In recent years, Vietnamese artists have increasingly turned to traditional culture as a source of inspiration, weaving folk melodies, regional sounds, and cultural motifs into contemporary genres. The result is a growing body of music that bridges generations - bringing elements of Vietnam’s cultural heritage to new audiences while giving artists room to experiment with modern sounds and forms. If you’re curious to hear how that sounds, here are some contemporary artists and songs to add to your playlist.
1. Phương Mỹ Chi - Thiên Đường Với Người Thương
Released in August 12th, Thiên Đường Với Người Thương is one of Phương Mỹ Chi’s latest explorations of Vietnamese cultural heritage. The music video draws heavily from the music, traditional dance, writing and spiritual practices of the Southern Khmer community, with filming taking place in Trà Vinh and An Giang. The Southern Khmer community numbers more than 1.3 million people, primarily living across Vietnam’s southwestern provinces.
The MV brings Southern Khmer culture to life through the love story and coming-of-age journey of its two main characters - Định and Chi. Growing up in a phum sóc (Khmer village), Chi eventually becomes a dancer and teaches traditional dance to children. Viewers can spot familiar forms such as Rom Vong and Robam, as well as Phương Mỹ Chi’s portrayal of an Apsara dancer, wearing the distinctive golden Mokot crown and ornate traditional jewelry.
The MV also features the Yeak mask, a powerful symbol in Khmer spiritual culture. Despite its fierce appearance, the Yeak represents once-hostile forces that have been subdued and transformed into protectors of goodness and the community, reflecting the Khmer philosophy of compassion and transformation.
Beyond art, MV also highlights Khmer spiritual and cultural traditions. In the wedding scene, the two characters wear traditional ceremonial attire, with the bride dressed in a silk sampot and a sbay draped across her shoulder. One particularly meaningful detail is the red-string wrist-tying ritual, performed by an Achar (ceremonial leader), a blessing commonly seen in Khmer ceremonies.
The cultural references continue in the lyrics. Phương Mỹ Chi sings some of Khmer phrases such as “Bong srolanh oun te?” (“Do you love me?”) or “Mình đua ghe xong ăn cá kèo mắm me” (“After the boat race, let’s eat goby fish with tamarind fish sauce”) - which evokes both the vibrant Ngo boat race festival of the Khmer community and the everyday flavors of Southern Vietnam.
This is far from the first time Phương Mỹ Chi has woven Vietnamese cultural heritage into her music. In 2023, she released Vũ Trụ Cò Bay, a 10-track album inspired by literary works and characters familiar to generations of Vietnamese students. The album brings together traditional influences from Quan họ folk singing, Ca trù and Southern Vietnamese folk music, reimagining them alongside pop, dance-pop, disco and electronic sounds.
August 27 will also mark the release of another track from her Dân Chơi Dân Ca album, following the success of Thiên Đường Với Người Thương. The album is set to expand its musical landscape from north to south, spanning sounds from the highlands to the lowlands.
Hoàng Thùy Linh - Tứ Phủ
Hoàng Thùy Linh can be seen as one of the artists who have reshaped how Vietnamese music reaches international audiences, from viral hits like See Tình to songs deeply rooted in Vietnamese folk traditions. Pick almost any of her recent releases, and you’re likely to find a blend of contemporary pop and distinctly Vietnamese cultural elements. Tứ Phủ - one of the opening tracks from her album Hoàng, is an example.
Tứ Phủ is a vivid celebration of Vietnamese cultural heritage, drawing from the centuries-old practice of Mother Goddess worship. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the tradition brings together music, ritual, costume and history - elements that Hoàng Thùy Linh weaves into the visual and sonic world of the music video.
The Four Palaces are also represented through a distinctive color system, reflected in the costumes worn by deities during ritual performances and in ceremonial objects. Red represents the Heaven Palace, yellow the Earth Palace, white the Water Palace, while blue, indigo and purple represent the Forest Palace.
Hoàng Thùy Linh appears as a cô đồng, dressed in elaborate costumes and jewelry inspired by the ritual tradition. At the heart of Mother Goddess worship is hầu đồng, a ceremonial practice in which a medium serves as an intermediary between the human and spiritual worlds. During the ritual, the medium is believed to embody different deities through a series of ritual performances, allowing worshippers to seek guidance for the future, healing, protection from misfortune and blessings of wealth and prosperity.
Beyond Tứ Phủ, listeners interested in Hoàng Thùy Linh’s fusion of contemporary pop and Vietnamese cultural influences can explore Bánh Trôi Nước (traditional poetry and imagery), Để Mị Nói Cho Mà Nghe (the culture of Vietnam’s Northwest highlands) or See Tình (the riverine culture of the Mekong Delta).
Hòa Minzy - Bắc Bling
Before talking about cultural elements woven into the music video, let’s take a look at the remarkable success Bắc Bling has achieved. Hòa Minzy’s hit quickly went viral worldwide, surpassing 63 million views within two weeks of its release and topping multiple online music charts in Vietnam. It also reached No. 15 on the global weekly streaming chart and ranked among the 20 most-streamed songs in markets including Australia, Singapore, South Korea,...
