What a pity for Hoai Lam.

Once a rising star and a close rival to Son Tung M-TP, singer Hoai Lam has now lost both his good looks and his God-given singing talent.

There once was a national idol.

Hoài Lâm officially debuted to the public in 2013 with the album "Where Are You Going, My Beloved's Hair?".

He is the only adopted child to whom Hoai Linh gave his surname and given name, allowed to live in his house, taught his trade, and poured his connections into supporting him.

Furthermore, in 2013, Hoài Linh was one of the most reputable artists in Vietnamese showbiz. His position and the weight of his name in the profession even surpassed that of names like Quyền Linh, Mỹ Tâm, and Trấn Thành...

If he hadn't been Hoai Linh's adopted son, Hoai Lam wouldn't have had the opportunity to appear in the final of the then-super-hot show, the first season of "Gương mặt thân quen" ( Familiar Faces), receive support from singer Dam Vinh Hung, and be sought after by the media; especially the turning point that changed his life - the second season of "Gương mặt thân quen" .

Of course, Hoài Lâm's success couldn't be attributed solely to a good launching pad. He possesses the most outstanding talent among Hoài Linh's numerous adopted children and students, which seems to be the reason the Meritorious Artist chose him as his successor.

Hoài Lâm doesn't possess a particularly distinctive vocal tone, but his inner strength and technique are superior to the average male pop singer. In particular, his voice is naturally emotional and deep, even at a very young age.

Besides performing pop music well, the 9X generation singers also sing a variety of genres such as folk songs, bolero, cải lương (traditional Vietnamese opera), xẩm (traditional Vietnamese blind minstrel music)... and show potential in acting.

Hoài Lâm's name exploded when he impersonated singer Sơn Tùng M-TP with the song "Em của ngày hôm qua" (You of Yesterday) . At that time, the singer born in 1994 was already a star, surrounded by scandals.

Compared to Son Tung M-TP, who is constantly embroiled in plagiarism scandals, has an flamboyant performance style, weak live singing, and unclear lyrics, Hoai Lam almost completely wins over the audience with his handsome appearance, adorable expressions, and superior singing voice.

After his impersonation of artist Ha Thi Cau in the 2014 " Familiar Faces " final, he became an overnight star.

Hoài Lâm's subsequent releases consistently achieved impressive success, such as the music video "Như những phút ban đầu" (Like the First Moments) , the mini-album "Quay về" (Returning Home), and the music video "Làm cha " (Becoming a Father). Even his cover songs like "Về đâu mái tóc người thương" (Where Are You Going, My Beloved's Hair? ) garnered tens of millions of listens.

In 2014-2015, he also ventured into film and theater, and the name Hoài Lâm almost "covered" all fields.

"Flowers Bloom Without Color" - Hoai Lam

At his peak, Hoài Lâm was often compared to Sơn Tùng M-TP, who was considered a "neck and neck" rival.

While Son Tung M-TP dominates the pop music scene and the youth audience segment, Hoai Lam has been elevated to the status of a national idol, loved by audiences of all ages.

Back then, Hoài Lâm's fan club was very large and diverse, providing strong support for their idol. While not as large as it once was, it remains a force many singers aspire to have.

Downfall

To this day, the reason for Hoài Lâm's decline remains a mystery.

After reaching the peak of his career, the story of him shifted away from his work, focusing instead on his romantic relationships, being estranged from his adoptive father, and even other rumors.

News reports are flooded with information about singers canceling or backing out of shows at the last minute. While the veracity of these reports remains unclear, they are causing widespread confusion among fans.

Between 2018 and 2020, Hoài Lâm repeatedly shocked the public with news of his retirement, going into seclusion, getting married, having children, and finally divorcing hot girl Bảo Ngọc.

When Hoài Lâm announced his retirement, the public realized he was only 23 years old. The story of early fame and the pressures of being a star seems to never get old.

Except for Hoài Lâm, no one knows exactly what caused his rapid decline: Hoài Linh, Bảo Ngọc, illness, rumors, or himself?

Hoài Lâm was born with star potential, proactively seeking opportunities, successfully seizing them, and shining brightly. Reaching the pinnacle, he couldn't bear the weight of the spotlight and fell.

But from the depths of despair, Hoài Lâm created two hit songs, "Hoa nở không màu" (Flowers Bloom Without Color) and "Buồn làm chi em ơi" (Why Are You Sad, My Dear?), which spread throughout the country – something that almost no one has been able to replicate to this day.

What future awaits Hoài Lâm?

In recent years, Hoài Lâm's career has been inconsistent and erratic. Despite having two "national hit" songs, he says he's not ready to return to the arts. When he confirmed his comeback to showbiz, the singer maintained the same lifestyle and activities as he did years ago in his hometown of Vĩnh Long .

It's hard to deny that Hoài Lâm has made too many wrong choices. The more he chooses what he likes instead of what he needs, the more he loses what he already has.

Hoài Lâm has now mended his rift with his adoptive father, artist Hoài Linh.

Refusing to accept being dictated to in terms of artistic direction, Hoài Lâm pursued his preferred genre, Rap and Hip-hop, using a series of stage names such as Lộc Aka, Young HL, Young Luuli, Young Tulo... despite the harsh reality that he had no talent in this field.

Hoài Lâm's association with and collaboration with many singers of mainstream, even low-budget, music in his productions has somewhat lowered the standards of musical thinking.

He haphazardly covers current pop hits; most of them lack careful and serious investment in terms of arrangement and harmony, so they don't offer any breakthroughs or leave a lasting impression.

Even the cover of Ikigai by Tang Duy Tan and Bich Phuong deserves the title "disaster" for its outdated overuse of tunes.

During his time living in his hometown, Hoài Lâm frequently sang for hours during each livestream on dedicated platforms. Over time, the singer's voice deteriorated and the damage became more apparent.

Most recently, when participating in Nguyen Minh Cuong's music project "Just Love ," Hoai Lam's singing was weak, lacking control, and his breath control was shaky even in the recorded, edited version.

His singing technique from the past has almost completely deteriorated; he mainly sings high notes by pushing his vocal cords – which is harmful to his voice in the long run.

Given this situation, it's difficult to predict how many more years Hoài Lâm will be able to maintain his God-given singing voice.

Not long ago, Hoài Lâm performed under the stage name (which is also his real name) Nguyễn Tuấn Lộc, but then announced the cancellation of the show and his hospitalization for treatment.

Hoài Lâm is almost a rare case of someone who is still loved by the audience and colleagues after all the controversies and ups and downs. Thanks to that, he lives well even though he is no longer at the peak of his career.

However, Hoài Lâm needs to have a clearer understanding of what he truly needs and re-plan his career path if he doesn't want to face a disastrous situation later on – where his voice and supporters may be gone.

"Natural" - Hoai Lam

Le Thi My Niem

Singer Hoài Lâm abruptly cancels a series of shows and livestreams with a haggard appearance . The singer suddenly canceled a series of shows over the next three months and simultaneously livestreamed on Facebook with a "strange" demeanor.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tiec-cho-hoai-lam-2356824.html