V-pop

V-pop
Stylistic origins	Traditional Vietnamese Rhythm and Blues Hip hop EDM Rock music Pop music Ballad music
Cultural origins	Inspired by Pop music inNorth Vietnam(1980s–present) atHanoiandHaiphong,South Vietnam(1950s-1970s) atSaigon
Typical instruments	Vocals drum kit drum machine flute Đàn tranh guitar bass keyboards violin saxophone percussion

V-pop(Vietnamese:nhạc pop Việt Nam, nhạc trẻ or nhạc xanh), an abbreviation forVietnamese popular music,is a music genre coveringVietnamesepop musicfrom the 1990s to the present day.

Etymology

During the 1970s, V-pop was limited toNhạc trẻ Sài Gòn(Youth music of Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City) orKích động nhạc(Exciting music). After 1975, theNhạc trẻ Sài Gònscene, which encompasses vibrant, fun folk songs, was outlawed.But the development in line with Vietnamese pop music comes from Hanoi and Haiphong. The artists in these two places have been formally trained in the national conservatory school. In the 1990s, the phraseNhạc nhẹ(Soft music) appeared when Vietnam was opening up to the world.Nhạc trẻ(Youth music) was used in the early 2000s. The phrase V-Pop was created by artists from the North, including Hanoi.

History

Domestic

Origins

Thanh Lan,a popular Vietnamese singer during the 1970s who later emigrated to the United States.

The third period of the foundation ofVietnamese music,started from the 19th century to the beginning ofWorld War II.The Court imposed some new rulings on music which brought along the creation of a lot of new music and theater. With these rulings, Vietnam was able to develop an original and unique music that it could finally call its own, and which forms most of today's musical genres and styles. At the beginning of the 20th century, a new theater was created, called "New music of Vietnam"(Also known as The Western-influenced popular music of Vietnam). A few Western instruments made their way into use:mandolin,Spanish guitarandviolin,... genres such as Ballad and Pop began to become popular.

The fourth period, started around 1945 and continues to date. The Vietnamese popular music movement developed strongly during this period. There are many legendary musicians includingPhạm Duy,Văn Cao,Lam Phươngand Nguyễn Văn Tuyên. Some of the most famous singers of the era such asPhượng Hoàng,Elvis Phương,Chế Linh,Khánh Ly,Giáng Thu,Thanh LanandCarol Kim.Popular for their modern style,Mai Lệ HuyềnandHùng Cườngare considered to be more "exciting" or energetic "contributors to V-Pop.

On 30 April 1975,Saigon fell,and as a result, theVietnam Warended and some South Vietnamese citizens evacuated to other countries. Popular music released up to that day (dubbed "yellow music") was then prohibited - specifically after July 2, 1976 - due to its sentimental and sympathetic nature.Music that was patriotic and followed a traditional revolutionary theme (dubbed "red music"), as well as folk songs, had" good values, "and were encouraged by the then-newly re-unified Communist Vietnam.However, Vietnamese classics (dubbed "Nhạc trẻ" ) continued to survive in overseas Vietnamese communities, where it remained even after being reintroduced back to Vietnam in 1986.

In 1986, after the Đổi Mới reformations, Vietnamese pop music made a gradual recovery. The music at that time, mainly produced byTrịnh Công Sơn,continued the traditional "love and war" theme.

1990s and 2000s

Mỹ Linhwas one of the most successful Vietnamese recording artists from the early 1990s to the late 2000s.

Lam Trườngis a singer representative of the 90s

in the 90s of the 20th century, V-pop returned to a more steady path compared to its tumultuous period during and prior to the Vietnam War. In 1997, theLàn Sóng Xanh( "Wave of Green" ) Awards were founded to push the development of the music industry.SingerLam Trườngproduced "Tình Thôi Xót Xa" in 1998 and was popular amongst the young people of Ho Chi Minh City, which marked a strong beginning for Vietnam's domestic music market.

At the beginning of the 21st century, popular artists (such asHồng Nhung,Thu Phương,Hồ Quỳnh Hương,Mỹ Tâm,Mỹ Linh,Thanh Lam,Phương Thanh,Đan Trường,Thanh Thảo) emerged, creating musical hits that were characteristically light, vibrant, and youthful. Singers such asBảo Thy,Khoi My,Tóc Tiên,Hương Tràm, Soobin Hoàng Sơn,Son Tung M-TP,and Noo Phước Thịnh further popularised R&B tunes.

Numerous artists, such asBằng Kiều,Hồ Quỳnh Hương,Mỹ Linh,Hồng Nhung,Phương Thanh,Mỹ Tâm,andĐan Trườngemerged from Vietnam and started to produce EDM, pop music, R&B, rap, ballad, and other genres. During this period of cultural expansion, a number of foreign artists had worked with the emerging industry (4Men, Super Junior, Lee Young Ah). Also emerging were a large number of modern music acts such asAnh Khang,Tạ Quang Thắng,Bảo Thy,Đông Nhi,Noo Phước Thịnh,Quang Vinh,whom of which were all associated with the R&B genre.

