From Phuong My Chi fever to the strategy of "international-class localization"

(Dan Tri) - From the attraction of Phuong My Chi at "Sing! Asia 2025", experts believe that "international-class localization" is opening a new direction for Vietnamese music and culture in the global market.

After an outstanding performance in the second semi-final round of the Sing! Asia 2025 - The Voice of Asia contest , Phuong My Chi defeated a contestant from China to win a ticket to the final round, scheduled to take place on July 27, at 9:00 a.m. (Vietnam time).

With the song "Vu tru co anh" (The Universe has you), which was remade in a modern style but still retains its Vietnamese character, the female singer conquered the judges and international audiences, becoming one of the four excellent contestants to participate in the final round.

While many young artists are still struggling to make a name for themselves in regional arenas, the 22-year-old girl from Vietnam is steadily moving closer to the prestigious trophy of Sing! Asia 2025 - something that no young Vietnamese artist has ever done.

The fever and success of Phuong My Chi at Sing! Asia 2025 is something that no one can deny. So from the victory of the female singer, the question is how, what strategy can Vietnamese music and other entertainment and cultural industries of Vietnam such as cinema, fashion, cuisine... conquer the international market, position themselves globally?

Knowing how to "package" the right identity, Vietnamese products can completely shape new trends.

Talking to Dan Tri reporter about this issue, Mr. Hong Quang Minh - media and music expert - said that Phuong My Chi's victory in the second semi-final round, helping her enter the final round of Sing! Asia 2025, is a typical example of the strategy of "international localization", which means deepening one's identity to the point of attracting the world .

According to Mr. Minh, Vietnamese music, and more broadly other creative industries such as fashion , cuisine, cinema, etc., can also draw on that inspiration.

“The core issue here is not trying to be like the world, because it is impossible to do better, but to make the world pay attention to the uniqueness of Vietnam. There needs to be a serious, professional strategy for developing creative products, not following superficial trends,” the expert said.

Phuong My Chi excelled in the second semi-final of "Sing! Asia 2025" when she improvised with a saxophone artist on stage (Photo: Facebook character).

Mr. Hong Quang Minh gave an example, in cinema, films like Rom or Inside the Golden Cocoon retain Vietnamese cultural materials - from setting, color to storytelling - but still create strong resonance in the international arena.

This, he stressed, requires artists to “think as cultural creators, not just performers.”

Hoang Thuy Linh is one of the artists who pioneered that trend. From the album Link to songs like See Tinh , De Mi Noi Cho Ma Nghe , she has skillfully combined folk songs, proverbs, costumes, traditional musical instruments with modern electronic music production techniques.

Without singing in English, nor trying to "internationalize" her product, Hoang Thuy Linh still made See Tinh a phenomenon on international TikTok, especially in China and Korea thanks to being dance covered, remixed, and appearing in videos of KOLs (influencers) abroad.

“The song does not try to “internationalize” by singing in English, but keeps its Vietnamese essence while still making people enjoy it - that is proof of spreading with true identity,” Mr. Minh commented.

Another example is Suboi - a Vietnamese female rapper who appeared at the SXSW (South by Southwest) music festival in the US. This was the first time a Vietnamese artist had the opportunity to perform at this annual program.

SXSW is a music festival held in Austin - Texas - USA, which has been a launching pad for many big names such as Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, Norah Jones, James Blunt...

Here, Suboi raps entirely in Vietnamese, combining images with a strong Saigon feel, representing a modern, individual Vietnam.

Mr. Minh commented that Suboi is not a mainstream artist in the country, but is highly appreciated by the international art community for her uniqueness and consistency in style.

Behind the success of many young artists pursuing their own identity, it is impossible not to mention DTAP - the music production team - behind the projects of Hoang Thuy Linh and Phuong My Chi.

They have “aesthetically restructured traditional sounds into pop/edm (pop and electronic music), creating a music production model with a very clear “Vietnamese DNA” - a language system that is sophisticated enough to convince even the most demanding listeners.

Mr. Minh said: "Many young producers today are learning from DTAP's musical thinking, especially in turning folk materials into contemporary products."

Ms. Dang Thanh Van - a leading strategic consultant for small and medium-sized Vietnamese enterprises - affirmed that Phuong My Chi's victory is a clear proof: Vietnamese products can completely reach the international market, if they converge all 3 strategic factors.

The first element is deep local culture - to create irreplaceable differences. The second is modern style, contemporary techniques - to overcome market aesthetic barriers. For businesses, the scope of aesthetics will be related to packaging, identity, and communication style.

Third is a story that touches strong emotions - to create connection and spread naturally.

Expert Dang Thanh Van believes that what Phuong My Chi is doing at Sing! Asia 2025 is not only a lesson for artists.

It is a strategic model that can be widely applied to other fields such as consumer products, fashion, technology, cuisine and even Vietnamese startups.

