The difficulty of Phuong My Chi

Positioning by ethnic materials

Don't take the easy way out with catchy EDM or pop hits, Phuong My Chi Make your mark at Sing! Asia 2025 with Vietnamese folk music , refreshed with modern arrangements, with songs like Ball edema flowers , mashup of Northern Ly ( The old lady goes to the market in the rain, Ly tree banyan, Ba rang ba ri, Pushing the ox cart )...

Phuong My Chi's performances allowed her to showcase her voice, which was praised by Chinese audiences as "the voice of a dolphin". The highlight was that the singer integrated cultural elements such as Vovinam martial arts, Ao Tu Than, or the drum and rice dance... into each performance. The singer's costumes were also carefully invested in, from modernized Ao Dai to lotus skirts, helping her tell the story of the intersection between tradition and modernity.

Phuong My Chi brings culture to her performance costumes in competitions in China. Photo: iQIYI.

Phuong My Chi's direction is strategic, not only showing off her talent but also playing the role of a "cultural ambassador". Overwhelming victory over opponent Hoang Linh in the quarter-finals Sing! Asia (15-6 votes) shows recognition from international judges.

Focusing on contemporary folk, although artistically excellent, is unlikely to create a big “explosion” like more popular music genres in the Chinese market. Audiences in the billion-people country, familiar with Kpop, Jpop or vibrant domestic songs, seem to have not really been conquered by this style that is distinctly Vietnamese.

Phuong My Chi's fever in Sing! Asia is clearly seen in the Vietnamese market. According to the Billboard Vietnam Hot 100 chart, the "folk singer" has equaled Son Tung M-TP's achievement when having 6 songs appearing at the same time on the chart this week including Bong phu hoa, Buon trang, He, Cam co thi tho hoa, Pushing the oxcart, Rock hat gao. Meanwhile, the discussion and digital music of Phuong My Chi's songs in the Chinese market are still quite dim.

Compared to Chi Pu, who made good use of the power of media and social networks in Dap Gio 2023, Phuong My Chi is somewhat more "reticent". If Chi Pu build While Phuong My Chi has a youthful, trendy idol image with attractive choreography and a methodical media strategy, she focuses on artistic depth, requiring listeners to absorb both cultural meanings and vocal techniques. This helps her to be highly appreciated professionally, but lacks strong influence on platforms like Douyin or Weibo, where an artist's appeal is often measured by media coverage.

The "explosions" and lessons

Hoang Thuy Linh with See love and Tang Duy Tan with Dance, Innocence, Cut in Half the Sorrow … are proof of Vietnamese music's potential to reach the international level. See love Not only did it cause a fever in Vietnam, it also spread strongly in the Asian market. In China, the song became popular on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), called "divine song", Angelababy, Zhu Zidan... enthusiastically danced to it. Similarly, Cut the sorrow in half Tang Duy Tan's hit reached high positions on the Chinese charts and was covered by many local artists.

What these two artists have in common is their ability to create catchy, viral songs that suit international tastes. Hoang Thuy Linh takes advantage of modern elements, combining folk materials to create a sound that is both fresh and Vietnamese. Tang Duy Tan, with EDM and remix music, also conquers young audiences with vibrant melodies that easily spread on Douyin. However, both face challenges in maintaining long-term appeal.

Tang Duy Tan and Hoang Thuy Linh prove that Vietnamese music can go viral if they know how to exploit the "trendy" element.

Many opinions say that Vietnamese hits often only create "resonance" in a short time, lack sustainability and profit, partly due to limitations in management strategies and commercial exploitation in the international market.

Opportunities and barriers of Vietnamese music in the international arena

The appearance of Phuong My Chi, Hoang Thuy Linh, and Tang Duy Tan on international stages and charts is a positive sign for Vietnamese music. To truly reach new heights, Vietnamese music needs to overcome major barriers.

International audiences, especially in China, still favor domestic music genres, Kpop or Jpop. Songs with strong folk identity like Phuong My Chi's, although unique, have difficulty competing with popular products.

In addition, communication and management strategies play a key role. Chi Pu is a typical example when taking advantage of social networks and collaborating with local stars to increase recognition.

Chi Pu is a case of a Vietnamese artist successfully approaching the Chinese market with a methodical strategy.

Meanwhile, Tang Duy Tan and some Vietnamese artists who have participated in Chinese shows such as Suni Ha Linh and Lyly still lack support from strong management companies in the international market, leading to limitations in exploiting revenue and maintaining popularity.

With a cultural and artistic approach, Phuong My Chi is paving a unique path for Vietnamese music on the international stage. She chooses a long-term storytelling style, prioritizing depth over instant explosion.

However, for Vietnamese music to truly reach far, it needs a combination of artistic identity and communication strategy along with support from professional management systems. Only when overcoming that barrier can Vietnamese music make a lasting mark on the world music map.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/cai-kho-cua-phuong-my-chi-3366288.html