The Asia Song Festival (Festival of Asian music) created many opportunities for cultural exchange between countries. Artists representing Vietnam includedMỹ Tâm(2003),Mỹ Linh(2004),Hồ Quỳnh Hương(2006 & 2008),Lam Trường(2007) andHồ Ngọc Hà(2009). Many of these Vietnamese artists hope to fortify the entertainment industry by engaging in festivals, shows, etc., in other countries.

2010s and 2020s

During this period, a new wave of young artists, such asMIN,Amee,Erik,andSơn Tùng M-TP(Sơn Tùng M-TP is considered King of V-Pop), they have emerged and replaced most of the previous generation artists in attracting fans. Underground artists had a great influence on the development of V-pop during this period, many idols have a connection to Underground and Viet Rap or even come from there.In 2018,SGO48,a Vietnamese sister group of JapaneseAKB48,was released but has had mixed success since debuting.

Minat an event in Hồ Chí Minh City, 2020

Overseas

After the fall of Saigon, some artists emigrated. A growing demand for music until 30 April 1975 lead to a re-emergence of the popularity of these previously available songs, which were no longer widely available in Vietnam.

In the early 1980s, the number of foreign record companies specializing in Vietnamese music began to grow.Thúy NgaCentre, Van Son Entertainment, and Asia Entertainment were all companies that have produced many popular Vietnamese songs, as well as entertainment concert series likeParis By Night,theVan Son Show,Asia,and multiple others.

Around the 1990s, more young artists began to appear overseas in the international market. These includedLâm Nhật Tiến,Trish Thuy Trang,Tuấn Ngọc,Bằng Kiều,andMinh Tuyết.During the 2000s and 2010s, K-pop and J-pop had already started to spread to the Western world. K-pop had spread to South East Asia and was influential for Vietnamese entertainment. Vietnamese pop music began include more traits seen in such MVs, such as flashy visuals and fashion, which was a departure from melodic ballads that Vietnamese audiences were more accustomed to. EDM was also incorporated into Vietnamese songs. Nevertheless, boléro, ballad, R&B, rock etc. still remains popular.

Currently, YouTube is the main video-sharing platform. Many MVs have started to trend on YouTube in Western countries in the late 2010s and early 2020s. However, sad, melodic ballad songs, such as historical war songs, war movie soundtracks, pre-1975 South Vietnamese pop songs, or musical shows such asParis by Night,are also still popular amongst Overseas Vietnamese.

Internationally

Sơn Tùng M-TP,is the current representative of V-pop, he is the first Vietnamese artist to enter the threeBillboardcharts

At the end of 2005, singerMỹ Tâmreleased the album Void. In mid-September 2007,Mỹ Linhre-released her three old albums for domestic and international markets, including Made in Vietnam (2003), Chat with Mozart (2005) and Let Love Sing (2006) with the help of Pony Canyon Records (Japan). Made in Vietnam was renamed Radio-I in Japan and was awarded the best album of the month in Nagoya, Aichi City. At the end of 2006,My Tammade her fifth album, "Soaring", in Korea and released her album in collaboration with Nurimaru Pictures. Her 9th studio album,Tâm 9,became the first Vietnamese artist's album to enter theBillboardWorld Album chart at No.10.

In recent years, V-pop has started to attract more attention internationally from young singers with innovative new music styles such asPháo,Trúc Nhân,Min,Amee,Hoàng Thùy Linh,and MONSTAR. Many songs and albums from the V-pop genre have entered numerous prestigious international music charts. V-pop has gradually become a leader in the Southeast Asian music industry.

Currently, the most viewed music video that can arguably be classified as V-pop is a song called "Bong Bong Bang Bang" (365daband), reaching more than 510 million views.

In 2019,Son Tung M-TPcollaborated with the rapperSnoop Doggto release the song "Give It to Me".The Sourcecalled him an "Asian Sensation" andWorld Music Awardsdubbed him a "king of Vpop". Korea's Star News also posted the article and called him a leading voice within the V-pop music industry. In 2020, Tung entered theBillboardSocial 50chart at No.28, becoming the first Vietnamese artist to enter the chart. In 2021, Tung entered theBillboardSocial 50chart at No.28, becoming the first Vietnamese artist to enter the chart. In 2020, the song "Give It to Me" featuringSnoop Doggentered theBillboardLyricFind Globalchart at No.1. In 2021, the song "Chúng ta của hiện tại" entered theBillboardLyricFind Global chart at No.1. and the song "Muộn rồi mà sao còn" entered theBillboardGlobal Excl. U.S.at number 126.

In 2020, during theCOVID-19pandemic, Min andErikreleased a song called "Ghen Cô Vy"(Jealous Coronavirus) to encourage people on how to handle the pandemic. The song has become popular for its catchy tunes and for raising awareness about limiting the spread of COVID-19.

See also

• Popular music of Vietnam
• Ca trù
• Quan họ
• Nhã nhạc
• Nhạc tài tử
• Traditional Vietnamese dance
• Traditional Vietnamese musical instruments
• Vietnamese theatre