She emphasized: “Just knowing how to “package” the identity properly, choose the right channel, and combine with the right people - Vietnamese products can completely shape new trends, instead of just following.”

In other words, when indigenous culture is processed with modern thinking and conveyed with appropriate tools, Vietnamese products are not only competitive, but also capable of leading the international market.

Hoang Thuy Linh once caused a stir on Asian social networks with the song "See love" (Photo: Instagram character).

To prove this point, expert Dang Thanh Van also gave many typical examples from the reality of Vietnamese artists who have succeeded with a positioning strategy based on identity.

A typical case is the song See Tinh by Hoang Thuy Linh. This music product is a folk arrangement on an electronic pop background, the video clip is carefully invested in images with props, costumes, and space full of Vietnamese aesthetics.

Despite not having an international promotional campaign, See Tinh still spread strongly in markets such as China, Korea and rose to the top of TikTok internationally. This is a clear demonstration of the model that Ms. Van calls "Global Vietnamization" - that is, products with Vietnamese identity but presented in a modern way, accessible to the global audience.

Another case is “Indie Prince” Vu - who brings the poetry of “Hanoi love songs” to the world through acoustic guitar, simple lyrics and delicate expression.

His music is well received by audiences in Japan, South Korea and Singapore not because they understand all the words, but because they feel the emotional depth. According to Ms. Van, this is an example of the model of “exporting local spirit through a personal lens” - where the artist’s ego acts as a bridge between domestic culture and international sensibilities.

“The case of Suboi - a Vietnamese female rapper who performed at the international music festival SXSW (USA) and met President Obama - continues to affirm the feasibility of maintaining one's identity to reach out to the world.

Suboi is not "westernized", she raps in Vietnamese, expressing the individuality of an artist who grew up in modern Saigon.

This is a model for the model of “building a personal brand as a new cultural icon” - where the artist's personality is associated with national identity, creating a unique appeal in the global market," the analyst said.

A scene from the film "Inside the Golden Cocoon" - a Vietnamese film that won the Camera d'Or (Golden Camera) - a major award honoring debut works at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival (Photo: JKFILM).

“Don't “follow” the world, but “invite” the world to you”

From the effect and fever of Phuong My Chi at Sing! Asia 2025 , Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son - Full-time member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society - recognized this as clear evidence of the potential for exporting Vietnamese culture if there is a suitable strategy.

According to Mr. Son, in order for Vietnamese cultural products - from music, fashion, cinema to cuisine - to be able to create trends in the world, "we cannot just rely on "miracles" or temporary luck, but need a systematic, long-term strategy with vision and the right focus: Taking identity as the core, taking creativity as the driving force, taking the international market as the destination".

For Vietnamese music, he believes that focusing only on vocal techniques or domestic tastes is not enough.

It's important that artists - and the music industry as a whole - understand that “trends don't come from imitation, they come from leadership.”

To lead, the product must be different, highly recognizable and carry a touching story - "that story must touch the universal emotions of humanity, through the unique lens of the Vietnamese people".

Phuong My Chi (left) is creating great attraction at "Sing! Asia 2025" (Photo: character's Facebook).

Associate Professor Dr. Bui Hoai Son also emphasized that identity strategy is not only for music but needs to be expanded to the entire cultural industry.

Cultural experts say: “Vietnamese fashion can absolutely step onto the catwalks of Tokyo, Milan or New York with inspiration from Lanh My A silk, Dong Son patterns, ao dai, scarves… if it knows how to combine identity and modern design language.

Similarly, Vietnamese cinema does not necessarily have to follow the Hollywood model, but should tell stories that are deeply Vietnamese: about history, spirituality, and people in a global context.

Even Vietnamese cuisine such as pho, bun, mam, che... if elevated by aesthetic presentation, cultural story and service quality, can become "iconic cuisine" like Japanese sushi or Korean kimchi".

From there, he set out a requirement to change thinking: "Do not "follow" the world, but "invite" the world to come to you".

To do that, the most important strategy is to invest in people - including artists, designers, directors, chefs, creative engineers. And create conditions for them to be properly trained, to work in an environment that encourages freedom and innovation, is protected by a transparent legal mechanism and supported by a healthy cultural industry ecosystem.

From the example of Phuong My Chi, Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son concluded: “If we have internal strength and vision, we can absolutely turn Vietnam into a global creative brand.

But for it to not be just a single star but a brilliant galaxy, Vietnam needs a national cultural industry development policy - considering culture as a key area in the integration and sustainable development strategy.

Only then will Vietnamese products truly be confident in going out into the world - not to "keep up", but to "lead".

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/tu-con-sot-phuong-my-chi-den-chien-luoc-ban-dia-hoa-dang-cap-quoc-te-20250724132448026.htm