Why did Son Tung M-TP receive 30,000 dislikes?

TPO - Son Tung makes a comeback with a heavily invested music video featuring a host of famous faces. However, the song "Come My Way" has faced mixed reactions from Vietnamese audiences, primarily because the lyrics are written entirely in English.

Báo Tiền Phong•30/05/2026

Three scenarios were outlined when Son Tung announced his collaboration with rapper Tyga. First, creating a purely Rap/Hip-hop track to maximize the presence of the Vietnamese-American rapper, who is behind many billion-view hits. Next, a Latin-infused Moombahton style, previously used by Son Tung in his collaboration with legendary rapper Snoop Dogg. And finally, Afrobeat, a globally popular genre in recent years, which theoretically seems ideal for Son Tung and Tyga to blend together.

Ultimately, Son Tung chose Afrobeat – a groundbreaking but also the riskiest option, as this genre is still unfamiliar to Vietnamese audiences. Some Vietnamese singers/rappers have tried their hand at Afrobeat, such as Soobin and GDucky. Look back at Soobin's album "Turn It On ," all the songs went viral except for the title track, " Turn It On ," which uses an Afrobeat beat type.

With GDucky, his performance in the Rap Viet Season 4 final caused many viewers to frown because the Afrobeat style was too difficult for the majority of the audience to appreciate.

Son Tung also wrote the lyrics entirely in English to ensure consistency with Tyga. In both key elements—music and lyrics—Son Tung created " Come My Way " which doesn't suit the Vietnamese audience's taste—it's difficult to listen to and understand. That's why many viewers have criticized and expressed disappointment with Son Tung. Even the data clearly shows that the "Come My Way" music video on YouTube received 30,000 dislikes, significantly higher than his previous releases after just one day.

Why were the audience disappointed?

Sơn Tùng released two Latin-infused songs, " Hãy trao cho anh" (Give Me Your Love) and "Making My Way ," and received positive feedback from the market. Moving on to Afrobeat, Sơn Tùng took a bold turn, taking a risk to introduce audiences to a completely new sound never before seen in the repertoire of the singer from Hung Yen .

Afrobeat is a genre that emerged in the 1960s, with traditional Highlife influences, Yoruba rhythms, and American Jazz and Funk elements that were initially difficult to appreciate. Over the past 20 years, this genre, originating in West Africa, has risen strongly and made its mark on the global music market. Afrobeat has evolved with a blend of Hip-hop, R&B, Dancehall, and even electronic music, but fundamentally, it remains difficult to "please the ear."

Son Tung still dreams of reaching out to the world .

Sơn Tùng's " Come My Way, " like many other Afrobeat songs, aims for a smooth, flowing melody from beginning to end, without drops or a prominent hook. Meanwhile, the listening habits of the Vietnamese mainstream audience still favor a structure that builds gradually and explodes, requiring a truly impactful, catchy chorus to ignite emotion.

Son Tung's new song blends Indian and Middle Eastern influences, completely devoid of Vietnamese World Music elements. "Come My Way" would be particularly appealing to listeners in a cozy setting, on the dance floor, or at a beach party – a song with a multi-beat rhythm and weak beat like "Come My Way" is made for these kinds of settings.

The majority of listeners who enjoy music via YouTube and other digital platforms are different. They lack the patience to calmly find a way to become interested in " Come My Way ." The catchiness of the melody is always the most important factor in determining whether a musical product can be listened to repeatedly. After that, listeners need to understand the content, whether there are any memorable lyrics that evoke emotions.

Many listeners complained that Son Tung's new music was difficult to listen to. There were also quite a few disappointed opinions because they couldn't fully understand the song's content. And then, Son Tung's comeback faced considerable backlash because his choice went against the expectations of many.

Son Tung's choice

This isn't the first time Son Tung has written a song entirely in English. Previously, with " There's No One At All " and "Making My Way," the singer from Thai Binh also tried his hand at creating a product with the intention of attracting more international audiences. For various reasons, those two songs didn't achieve the expected success. This time, Son Tung is collaborating with a world-renowned rapper, and he has no better option than to continue singing entirely in English.

Let's look at the achievements of the "Come My Way" music video after one day of release: 13 million views on YouTube, nearly one million streams on Spotify, and dominating almost all playlists on Spotify, the most popular DSP platform among Vietnamese audiences today. For Son Tung, these achievements are a given whenever the singer born in 1994 makes a comeback to the market.

Since his collaboration with Snoop Dogg, Son Tung has nurtured the dream of reaching the international stage. The male singer strived to achieve that goal with new strategies, including a high-budget music video like " There's No One At All," but everything remained unfinished. The music video "Come My Way" had all the elements of an international collaboration between Son Tung and Tyga. The producer behind the song is a well-known figure in the Afrobeat scene. Tyga's popularity is undeniable.

Above all, "Come My Way" is a completely English song, giving Son Tung an easier time reaching international audiences. In "Hãy trao cho anh," it's an 80-20 split between Vietnamese (Son Tung) and English in Snoop Dogg's rap verse. "There's No One At All" and "Making My Way" are entirely in English, but Son Tung had to forge his own path to international success.

Come My Way harmonizes both elements: it's entirely in English, and Son Tung has the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of the "giant" Tyga to shorten the process and time to attract listeners from major countries.

Rapper Tyga in the music video.

The MV "Come My Way" has reached the top of the global YouTube "trending" list. The song is also trending in many other countries. This achievement is thanks to the support of the music distribution unit (International Label) and the popularity of Son Tung, Tyga, and especially the appeal of the famous Vietnamese-born rapper.

Whether Son Tung can achieve international recognition, starting with major music markets in Asia, will depend on his English lyrics, which can be well-received by audiences worldwide.

Thanks to the influence of Tyga's name, Son Tung has had a good start with his song "Come My Way ." It remains to be seen how far this song will go on digital music platforms, especially Spotify and Apple Music. As for YouTube specifically, the majority of viewers are still concentrated in the domestic market.

**What does Tyga do in 25 seconds on Come My Way ?**

Tyga's rap verse was even shorter than Snoop Dogg's segment in "Hãy trao cho anh" (Give Me Your Love). The presence of the American-Vietnamese rapper was significantly less than expected. With only 25 seconds, Tyga's role was clearly just to add a touch of Rap/Hip-hop to the song "Afrobeat," supporting Son Tung more to avoid overshadowing his younger colleague.

Most Vietnamese viewers gave positive feedback on Tyga's rap verse. However, compared to the "quality" of Tyga's own billion-view hits, his vocal contribution in "Come My Way" is much more modest and restrained. Tyga's flow is simple, and the complexity of the lyrics in terms of rhyme and technique is negligible.

Tyga simply glides along the beat, where things calm down to create a new feeling for Come My Way before Son Tung pushes the spirit back to life.

Perhaps because many viewers didn't appreciate Son Tung's vocal parts, they felt Tyga stood out even more. In reality, with Tyga's inherent talent, as a rapper who has collaborated with Justin Bieber, he could have been even more explosive. Many rappers in the Vietnamese rap scene were surprised by how "tame" Tyga's verse was compared to the overall performance.

Son Tung will continue to release many songs this year. It's not out of the question that he will continue to collaborate with big names.

Son Tung's comeback with the MV "Come My Way" shows that he still holds a dominant position in Vietnamese music. When Son Tung releases music, everything around him is overshadowed. Even Binz and Soobin's "Em ," which was very popular in the past few days, had to give way to a new sensation. And the "Come My Way" craze will continue to dominate the Vietnamese "top trending" for many weeks.