The Men group returns after 5 years of absence - Photo: NVCC
The Men consists of two members, Le Hoang (leader, 44 years old) and Tien Dung (41 years old), debuted in 2008. After more than 10 years of operation, the group stopped because they could not find the next direction, and at the same time let Tien Dung build his own life in the US.
They are back after a 5-year absence. The Men are about to hold two concerts called Emotions Return on July 19 at Capital Theatre (HCMC) and on August 8 at Bai Chay Lighthouse (Ha Long).
Masculinity in the era of 'genderless' Vietnamese music
In the minds of the two members, masculinity is not only about a man's "strong" appearance but also about being willing to take on everything, love for family, wife and children, and the spirit of daring to pursue one's own passion and interests.
Founded 17 years ago, The Men was not only a rare band on the market at that time, but also a rare band with a very unique model: both members were male, wearing suits, singing love songs.
Two members Le Hoang (left) and Tien Dung of The Men talk to the press - Photo: HOA PHAM
Someone once jokingly asked: "Is Vietnamese music so lacking in masculinity that it's called The Men?". In fact, The Men are also artists who clearly demonstrate masculinity (compared to the standards of that time): not too well-groomed, little makeup, elegant clothes, focusing on singing, no loud statements, tricks...
The group's performance style also has little choreography. Le Hoang admits this is a disadvantage for Tien Dung because Dung dances well.
Now, after many years of absence, the music market has changed dramatically. The most obvious is that the way Vietnamese artists express their gender is becoming more and more diverse and colorful. There are artists who openly admit that they belong to the LGBT community.
There are artists who identify as male and openly dress as women as part of their own style. On the other hand, there are artists who identify as female and have a lesbian sexual orientation, always appearing in suits. There are artists who are not part of the community but have a gender-neutral style of dress. There are male artists who wear a lot of makeup.
Can't Love Anyone More - New Song by The Men
In that colorful picture, is The Men's masculine style, "two men in suits and singing" afraid of being old and having difficulty attracting young audiences? "Generation 7x, 8x, everyone easily feels old because young people born in the 9x, Gen Z are too dynamic now. As for dressing, it is each person's own style, there are LGBT people but they are also very masculine" - group leader Le Hoang said.
As for the masculine aspect of Vietnamese music, he admits that it is "a bit lacking". He believes that a man's masculinity includes three elements: being willing to take on financial responsibilities and everything, loving his wife, children and family, having his own passion and daring to pursue it.
The Men are confident now because as they get older and more experienced, they sing in a way that "10 years ago they didn't have". When they were young and had too many shows, they didn't have time to think deeply about their singing style.
Returning after 5 years, The Men is surprised because Vietnamese music has many big changes - Photo: HOA PHAM
Surprised by the concert with 50,000 spectators and a salary of hundreds of millions
At their peak, The Men performed 3 shows a day for 30 consecutive days. There were days when the group performed in three cities: Hanoi , Dong Nai, and Ho Chi Minh City. From 2010 to 2016, the group had such a high demand for shows, but then they slowed down because the two members were overloaded.
The two members expressed interest in the show Anh trai vu ngan cong gai, where veteran artists can prove themselves to a new audience and perform on a concert stage with 40,000, 50,000 spectators.
Back then, the group was overwhelmed by the prices of song production. The price of buying songs and arranging them can be up to hundreds of millions if the musician or producer is famous. Therefore, The Men was grateful when Dong Thien Duc - a musician with many hits - gave the group a low price.
Singers' salaries have also increased. The Men were surprised that there were singers who received hundreds of millions of VND per performance. The group affirmed that they would still work according to the old standard: taking salaries based on the level of investment and ticket sales ability of the organizer.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/the-men-tro-lai-boi-nhac-viet-thieu-nam-tinh-qua-hay-sao-20250705104713185.htm
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