Sơn Tùng M-TP
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Nguyễn Thanh Tùng (born 5 July 1994), known professionally as Sơn Tùng M-TP (), is a Vietnamese singer-songwriter and actor. Born and raised in
Thái Bình Thái Bình City () is a city in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. It is the capital of Thái Bình Province. The city is located 110 km from Hanoi. The city area is 67.7 square km, with a population of 210,000 people (2006). History ...
,
Thái Bình province Cài () is a Chinese-language surname that derives from the name of the ancient Cai state. In 2019 it was the 38th most common surname in China, but the 9th most common in Taiwan (as of 2018), where it is usually romanized as "Tsai" (based on ...
, his family discovered his singing ability when he was two years old. His self-written 2012 and 2013 singles, "" and "" launched his career. These were followed by successful singles "", "" and "". In 2017, Tùng released the compilation album '' M-tp M-TP'' and published his autobiography, '. Tùng spent four years as part of Văn Production and WePro Entertainment before founding his own record label, M-TP Entertainment, in 2016. His other ventures include the M-TP Ambition Tour (2015–2016), the Sky Tour (2019), a starring role in the 2014 film ''
Dandelion ''Taraxacum'' () is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The scientific and hobby study of the genus is known as taraxacology. The genus is native to Eurasia and Nor ...
'' (which earned him a
Golden Kite Prize The Vietnam Cinema Association Awards, popularly known as the Kite Awards or Golden Kite Awards ( Vietnamese: ''Giải thưởng Hội Điện ảnh Việt Nam'', '' Giải Cánh diều'' or ''Cánh diều vàng'') since 2003, is an annual awards ...
for Young Prominent Actor) and an appearance as a contestant on the television series ''The Remix''. Called a "Prince of
V-pop V-pop ( vi, nhạc pop Việt Nam, nhạc trẻ or nhạc xanh), an abbreviation for Vietnamese popular music, is a music genre covering Vietnamese pop music from the 1990s to the present day. Etymology During the 1970s, V-pop was limited to ...
" for his popularity, Tùng has received many accolades which include a
MTV Europe Music Award The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...
, a Dedication Music Award, a
Mnet Asian Music Award The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...
, seven ''Green Wave'' Awards and an inclusion on '' Forbes Vietnam'' 2018 30 Under 30 list.


Life and career


1994–2012: Early life and career

Nguyễn Thanh Tùng was born on 5 July 1994 in
Thái Bình Thái Bình City () is a city in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. It is the capital of Thái Bình Province. The city is located 110 km from Hanoi. The city area is 67.7 square km, with a population of 210,000 people (2006). History ...
,
Thái Bình province Cài () is a Chinese-language surname that derives from the name of the ancient Cai state. In 2019 it was the 38th most common surname in China, but the 9th most common in Taiwan (as of 2018), where it is usually romanized as "Tsai" (based on ...
, to parents Nguyễn Đức Thiện and Phạm Thị Thanh Bình. Bình was a traditional dancer in the city's official performing group and a performer in Thái Bình's
chèo ''Chèo'' (, Chữ Nôm: 掉) is a form of generally satirical musical theatre, often encompassing dance, traditionally performed by Vietnamese peasants in northern Vietnam. It is usually performed outdoors by semi-amateur touring groups, stere ...
theatre. She met Thiện when he was working as a transport driver. After becoming pregnant with Tùng, Bình opened a
barber A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...
shop at home which later became a
clothing store A clothes shop or clothes store is any shop which sells items of ready-made clothing. A small shop which sells expensive or designer clothing may be called a boutique. A shop that sells clothes for a narrowlyrestricted market such as school un ...
. She also used to work as a bridal
make-up artist A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other similar productions inc ...
. The singer described his early life as "peaceful." He has a younger brother, Nguyễn Việt Hoàng ( 2000), who later also becomes a singer in 2022 with the stage name MONO. He was two years old when the family discovered his singing ability. At the age of eight, he joined Thái Bình's Children's Arts and Culture Palace and learned to play the
electronic keyboard An electronic keyboard, portable keyboard, or digital keyboard is an electronic musical instrument, an electronic derivative of keyboard instruments. Electronic keyboards include synthesizers, digital pianos, stage pianos, electronic organs an ...
. Tùng's mother plays
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
, and her husband plays seven instruments. However, they disapproved of their son's pursuit of a singing career and wanted him to focus on education; his father wanted him to study business in college. Despite this, Tùng frequently participated in talent shows at school. In 2009, he and his classmates formed a group, Over Band, and began writing and uploading songs on the independent-music website LadyKillah. Rap artist Hoàng Kê, one of the site's participants, invited the singer to join his Young Pilots hip hop group in 2010. Young Pilots recorded and performed across Thái Bình, successful in their hometown and online. At this time, Tùng adopted the
stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
M-TP, which was an acronym for Mr. Tùng Pình, a nickname bestowed by fellow LadyKillah member Mr. J. According to the singer, it now stands for "music," "tài năng" ("talent"), and "phong cách" ("style"). Tùng originally wrote "Cơn mưa ngang qua" for Over Band and Young Pilots before deciding to record the song himself. He published it on the music website Zing MP3 in August 2011, and within two months of release, it had 1.7 million streams. "Cơn mưa ngang quas success exceeded Tùng's expectations. It received the Song of the Month award from the music-chart TV program ''
Favorite Song Favorite Song may refer to: * "Favorite Song" (Colbie Caillat song), 2011 song featuring Common * "Favorite Song" (Chance the Rapper song), 2013 song featuring Childish Gambino * "Favorite Song" (Toosii song), 2023 song * ''Favorite Song'' (TV s ...
'' in October 2012, and a Zing Music Award for R&B Song of the Year. Two revised versions of the song were released in February 2012. That year, he was admitted to the Conservatory of Ho Chi Minh City with one of its highest entrance scores. He left the conservatory in June 2014, while filming ''
Dandelion ''Taraxacum'' () is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The scientific and hobby study of the genus is known as taraxacology. The genus is native to Eurasia and Nor ...
'', due to scheduling conflicts and a desire to focus on his future career. In July 2012, he auditioned for ''
Vietnam Idol ''Vietnam Idol'' ( or from season 5) is a Vietnamese reality television competition to find new solo singing talents. It is part of the ''Idol'' franchise; it originated from the reality program ''Pop Idol'' created by British entertainment exe ...
'' fourth season and was eliminated in the first round. He signed a five-year contract with Văn Production in November 2012 and changed his stage name from M-TP to Sơn Tùng M-TP after a suggestion came from the company's music director, Huy Tuấn, and musician Hà Quang Minh.