One of the most distinctive cultural elements in Bắc Bling is Quan họ, a traditional folk singing style from Bắc Ninh. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Quan họ is traditionally performed as an exchange of songs between male and female singers, often accompanied by rituals of hospitality and courtship. The influence is woven throughout the song, from its melodies and vocal delivery to lyrics inspired by classic Quan họ verses such as Mời Trầu and Người ở đừng về.
Bắc Bling also draws its lyrics from famous Vietnamese proverbs and traditional sayings, such as “Ta về ta tắm ao ta/ Dù trong dù đục ao nhà vẫn hơn”, while its music video brings a range of local cultural traditions to life. These include Đông Hồ paintings, the Hữu Chấp tug-of-war festival, Quan họ singing at the Lim Festival, as well as customs such as betel chewing, teeth blackening and Mother Goddess worship. The MV also features several cultural landmarks across Bắc Ninh, including Dâu Pagoda, Đô Temple, the Bắc Ninh Quan họ Folk Song Theatre and Phù Lãng pottery village.
MONO - Em Xinh And Công Tử Văn Thơ
It is hard to deny that drawing on cultural heritage as an anchor for artistic expression is nothing new, nor is MONO the only young Vietnamese artist exploring this approach. Still, he stands out among a new generation of artists doing it particularly well. Two examples are Em Xinh and Công Tử Văn Thơ, the latter released in June this year.
First, Em Xinh is a track from MONO’s 2023 EP Đẹp. The MV incorporates elements of chèo, a traditional Vietnamese form of musical theater, with remarkable subtlety. Originating in Northern Vietnam, chèo brings together folk singing, dance, music, theatrical performance and storytelling, making it one of the region’s distinctive cultural art forms.
One of the MV’s most striking details is MONO’s recreation of The Young Woman with Lilies, the iconic work by the late Vietnamese painter Tô Ngọc Vân and one of the defining pieces of 20th-century Vietnamese fine art. The original painting captures a young woman surrounded by soft, muted colors, creating an understated yet melancholic sense of beauty. By reimagining this image in a contemporary music video, MONO bridges Vietnam’s artistic heritage with the present, while continuing a long-standing celebration of feminine beauty across generations.
In Công Tử Văn Thơ, MONO takes a different approach to cultural storytelling, drawing inspiration from objects deeply rooted in everyday Vietnamese life. These include paper kites - a familiar symbol of childhood for generations of Vietnamese people, paper fans - reminiscent of mothers fanning their children to sleep on hot summer afternoons and traditional crafts such as ceramic and mother-of-pearl inlay.
The MV also stands out for its filming location. MONO became the first Vietnamese singer to premiere and screen a music video from inside the Imperial City of Huế, with the iconic Ngọ Môn (Meridian Gate) as its centerpiece. As the main gateway to the Imperial City and a defining example of Nguyễn Dynasty architecture, the site carries significant heritage value and rarely appears in mainstream entertainment productions.
Double2T - À lôi
This is a fun fact: many Vietnamese listeners didn’t understand the meaning of “À lôi” before Double2T’s breakout hit. The song was released before he went on to win Rap Việt, the competition that later brought him nationwide recognition.
The phrase itself comes from the Tày language, spoken by the Tày people, one of Vietnam’s major ethnic groups concentrated in the northern mountainous region. Simply, “à lôi” is an exclamation of surprise, similar to “huh?” or “oh my God!” in English.
In the song, Double2T takes on the role of a young man from the mountains who falls for a girl from a neighboring village after meeting her in a valley. He confesses his feelings - “lỡ bị em gây thương nhớ, bắn vào tim mà không súng” (“you made me fall for you, like a bullet to the heart without a gun”) - only for her to respond with two words: “À lôi!”
Throughout the track, Double2T also weaves in affectionate expressions from the Tày language. He calls the girl “Noọng,” a familiar and intimate way of addressing someone in Tày.
Double2T’s “zero to hero” story is therefore about more than winning Rap Việt. His music has helped bring the culture of his home region to audiences across Vietnam, turning his roots into a source of artistic expression rather than something to leave behind. Growing up in a remote mountainous area with limited internet access and modest resources, he still managed to build a career on his own terms - while staying closely connected to the place and culture that shaped him.
The cultural references extend beyond the lyrics. Producer Masew gives the track a distinctly northern mountain sound, opening with the recognizable tones of the khèn and sáo mèo, traditional wind instruments associated with the region. These sounds are then layered into an EDM-driven production, creating a modern rap track without losing its regional identity.
If you enjoy Double2T’s distinctive mountain-inspired sound, let’s check out a few of his other tracks, including Người Miền Núi Chất, Chài Điếp Noọng (I Love You, featuring Hòa Minzy and DươngK), and Thanh Âm Miền Núi (featuring Vũ Thảo My).