HCM CITY — Young pop star Noo Phước Thịnh of HCM City will perform for the first time at an international music festival when he appears at the 2016 Asia Song Festival in South Korea in October.

The annual festival has been held by the Korean Foundation for Asian Culture Exchange (KOFICA) since 2004.  

This year’s festival will attract popular Korean pop bands such as EXO, Seventeen, Twice, Simon D and NCT 127. The event will be broadcast in more than 30 countries, including the US and Europe.

Thịnh is the sixth and youngest Vietnamese singer, besides Mỹ Tâm, Hồ Quỳnh Hương, Mỹ Linh, Lam Trường and Hồ Ngọc Hà, to appear at the festival.

He began his singing career in 2009 after working as a model, overcoming challenges to become one of the country’s most famous young singers. 

His first album, 3 Chấm (Ellipsis), featuring eight pop and R&B songs, helped establish his career. His biggest hit Mất Em (Losing You), a song featuring pop and dance, became a recording phenomenon.

In 2011, his first live show, My Dream, attracted nearly 1,000 people in HCM City. He released his second album, Nỗi Nhớ Đầy Vơi (Missing), in the same year.

He has released 25 singles, many of them hits, and has appeared in dozens of TV series and reality shows.

For his live performance at the festival, Thịnh has been working on voice training and performance skills. “I’m full of energy to conquer the world,” said the 28-year-old.

The 2016 Asia Song Festival will take place at Asiad Main Stadium in Busan on October 9. — VNS