Pop idol Chi Pu prepares for her second show of Chi Pu’s Greatest Show which will be broadcast live on July 14. Photo courtesy of the artist

HCM CITY — As the music industry has been hit hard by COVID-19, virtual concerts are helping Vietnamese artists promote their music and engage with their fans.

Pop idol Chi Pu is working on a special music project called Chi Pu’s Greatest Show on YouTube to introduce audiences to a new Chi Pu.

“I’ve spent months on developing the project. Chi Pu’s Greatest Show offers fabulous performances and songs featuring different styles of music,” said the 27-year-old singer and actress, whose real name is Nguyễn Thùy Chi.

The artist is preparing for the second show with a circus theme which will be broadcast on July 14.

The show promises to have exciting circus acts along with Pu’s performances of her new songs, Cung Đàn Vỡ Đôi (Broken Strings) and Talk to Me.

“I became a fan of Chi after watching the first Chi Pu’s Greatest Show although previously I didn't like her voice,” said Nguyễn Hồng Ân, a high school student in Đồng Nai Province.

Ân was impressed with Chi Pu’s performances and her thoughts about life, and her improved voice. “Everything in the show reveals the real Chi Pu.”

Chi Pu’s first show themed Ánh Trăng Nói Hộ Lòng Tôi (The Moon Represents My Heart) was broadcast on the YouTube channel Chi Pu Official in May 17.

The 66-minute show has attracted more than 812,000 views.

In the show, Chi Pu sets up a music lounge in the Hong Kong style of the 1970s and sings cover versions of popular Cantonese pop songs with Vietnamese lyrics such as Ánh Trăng Nói Hộ Lòng Tôi and In Dream.

“Chi Pu’s Greatest Show is a way of satisfying my passion for music and helps me engage with my fans,” said Chi Pu, who rose to fame in 2009 after winning a beauty pageant.

She has been working in the show business industry as an actress, TV host, and film producer.

In October 2017, Chi Pu released a music video called Từ Hôm Nay (Feel Like Ooh) to mark the 10th year anniversary of her career. The work, a combination of pop and dance music, was also her announcement that she was getting into the music industry.

Since then, most of her works have featured pop and dance music styles such as Shhh! Chỉ Ta Biết Thôi (I Know) and Talk to Me, except for her latest work Cung Đàn Vỡ Đôi, a composition by Kiên, which has folk tunes and lyrics about a brokenhearted cải lương (reformed opera) performer.

Online programmes

Pop star Đức Tuấn performs in an online concert Những Câu Chuyện Kể (Tales of Love) to commemorate the late musician Trịnh Công Sơn. Photo courtesy of the organiser

Elsewhere, the programme Phòng Trà Online (Online Music Lounge) is becoming more popular with audiences across the country and abroad due to its professional and beautiful performances.

The show introduces the music and career of famous Vietnamese composers and musicians. It also features live performances of the musicians’ all-time favourite songs and talk shows.

Vân Trình, the project’s initiator and director, told local media: “I want to introduce the at-home audiences to real and professional concerts with visual effects and performances from the country’s leading singers and musicians.”

In the premiere show themed Đêm Nhạc Sĩ (Night of Musicians) in May, Trình invited five musicians Tuấn Thăng, Minh Nhiên, Quốc An, Hoài An and Võ Hoài Phúc, who rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, to perform their music.

The second show, themed Những Câu Chuyện Kể (Tales of Love), last week was a commemoration for late musician Trịnh Công Sơn. It offered Sơn’s beautiful songs through performances of jazz saxophonists Trần Mạnh Tuấn and An Trần, and pop star Đức Tuấn and singer Hoàng Trang.

Hồ Quang Huy, 37, a fan of Phòng Trà Online, said: “I didn’t miss a show of Phòng Trà Online. The music was fantastic, and the sound and light effects were great. I thought I was at a real music lounge, not at home.”

Huy heard that the producer plans to be paid for the next shows. “Producers need money to invest in their project," he said.

“I can’t wait to see what a beautiful show they will bring us next time.”

Phòng Trà Online is broadcast live monthly at https://topliveshow.com/. VNS