Those who oppose Son Tung

Once again, Binz is going head-to-head with Son Tung. In addition, other artists returning alongside the 1994-born singer during this period include Phi Phuong Anh, 52Hz, and Chi Pu.

After nearly two years away from the Vpop scene, Son Tung M-TP officially returned on May 28th with his new song " Come My Way ." This news alone was enough to cause a stir on social media for days.

Each of the male singer's posts receives tens of thousands of interactions within minutes. Even more anticipated is that for this comeback, the 1994-born singer is collaborating with Vietnamese-American star Tyga, who has 7 billion views on his music video. This further promises that Son Tung could explode onto the scene and be the center of attention in his upcoming comeback.

However, what's even more noteworthy is that the comeback of the "Run Away Now" singer is taking place amidst a Vietnamese music market simultaneously welcoming a series of artists releasing new products.

The fateful connection between Binz and Sơn Tùng

On the same day as Son Tung, Phi Phuong Anh and 52Hz also returned with new music projects. Phi Phuong Anh will release the music video for "Von Da Quen Mot Minh" (Already Used to Being Alone) on the evening of May 28th.

Meanwhile, Chi Pu and Noo Phuoc Thinh have been continuously teasing their comebacks. Notably, Chi Pu invited Amber Liu – a former member of the Korean girl group f(x) – to participate in her upcoming project. Binz, on the other hand, recently released his album "Gap Lai" (Meet Again) , contributing to a vibrant Vpop scene after a relatively quiet period.

The coincidence in timing between Binz and Son Tung has led many viewers to recall the "fated connection" between these two artists. In 2020, Binz released his MV "Bigcityboi" on the same day Son Tung released "Co Chac Yeu La Day" ( Are You Sure This Is Love? ). At that time, the confrontation between these two big names created fierce competition in terms of both achievements and media coverage.

Son Tung has become the center of attention in the music market these past few days. Photo: FBNV.

In terms of numbers, Son Tung still dominated. But Binz at the time received much praise for his fresh, distinctive musical style and lyrics that created trends on social media. Bigcityboi even became a viral phenomenon that lasted for many months. The two songs constantly chased each other on the charts, contributing to one of the most memorable rivalries in Vpop during that period.

From the 2020 story, it's clear that releasing a product at the same time as a big star like Son Tung is always a "double-edged sword." On the positive side, the hype surrounding Son Tung's name makes the market more vibrant, drawing attention to other artists releasing music around the same time. As a result, the public tends to listen to, compare, and discuss new products more.

This has also happened with many other rivalries in Vietnamese showbiz. For example, King of Rap and Rap Viet created a huge wave of debate when they aired at the same time. Or most recently, the competition between "Brother Who Overcame a Thousand Thorns" and "Brother Who Says Hi".

The rivalry itself significantly increased audience interest in the projects, while also expanding the topics of discussion on social media.

Binz once again faces off against Son Tung. Photo: FBNV.

In this context, choosing a release time close to or directly coinciding with Son Tung's can be seen as a "riding the wave" strategy. Simply appearing at the same time as the 1994-born singer's comeback helps increase the visibility of their own products.

Returning to Phi Phuong Anh's case, previously, when Son Tung posted photos of the letters C, M, W formed by mysterious masks to tease his new product, Phi Phuong Anh immediately followed suit. At the same time, she also posted photos of the initials of the song title, but formed by astronaut helmets. This approach led to criticism that Phi Phuong Anh was "riding on Son Tung's coattails," but it cannot be denied that it helped her comeback generate more discussion.

However, the aforementioned "riding the wave of popularity" effect only truly works if the product is of sufficient quality. Conversely, if the product is lackluster and not appealing enough, the artist can easily be overshadowed amidst the media and audience attention being almost entirely focused on Son Tung - who is still considered the most influential name in Vpop today.

"A double-edged sword"

After two years without releasing any solo music, Son Tung's comeback naturally became the center of attention. Judging by the online buzz, it's safe to say Son Tung still holds the upper hand in terms of achievements and popularity. However, the return of numerous other artists has made the Vpop music scene even more unpredictable. In this competition, the biggest beneficiaries are likely the audience, who constantly get to witness rivalries, showdowns, and enjoy new releases.

Speaking to Tri Thức - Znews , Mr. Tinh Phan, Founder of Grammy Music Vietnam, commented that artists directly competing with Son Tung have both benefits and risks.

Phi Phuong Anh and 52Hz made their comeback on the same day as Son Tung M-TP. Photo: FBNV.

Mr. Tinh Phan believes that if artists know how to take advantage of it, they can benefit from the "market heat." When Son Tung returned, the audience, the media, and the fan community all talked more about his music. This means that the demand for discussion increased, and other artists also had more opportunities to gain attention. But they shouldn't exploit this; more importantly, they should consider the core strengths of the artists and their products.

He added: "This would also be a risky move if people only knew how to piggyback on, exploit, and mention the name of Vietnam's biggest music star to benefit from their success, while the artist's own potential and talent, as well as the quality of their work, were insufficient."

Finally, he concluded that competition among artists at the same time is positive, providing audiences with more diverse musical experiences and a wider variety of musical styles. However, he stressed that competition should be for learning and elevating Vietnamese music in general and individual artists in particular, rather than focusing solely on publicity and achievements.

Source: https://znews.vn/nhung-nguoi-doi-dau-son-tung-post1654805.html