MONO announces his debut as a singer at a press briefing on August 7. Photo courtesy of Mmusic company

HCM CITY — Nguyễn Việt Hoàng, younger brother of Vietnamese pop sensation Sơn Tùng MTP, made his debut as a solo artist under the moniker 'MONO' with the music video for the song Forget Me, sparking widespread criticism for his lackluster vocals and questionable fashion sense.

The 22-year-old started his career with an Album titled 22, which features eight tracks.

The album track Quên Anh Đi (Forget Me) was turned into a full music video and uploaded on YouTube on the evening of August 7.

The MV dominated various domestic music charts within 24 hours, with 1.5 million views and over 100,000 likes. By midday on August 9, Forget Me had surpassed 1.8 million views, placing it at the top of the trending videos on YouTube Việt Nam.

Praised for the visual, the music video was however criticised due to the singer's poor vocals. The 22-year-old performer is blamed for seldom singing with complete, clear syllables during the music video.

Many viewers believe that he just mumbles the words instead of singing them, which makes it impossible to understand what he's expressing, especially in the fast-tempo parts.

Nam Nguyễn, a Đà Nẵng resident, said on Facebook: "For the first time in my life, I had to put on the subtitles while I was watching the music video for a Vietnamese song. This guy is undoubtedly conceited and has never participated in a singing class of any kind."

The song is the man's confession when thinking about his ex, pleading with her to forget him and to move on. It was also agreed that the young singer's original lyrics fell flat.

Netizen Ngọc Thảo thinks that the lyrics are quite clichéd and that MOMO overuses rhyming words.

"I enjoy the song's melody, but the lyrics are confusing. He merely seems to string together keywords that rhyme." she said on Facebook.

Not only did the newcomer's vocal abilities come under scrutiny, but so did his taste in clothing, which he frequently sported in baggy, ragged pieces.

Those who compare MOMO's strange style to MTP's exquisite style believe he is attempting to distinguish himself from the shadow of his famous sibling.

MONO admitted his many flaws and the necessity for further development in a press briefing on August 7.

When asked about Sơn Tùng MTP's impact on his music, MONO said: "My voice and Tùng's are somewhat similar owing to having the same parents, thus it is impossible to escape comparisons."

The performer also hopes that his efforts will pay off and earn him greater audience recognition in the future.

Hoàng (MOMO), born in 2000, is a former student of the Thái Bình High School for the Gifted, then studied at HCM City's Hutech University.

In July 2018, he made headlines when he attended a fan meeting for singer Sơn Tùng MTP.

As the younger sibling of Vietnamese pop star Sơn Tùng MTP, he has amassed a large social media following. VNS