By Phương Mai

HCM CITY — Vietnamese singers are doing cover versions of popular songs and offering them for free on YouTube.

Lam Trường, a popular singer in the 2000s, will launch a music project called Lam Trường 9PM Live on his YouTube channel today, featuring his all-time favourite songs.

“I began the project early this year to share my love for music and introduce my hits during my career to fans,” the 44-year-old said.

“I want to take my fans back to our youth,” said Trường, who has more than 17,100 subscribers on his YouTube channel.

The project will include 10 shows featuring live performances of Trường and his band, as well as discussions about their careers.

Trường will perform his famous songs, including Tình Thôi Xót Xa (Bitter Love) written by Bảo Chấn and Mưa Phi Trường (Rain at the Airport) by Việt Anh.

Each show, to be broadcast live at 9pm every Friday, is expected to attract 20,000 views.

“I’m excited for my beloved fans to hear old and new songs, and to share stories about life,” Trường said on a teaser about Lam Trường 9PM Live.

Trần Thanh Hiền, 34-year-old mother in Đồng Nai Province, said: “I’m a big fan of Lam Trường. I can’t wait to meet him on YouTube.”

Trường shot to fame in 1997 when he began singing at college music concerts. He quickly became popular throughout the country for his soft voice and passionate singing style.

The Chinese-born Vietnamese’s first CD, Không Thể Quên Em (Can’t Forget You), was warmly received when it was released in 1997.

For many years, he has been selected as one of the top 10 singers in Việt Nam by the local press and listeners of the Làn Sóng Xanh (Blue Wave) music programme on the Voice of HCM City radio station.

He was invited by the Japanese TV channel NHK to appear on Japanese TV in 2002, and became the representative of Việt Nam at the Asia Song Festival in South Korea in 2007.

He was one of the coaches of TV reality music shows The Voice Kids of Việt Nam in 2014 and the Voice of Việt Nam in 2018. Along with music, Trường also enjoys acting.

He was the leading actor in the film Nữ Tướng Cướp (Female Robber) and in the TV series Ngôi Nhà Hạnh Phúc, a remake of Korean drama Full House, and Bếp Hát, a remake of Singaporean restaurant musical The Kitchen Musical.

Phenomenon

Before Trường, Hà Anh Tuấn became a hit phenomenon on YouTube after launching his See-Sing-Share show in October 2016 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his career.

The show consists of three seasons over the last three years, with a total of 30 music videos introducing popular songs in an acoustic style.

Each video features Tuấn singing his signature ballad and R&B songs which have been a hit among Vietnamese youth for a decade or so, including Buổi Sáng Ở Ciao Cà Phê (Morning at Ciao Cafeteria) and Espresso by Võ Thiện Thanh.

He also presented favourite songs by other singers such as Người Tình Mùa Đông (Winter Lover) and Nơi Ấy Bình Yên (Peaceful Place).

His videos have attracted millions of views.

“Beautiful songs create beautiful memories in the audiences’ mind. Covering these songs means that we are making the memories come alive,” Tuấn, who rose to fame in the Sao Mai – Rendezvous TV singing contest in 2006, told local media.

He has released six solo albums, with Café Sáng (Morning Café, 2007) and Saigon Radio (2009) receiving rave responses from both critics and audiences. He has also recorded two albums with his “stage love” Phương Linh.

The 34-year-old singer said: See-Sing-Share is a way to share my love of music and  understand my fans. I will continue to satisfy my audiences’ taste in music.”

Thanks to See-Sing-Share, Tuấn become the favourite Vietnamese singer on YouTube, with more than 282,900 subscribers. — VNS