Sunday, August 05, 2012

Vietnamese boybands copycats?


Boybands V Music365Harmony and MTV are becoming new music icons for many young people in HCM City. Pop and dance music is making waves in the southern provinces as well. The teenage-pop bands have also attracted the attention of music producers and impresarios.

"We were fans, but now we have fans. It's a great thing for us," says Isaac, leader of 365, which includes five members. The band's first album, Awakening, featuring five pop songs in both English and Vietnamese, was a hit with teenagers after it was released in 2010. "We are trying to hone 365's performance and improve their voices," movie star and pop singer Ngo Thanh Van, the band's producer, said.

But like pop acts the world over, the band has its critics. "365 and other pop bands are simply a copy of its Western and South Korean counterparts and it lacks a Vietnamese identity," wrote music critic Doan Hoai Trung of HCM City.

This has not deterred the bands, many of which have gained national recognition and many young fans. "We know our style is similar to South Korean pop bands, but that's not strange or bad," Isaac said. "We admire them like all young people over the world. Why shouldn't we follow their footsteps?"

More and more, boy bands are receiving enthusiastic responses from young audiences. It may only be a matter of time before pop emerges on top. "We are not children who love music. We are singers and we have to work hard to divide our time equally between our life and performance careers," said Son Ngoc Minh, a member of V Music.

Most members of pop bands have just finished high school and plan to pursue careers in music. They often work 10 hours a day to improve their vocal music and dance skills under professional artists from the HCM City Music Conservatory. In the past, some pop bands like 1088 lasted only a couple years, and then folded so their members could attempt solo careers.

If it works out, this is how 365 would like to end up. "Why not? We're young and we have opportunities in our future. One day we will become top singers," shared Isaac.

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