On the stages of 2025 – from Intervision in Moscow to Sing!Asia – the performances of Duc Phuc, Phuong My Chi, and the "Brother Says Hi" concert show that Vietnamese music is stepping out into the world not through imitation, but through its own unique identity.
When identity becomes a "passport"
2025 will witness a rare shift for Vietnamese music on the regional map. From Duc Phuc's victory at Intervision in Moscow to the sound of the zither echoing in Phuong My Chi's performance at Sing!Asia – these moments not only bring temporary pride but also open up a new approach: Reaching out to the world with the true spirit of Vietnam.
Duc Phuc won first place in the international competition Intervision 2025.
While "internationalization" in music was previously understood as an attempt to blend into the global mainstream, the current generation of artists is taking a different path: emphasizing Vietnamese identity to the point of attracting global attention. This is clearly demonstrated in " See Tình" (Hoang Thuy Linh) and "Bóng phù hoa" (Phuong My Chi) – two songs that have been embraced by international audiences not because of their similarity to global trends, but because of their unmistakable Vietnamese essence.
Music expert Hong Quang Minh observes: Vietnamese artists no longer dream of internationalization through imitation, but by bringing their own values to the world. Duc Phuc does this with his stage presence on international stages; Phuong My Chi skillfully incorporates folk elements into modern performance formats; and the "Brother Says Hi" concert captivated the Vietnamese community in the US with Vietnamese emotions expressed through international production standards.
Phuong My Chi caused a sensation at Sing!Asia with her distinctly Vietnamese image.
This represents a significant shift: from a "show-off" mindset to a "competitive" one. Cultural identity is no longer a decorative facade, but a passport that helps Vietnamese artists establish themselves in the global music market. This is also the path many Asian cultures have chosen – from South Korea and Japan to Thailand – as they have used their indigenous culture as a competitive advantage.
Vietnam, with its diverse folk song repertoire, unique traditional musical instruments, and richly narrative musical language, has all the conditions to become a distinct color in the international music landscape. The year 2025 shows that this is no longer a distant prospect, but that the first foundations have already been laid.
The industry is becoming more professional.
The achievements of Phuong My Chi and Duc Phuc in 2025 are not just about individual success. They demonstrate that the development of the Vietnamese music ecosystem – from production and copyright to media strategy – is entering a more systematic phase.
CEO Phan Anh, head of VMAS - the organization partnering with Phuong My Chi in the Sing!Asia project - shared: “When we accepted the invitation to participate in the program, we determined that this was not a competition, but an opportunity to introduce Vietnamese culture. Therefore, the team remained true to the direction of incorporating national colors into each performance: from music and costumes to the artistic message.”
This is not just an artistic choice, but also how VMAS shapes its artist development strategy: focusing on Vietnamese culture, but expressing it through international performance standards.
The two nights of the "Brother Says Hi" concerts were explosive in the US.
According to expert Hong Quang Minh, international standards are not about a few achievements, but about a well-organized music value chain: from producers, music directors, sound engineers to media and legal aspects. Language barriers are no longer a major issue – global audiences are willing to sing along to foreign songs if the emotion is strong enough. What needs improvement is technical skill, stage culture, brand mindset, and the ability to maintain a consistent style.
From the perspective of the entertainment industry, CEO Phan Anh believes that Vietnam's socio -economic position is opening up great opportunities for the music industry. "The world is paying more attention to Vietnam. When Vietnam is seen as a potential market, the opportunities for Vietnamese entertainment companies and artists are also greater," he shared.
2025 thus becomes a special milestone: if the dream of "exporting music" was still far-fetched a decade ago, now the first bricks have been laid. Young artists like Hoang Thuy Linh, Phuong My Chi, Duc Phuc… are no longer struggling between the two extremes of "preserving tradition" and "internationalization," but know how to find a balance to tell the Vietnamese story in a global language.
What makes Vietnamese music unique isn't the use of English or filming music videos abroad, but how the story is told. When Vietnamese artists deeply understand their own culture and express it in a language that resonates with international audiences, Vietnamese music will not only make a temporary impression, but can also have a lasting impact on the global public.
Thanh Tung
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/nhac-viet-ghi-dau-dau-truong-the-gioi-ar1002267.html
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