Is The Men making a comeback because 'Vietnamese music lacks masculinity'?

With The Men about to make a comeback, let's take a look at the 'masculine' side of Vietnamese music, as many singers have recently been developing gender-neutral styles.

The Men return after a 5-year hiatus - Photo: Provided by the group.

The Men, consisting of two members, Le Hoang (leader, 44 years old) and Tien Dung (41 years old), debuted in 2008. After more than 10 years of activity, the group temporarily disbanded because they hadn't found their next direction, and also to allow Tien Dung to build his own life in the US.

They are returning after a 5-year hiatus. The Men are about to hold two concerts titled "Emotions Return" on July 19th at Capital Theatre (Ho Chi Minh City) and on August 8th at Bai Chay Lighthouse (Ha Long).

Masculinity in the era of 'genderless' Vietnamese music

In the minds of the two members, masculinity is not just about a man's "tough" appearance, but about his willingness to shoulder responsibilities, his love for his family, wife, and children, and his courage to pursue his passions and hobbies.

Formed 17 years ago, The Men was not only a rare band in the market at that time, but also a rare band with a very unusual model: both members were male, wearing suits, and singing love songs.

The Men members Le Hoang (left) and Tien Dung chat with the press - Photo: HOA PHAM

Someone once jokingly asked, "Is Vietnamese music so lacking in masculinity that they're named The Men?" In reality, The Men were artists who clearly displayed masculinity (by the standards of the time): not overly groomed, minimal makeup, elegant attire, focused on singing, and avoiding loud, attention-grabbing statements or gimmicks...

The group's performance style also has minimal choreography. Le Hoang admitted that this is a disadvantage for Tien Dung because Dung is a good dancer.

To date, after many years of the group's absence, the music market has changed dramatically. Most noticeably, the way Vietnamese artists express their gender identity has become increasingly diverse and colorful. Some artists have openly declared themselves to be part of the LGBT community.

There are male artists who openly wear women's clothing as a personal style. Conversely, there are female artists who identify as lesbian and always appear in suits. There are artists who are not part of the gender identity community but have a gender-neutral sense of style. There are male artists who wear very heavy makeup.

"How Can I Love Anyone Else?" - The Men's new song

In that colorful landscape, does The Men's masculine style, "two men in suits singing," risk becoming outdated and failing to attract younger audiences? "Generations 70s and 80s can easily feel outdated compared to the dynamic younger generations of 90s and Gen Z. And fashion is a personal style; some members are LGBT but are also very masculine," said group leader Le Hoang.

Regarding the masculine aspect of Vietnamese music, he admitted that it was "somewhat lacking." He believes that a man's masculinity comprises three elements: willingness to shoulder financial and other responsibilities, love for his wife, children, and family, and having his own passion and daring to pursue it.

The Men are now confident because, with age and experience, they sing in a way that "we didn't sing 10 years ago." When they were younger and had too many shows, they didn't have time to deeply reflect on their singing style.

Returning after 5 years, The Men were surprised by the significant changes in Vietnamese music - Photo: HOA PHAM

Surprised by the concert attracting 50,000 attendees and a performance fee of hundreds of millions of VND.

At their peak, The Men used to perform three shows a day for 30 consecutive days. There were days when the group performed in three cities: Hanoi , Dong Nai, and Ho Chi Minh City. From 2010 to 2016, the group was in high demand, before reducing their performances due to two members becoming overloaded.

The two members expressed their enthusiasm for the "Brothers Overcoming a Thousand Obstacles" program, where veteran artists can prove themselves to a new audience and perform on stage in front of 40,000 or 50,000 people.

Back then, the group was overwhelmed by the production costs of songs. The price of buying a song and arranging it could reach hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dong if it was a famous songwriter or producer. Therefore, The Men were grateful when Dong Thien Duc - a hit-making songwriter - offered them a reasonable price.

Singer fees have also increased significantly. The Men were astonished to find some singers receiving hundreds of millions of VND per performance. The group affirmed that they will continue to work according to their old standards: fees will be based on the level of investment and the ticket sales capacity of the organizing unit.

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LE GIANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/the-men-tro-lai-boi-nhac-viet-thieu-nam-tinh-qua-hay-sao-20250705104713185.htm