Myra Tran or Trần Minh Như wowed American Idol 2019 judges and worldwide audiences during her audition, which was aired on March 3. Her performance has received almost 2 million views on American Idol’s youtube page and more than 6 million views on its Facebook fanpage, surpassing all other contestants so far. Born in the southern province of  An Giang and moved to the US a year ago, Myra is dreaming of bringing the name ’Việt Nam’ to music lovers the world over. She shared with Thu Hà her feelings and plans for the future.

Inner Sanctum: In the auditions, Luke Bryan compared you to Kelly Clarkson while Lionel Richie said there was nothing to compare you to. How did you feel to get this kind of feedback from famous judges?

It totally came as a surprise to me. My life has been turned upside down. I cried when I heard the judges’ comments and the support I received from both Vietnamese and foreign audiences. The comments are very valuable to me. Lionel Richie said I had stepped into a zone of my own and all he wanted me to do from now on was to rule my zone.

Inner Sanctum: Why did you take part in the competition and what are your goals?

My goals are simply to get as much experience as possible, get feedback from the audience, and most importantly, have the chance to sing for Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan. It has already been an honour for me. I don’t know how far I can go but I will try my best. I know that audience now have very high expectations from me.

Inner Sanctum: What challenges have you faced in the competition?

First, I am graduating from high school this year so I am very busy with school work. I need to re-arrange my schedule between study and music to fit in with the competition. Second, I think I need to overcome myself to become the best I can be. What I mean is I need to improve my English skills. This is American Idol and I am not a native so my language ability is a barrier. I also need to learn many more new things to better myself.  First and foremost, I need to convince myself that I have to try my best to do all those things to live up to people’s expectations.

Inner Sanctum: It is still too early to predict your journey on American Idol, but do you think you can win the title?

As I said before, I’m very busy with my school work and shows now, but I will try to practise everyday and develop, learning from all the comments of the judges and the audience. I am also going to the gym and practising yoga. I have a ‘dream list’ of the songs I want to sing. So I will consider whether they are good choices or not, and then pick the songs to perform in the next rounds. I don’t expect too much because I’m afraid of being disappointed.

Inner Sanctum: Last year, Vietnamese circus artists The Giang Brothers stunned the world as they reached the final of Britain’s Got Talent. Do you draw inspiration from them and want to follow in their footsteps?

It has been my dream for a long time, as a Vietnamese through and through, to go out singing on the world stage. That’s why I feel very proud to stand on the American Idol stage to say: “Yeah, I come from Việt Nam. I’m Vietnamese.” I greatly admire  The Giang Brothers -- Quốc Cơ and Quốc Nghiệp -- and will try to achieve as much as they have.

Inner Sanctum: What are your plans after the competition?

After graduating from high school, I plan to pursue an undergraduate course in music at the school of my dream, which is the Berkley College of Music in Boston. When you are a singer, of course you need a good voice and skills. But what’s more important is knowledge. I wanted to go to the US to learn things that I had not learnt in Việt Nam. I have loved US-UK songs and their music industries since I was a little girl. But after all, I am Vietnamese, so for me, conquering the hearts of the Vietnamese audience is the top priority. If I have a chance, in the future, I would like to perform for Vietnamese audiences and co-operate with Vietnamese producers. — VNS