HÀ NỘI — Singer Hà Lê, who has always had a distinctly upbeat style of music, makes a comeback with a soft image and a truly soothing record that celebrates simplicity, love and family through his latest album Đơn Sơ (Simplicity).

Đơn Sơ (Simplicity) is the second album of singer Hà Lê. Photos courtesy of the artist

"Even though most people see me as a lively person with an upbeat music style, in this record, I find fulfillment in simplicity. I go back to my family, my friends, my nostalgia and choose kindness and serenity over chaos, which can help to mend and soothe the wounds on our hearts," Hà Lê said in the premiere for the album Simplicity. 

"An artist must always accept challenges and reinvent himself — it is a sign of respect for his audience."

The eight tracks on the album Simplicity — all ballads — present the listener with another perspective of singer Hà Lê.

"This album was inspired by my four months of lock-down in HCM City during COVID-19, a time when I hoped for my wife and family. After that, I experienced a family's simple yet tender love while I stayed with musician Thanh Tùng and his family when we made this album. As a result, we named this album Simplicity, which embodies Vietnamese values of family and simple yet profound love," said Hà Lê. 

Hà Lê (centre) collaborates with Đỗ Tố Hoa (left) and Dương Trần Nghĩa in this album.

In addition, Hà Lê has a unique collaboration on this album with two artists — Đỗ Tố Hoa and Dương Trần Nghĩa in two songs, Như ngày bé (Childhood) and Ta đâu một mình (We are not alone), respectively.

Born in 1984, Hà Lê, whose true name is Lê Vĩnh Hà, is a well-known figure in the Underground community in Việt Nam. Despite having a penchant for music, he graduated in Mathematical Economics at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom.

Hip-hop culture was a genre that Hà Lê was exposed to frequently while studying overseas. He was a well-known dancer and rapper, judged several dance competitions, and presented the Vietnamese version of the television program So You Think You Can Dance before he turned his passion to singing.

In 2018, he launched the Trịnh Contemporary project, attracting attention when renewing a series of classic love songs of the late prominent musician Trịnh Công Sơn such as Ở Trọ (Live Temporarily), Nhớ Mùa Thu Hà Nội (Nostalgia of Hà Nội’s Autumn), Biển Nhớ (Remembering the Sea) and Diễm Xưa.

In 2020, Hà Lê released his first album, Ở Trọ (Live Temporarily). In this album, Hà Lê remixed seven well-known songs of Trịnh, southern Việt Nam’s most famous songwriter of anti-war music. Familiar songs were remixed and arranged by Hà Lê in many styles such as RnB, World Music, EDM and Reggae. 

In 2022, Hà Lê released the EP Lost with the participation of music producer Khắc Hưng. The EP features three tracks that feature contemporary music and captivating vocals.— VNS