsensical and deserves criticism. But 'Bac Bling' helps to spread regional values ​​better. It can be considered a creative work. The young people who made the 'Bac Bling' music video were both concerned with cultural values ​​and deeply concerned about how to spread them. And they did a good job," he stated.

(According to Tien Phong newspaper)

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ly-giai-con-sot-bac-bling-cua-hoa-minzy-2377486.html