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| Many young people in Hue are pursuing a long-term journey in music, driven by seriousness and passion |
At the recent rock concert “Chay lut 2: Long Ma Ngu Trieu” (Flood Run 2: Dragon Horse Attending the Royal Court) in Hue, music lovers witnessed energetic performances by several young bands showcasing their original works. The Clocks, a five-member ensemble with the oldest born in 1999 and the youngest in 2003, stood out. Since their debut in July 2024, The Clocks has boldly performed “Tinh giac” (Awakening), composed by themselves. At “Long Ma Ngu Trieu” (Dragon Horse Attending the Royal Court), the band delivered five songs, including four originals, earning enthusiastic cheers from the audience.
Quoc Trung, the band’s guitarist, born in 2003, said: “Performing our original songs on stage makes us nervous, of course. But with the audience’s support and positive feedback from other bands, I’ve become more confident and believe we’re on the right track.” The Clocks plans to launch its debut EP (Extended Play, a set of tracks shorter than an album), signaling a new level of maturity after a year of performing.
Moreover, many young artists are seeking to incorporate Hue’s cultural elements into their compositions - from their unadorned vocals and signature way of delivering lyrics to the integration of Ca Hue, royal court music, and folk chants. Such elements lend their works cultural richness while keeping them connected to their Hue roots amid contemporary music trends. As a result, many songs feel modern yet subtly tinged with Hue’s own nostalgic charm.
Another example is Napalm, a rock band formed in 2017. It has steadily pursued songwriting and released polished products on platforms such as YouTube and Spotify. This effort has earned them a stable audience and a small community of fans who appreciate their music. Hoang Tien Nghia, the band’s guitarist, said that ideas often come unexpectedly: “When my mind is drifting, a melody just pops up.”
Yet translating a fleeting idea to a complete song is a different journey: “Some songs are finished in just a week, but others can take three, even five years, and still not meet our satisfaction. Because it’s our ‘creative child,’ everyone wants it to be perfect. And in a band, each member has their own ego, so reaching consensus requires true patience.”
This “write and tell your own story” spirit is not exclusive to rock; it has also spread to other genres. For Nguyen Viet Hung, a rap singer, music is a way to convey his own perspective on life. A final-year student at Hue University of Economics, Hung is preparing a 12-song album that traces a young person’s journey of growth - from working part-time and coping with academic pressures to realizing the value of money and treasuring what truly matters: family, friends, and music. Significantly, he performs in Central Vietnamese rap as a way to underline his origins and hometown identity.
“Writing music is a journey of self-discovery for me. Each rap song represents a fragment of life - sometimes happy, sometimes sad - but always true. I hope listeners can feel not only the music, but also the person behind it,” Hung shared.
The latest creations from Hue’s young artists cover a wide spectrum: romantic love, affection for their hometown, and honest glimpses into work, study, and the personal challenges of youth amid modern life. Whether in rock, pop, rap, or acoustic, the common thread is that they take their musical choices seriously, seeking to provide something distinctive rather than merely “repeating what already exists.”
Perhaps, to create a “Hue music wave,” more time, greater investment, and community support are still needed. Yet the valuable thing is that Hue’s young people have started to compose their own melodies, driven by seriousness, perseverance, a love for music, and the belief that only sincerity can touch listeners’ hearts.