Pop star Đan Trường performs at the opening show of VTV’s Bài Hát Đầu Tiên (Debut Song) on Monday. — Photo courtesy of the organiser

HCM CITY  — Vietnamese pop stars who were popular in the 2000s have made a TV comeback with two new reality shows.

Đan Trường had an impressive return on Monday, appearing on the opening of the weekly show Bài Hát Đầu Tiên (Debut Song) launched by Việt Nam Television (VTV).

The show honours the career of singers who have made great contributions to the country's music.

“Bài Hát Đầu Tiên gives me an opportunity to show my gratitude to my fans who have supported me for 20 years,” said Trường, whose last TV appearance was in 2014.

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

During the show, Trường performed songs that established his name, including Kiếp Ve Sầu (Cicada Life), a Cantonese pop song with Vietnamese lyrics by Nguyễn Ngọc Thiện.

Trường’s favourites songs like Đi Về Nơi Xa (Go Far Away), composed by Lê Quang and Hôn Môi Xa (Long Distance Love) by Trần Minh Phi, were featured as well.

The singer revived his hit Ảo Mộng Tình Yêu (The Illusion of Love), a duet with songtress Cẩm Ly that rocketed him to fame, by performing with Vietnamese-Korean singer Hari Won on the show.

“I’m excited for my beloved fans to hear my favourite songs and stories about my singing career. I want to take my fans back to our youth,” said Trường.

Comic actor Minh Dự, a big fan of Trường, said: “Đan Trường’s songs play an important role during my youth. Watching his performances on TV reminds me of beautiful memories of youth.”

Trường began his singing career in 1997, overcoming challenges along the way to become a big star.

In 1999, his first album, Đan Trường Collection, featuring his favourite hits, helped him become a new star in the country’s music industry.

Three years later, his top hit Giấc Mơ Màu Xanh (Blue Dream) became a hit phenomenon and helped him win his first Mai Vàng Award for the year's best singer, presented by Người Lao Động (Labourer) newspaper. He won the award nine times.

For many years, he has been named 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.

Trường has released 37 albums featuring pop, dance and contemporary folk music, with total sales of 1.2 millions copies, and has organised 13 live shows.

Along with music, Trường enjoys acting. He was the leading actor in TV series on school life, Thứ Ba Học Trò (Students Are the Third Most Scary Thing), and rom-com movies Nụ Hôn Đầu Xuân (Spring Kiss) and Yêu Anh! Em Dám Không? (Dare You Love Me?).

After Đan Trường, Bài Hát Đầu Tiên will bring pop stars like Ngọc Sơn, Phương Thanh and Jimmy Nguyễn back to TV. The show is broadcast at 8:30pm every Monday on VTV3.

Like Bài Hát Đầu Tiên, Shadow Singer, a Vietnamese version of a Korean show, is also reintroducing TV audiences to famous singers.

The show’s highlight is the reunion of bands who impressed audiences born in the 1980s and 1990s but later broke up.

One of them is AC&M (Acapella and More), a four-member boy band which broke up in 2009. Two members of the band, Hoàng Bách and Nam Khánh, moved when sharing the stage of Shadow Singer after the split.

“I’m speechless. Ten years is a long time for us. Now we can sing together,” Bách said.

Khanh added that he had dreamed of a day when all members could sing a capella again.

AC&M was founded in 2001 with four graduates from the HCM City Conservatory of Music: Đình Bảo, Hoàng Bách, Nam Khánh and Thụy Vũ. They focused on a capella and pop, which wowed audiences with their skills and voices.

The group won top prizes, including best song in 2003 and best band in 2004 and 2005.

After breaking up, Bảo and Vũ moved to live in the US. Khánh became a lecturer at the city’s music conservatory, while Bách has continued his music career.

Shadow Singer is broadcast at 9:15pm every Sunday on VTV3. — VNS