Phuong My Chi knows how to find a balance.

ZNews•04/05/2023

Entertainment

Format-Lifestyle

Saturday, April 29, 2023 10:14 (GMT+7)
10:14 AM, April 29, 2023

Despite collaborating with DTAP, Phuong My Chi has created her own unique story, avoiding unnecessary comparisons with Hoang Thuy Linh.

The image of the petite, innocent girl wearing glasses stepping onto the stage of The Voice Kids Vietnam to perform Phuong My Chi's song " My Hometown During the Flood Season " has left a strong impression on many Vietnamese viewers. Thanks to this affection, Phuong My Chi has become one of the most prominent and sought-after names in folk music, both domestically and internationally, for the past 10 years.

However, that's not the only image Chi wants to project. The little girl from years ago has now grown up and has her own ambitions in music . The "Chi?" series, released at the end of 2022, proved this when Phuong My Chi revamped a series of old songs in a youthful, sweet style with modern arrangements.

The single "Vu Tru Co Anh" (The Universe Has You ) is the official first shot fired in Phuong My Chi's desire to break into the pop music market.

Knowing how to balance your personality with the market.

DTAP continues to be the name that Phuong My Chi trusts for music production after her "Chi?" series. This is DTAP's third product released this April, following Duong Hoang Yen's " Can Ca The Gioi " and Dong Nhi's "Nguoi Ngam Pha Hoa ," demonstrating the group's great appeal.

In "There's You in the Universe ," DTAP doesn't stray too far from the dance-pop/electronic sound they excel at. The difference compared to their two recent releases is that they've abandoned the EDM structure with verse-build-drop and replaced it with the basic pop verse-chorus structure. The chorus DTAP built for Phuong My Chi is simple, with the repeated phrase "There's you" creating a highly catchy effect.

However, the most valuable part of the song lies in the post-chorus. Infused with the melodic influences of traditional Vietnamese folk singing (ca trù), the repeated phrase "Whether you're in the East or the West, wherever you run to, it's all the same" not only subtly preserves traditional elements within a modern pop song but also cleverly creates a second, catchy section.

Phuong My Chi and DTAP told a very unique and interesting story about the character Tam.

Incorporating traditional elements into a dance-pop track in terms of sound and melody is already familiar to DTAP, but the lyrics, which blend Eastern and Western styles as in "The Universe Has You ," are another commendable effort by the group.

Retelling the seemingly familiar story of Tam, DTAP blends elements of Western Cinderella and alludes to the multiverse concept currently trending in cinema. The recent Oscar win of Everything Everywhere all at once demonstrates the production team's keen market sense and Phuong My Chi's willingness to take risks.

The song asserts that regardless of the universe, from East to West, both Tam and Cinderella share the same fate, thus promoting a spirit of independence and self-determination in deciding one's own destiny. The "feminist" element is quite prominent, even though the main content of the song is cheerful and natural, not trying to force a message in an overly blunt way, yet it is highly effective.

Phuong My Chi is suited to pop music.

After a long period of dedication to folk music, Phuong My Chi's image has become "stuck" with the traditional Vietnamese blouse and folk melodies. It's hard to imagine what she would be like singing pop. The "Chi?" series is quite safe, rearranging old songs with a gentle singing style that hasn't proven much yet.

But when she performed "The Universe Has You ," Phuong My Chi completely transformed. Chi's singing style was entirely pop, with almost no inappropriate embellishments or prolonged vocalizations. The song's tempo was very fast, and Chi sang with perfect rhythm, without a single moment of off-beat timing. The pre-chorus incorporating Disney musical sounds or the post-chorus with traditional Vietnamese folk music influences didn't faze her; Chi seamlessly transitioned her singing style.

Phuong My Chi's singing style is very suitable for pop and she has a diverse range of song interpretations.

Phuong My Chi's delicate, bright voice in the chorus is also a highlight of the song. The segment with the continuous high notes in the phrase "Co anh" (I have you) is sung without any harshness; instead, it's powerful and full of energy. Phuong My Chi's explosive high note at the end is also blended smoothly into the overall sound, preventing the song from being overly vocally showy and making it gentle and easy on the ears for the general audience.

The guest vocals by Pháo were also seamlessly integrated. The structure, with Pháo entering the rap section right after the first post-chorus, wasn't particularly unique. However, in a song with two catchy and memorable sections and a series of high notes, the female rapper's rhythmic stretching was essential. Pháo's flow also changed constantly, concluding with six-line verses, showing that she fully grasped the song's atmosphere, making her verse a perfect fit.

Phuong My Chi's transition to pop with "Vu Tru Co Anh" ( The Universe Has You) was carefully calculated and resulted in resounding success. The song ensured both elements: bringing Chi closer to the market with clear pop elements, while still retaining the unique personality of her folk music era.

DTAP and Phuong My Chi solved the problem in a way that exceeded listeners' expectations, telling a highly interesting and unique story. Many artists who combine dance-pop/electronic music with folk elements have failed to surpass the legacy of Hoang Thuy Linh, but Phuong My Chi is not one of them.

Zing News Entertainment introduces the book "Vietnamese Folk Music: Echoes of a Century".

This book is a vivid and comprehensive recreation of the treasure trove of folk music, an invaluable heritage of Vietnam, and also a major source of material for the later compositions of musician Pham Duy.

Overall, the Special Study on Vietnamese Folk Music is divided into two parts: Folk Music of Ethnic Minorities and Vietnamese Folk Music, with perceptions and understandings of musical instruments, musicality, and the influence of concepts and ideologies that are distinct or similar depending on the environment and living circumstances of each ethnic group.

Nam Tran

Phuong My Chi, The Universe Has You, DTAP Music Review