LookAtVietnam – While many veteran singers practise diligently, taught as they were that the voice was the only thing that matters, their younger colleagues have discovered

A certain look: Singer Khong Tu Quynh (right) wants to develop her singing with beautiful images to meet audiences’ tastes. — File Photo

“I wanted my first album to be ready to take on the fierce competition in the industry,” the 18-year-old, who has shot to fame after just two years of singing professionally, says.

“I worked with my producer, the NewGen Entertainment Company, to combine music with beautiful images,” she explains.

Quynh’s new album has been a best-seller since its release last month, with the visuals leaving the strongest impression on her fans, most of whom are teenagers.

And, she is not the only one who is focusing on the visuals. More and more young singers are going down the same road, using complex orchestrations and dazzling images.

They are willing to fork out large sums to impress their fans, and audiences’ taste for visual effects in a music album has grown stronger than ever.

The Sai Gon Tourist Cable Television’s YanTV, a new channel broadcasting Vietnamese and foreign music, has attracted a large audience by showing young performers like Quynh who want to be as meticulous as their international counterparts when recording albums.

“My fans like my beauty as well as my music,” pop star Ho Quynh Huong said after the release of her latest album Nang Luong (Energy) earlier this year.

Produced by DiamondNoir Entertainment, Huong’s album includes two music videos shot at famous locations in Ha Noi, Hue city and HCM City and was produced by an experienced Italian crew. It became one the industry’s biggest hits this year.

Huong’s fans like not only her unique voice and dancing but also the quality of her videos that are filmed “as well as Hollywood movies”, says Vu Van Giang, a fan in HCM City.

But critics complain that many young singers spend an inordinate amount of time making music videos, often filming outdoors using state-of-the-art cameras, instead of working hard in the studio. Their voices are not strong enough to sing more serious songs and they do not seem to care, is their refrain.

“Singers should offer their fans brilliant singing, not just recordings,” says Dao Van Su, a member of the HCM City Musicians’ Association.

“Only singers who practise hard bring fans real music,” he declares. Huong says how she looks on screen is equally as important as her singing or voice. But looking at the music market, it is hard not to conclude that Huong rather than Su seems to have got it right.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News