2013–2015: Breakthrough and ''Dandelion''

Tùng released three singles between August and December 2013: "Nắng ấm xa dần", "Đừng về trễ" and "Em của ngày hôm qua". The latter launched Tùng's mainstream career and successfully gained over 100 million streams in three months on Zing MP3. ''Favorite Song'' made it its Song of the Month in February 2014. Tùng wrote "Gió cuốn em đi", which was performed and released by
Quốc Thiên Trần Quốc Thiên (born 9 April 1988) is a Vietnamese singer who won the second season of ''Vietnam Idol'' in 2008–2009. Vietnam Idol Quốc Thiên auditioned for ''Vietnam Idol'' in Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,2 ...
in April 2014. The following month, Tùng contributed vocals to a charity cover of Tạ Quang Thắng's "Sống như những đóa hoa" and canceled a number of performances for surgery to remove a
tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
from his leg. In that June, it was announced that the singer would star in ''Dandelion'', a semi-biographical film based on the life of late singer Wanbi Tuấn Anh. Quang Huy, founder and
chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of WePro Entertainment,
directed Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...
the film. ''Dandelion'' was released in December 2014. It grossed 60 billion (US$2.8 million) at the
box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...
and became one of the most profitable Vietnamese films of all time. Tùng's performance earned him a
Golden Kite Prize The Vietnam Cinema Association Awards, popularly known as the Kite Awards or Golden Kite Awards ( Vietnamese: ''Giải thưởng Hội Điện ảnh Việt Nam'', '' Giải Cánh diều'' or ''Cánh diều vàng'') since 2003, is an annual awards ...
, the Vietnamese equivalent of an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, for Young Prominent Actor. Its
soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
produced two successful singles by Tùng: "Chắc ai đó sẽ về" and "Không phải dạng vừa đâu". The music video for "Không phải dạng vừa đâu" was criticized. It featured
look-alike A look-alike, double, or doppelgänger is a person who bears a strong physical resemblance to another person, excluding cases like twins and other instances of family resemblance. Some look-alikes have been notable individuals in their own right, ...
s of musicians Phó Đức Phương and Dương Khắc Linh, both whom had lambasted Tùng's copyright controversies. Many publications considered Tùng's video "disrespectful" of the older musicians, which led WePro to issue an apology, stating that the idea was intended to represent the
generation gap A generation gap or generational gap is a difference of opinions between one generation and another regarding beliefs, politics, or values. In today's usage, ''generation gap'' often refers to a perceived gap between younger people and their paren ...
in music. Although the company withdrew the video and planned to film another one, it was re-uploaded shortly afterwards. "Chắc ai đó sẽ về" later won a WeChoice Award for Song of the Year. In November 2014, the singer was suspended for six months by Văn Production for contract violations, including him not following the schedules and cancelling shows without permission. Tùng later terminated the contract, accusing the company of exploitation and not fulfilling its obligations. In January 2015, Văn Production sued the singer for wrongful termination and defamation. A legal adviser told ''
VnExpress ''VnExpress'' is a Vietnamese online newspaper, run by FPT Group. It was the first newspaper in Vietnam that was not produced in paper format.
'' that the contract was a
service-level agreement A service-level agreement (SLA) is a commitment between a service provider and a customer. Particular aspects of the service – quality, availability, responsibilities – are agreed between the service provider and the service user. T ...
which did not address termination, and the singer might had the right to terminate. It was reported in early 2015 that Tùng had signed with WePro while still being managed by his former company.


2015–2017: ''The Remix'' and concerts

In January 2015, Tùng joined a team with
disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...
Trang Moon and
music producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
SlimV on the first season of the television competition series ''The Remix''. His team competed against other notable acts, such as Đông Nhi and
Tóc Tiên Nguyễn Khoa Tóc Tiên (; born 13 May 1989), known simply as Tóc Tiên, is a Vietnamese singer, model and actress. Beginning her career as a child, Tiên later became a teen idol, participating in several singing competitions and releasing ...
, to create the best
remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
es on the program. Tùng's performance each week received considerable media coverage but he quit after six episodes, citing health issues. Two songs he introduced on the show, "Thái Bình mồ hôi rơi" and "Khuôn mặt đáng thương", were released as singles the following February and March. In June, Tùng recorded "Tiến lên Việt Nam ơi!" in support of Vietnam's team at the
Southeast Asian Games The Southeast Asian Games, also known as the SEA Games, is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with supe ...
. Three of his other singles, "Ấn nút nhớ... Thả giấc mơ" (written for an advertising campaign for
Omo Omo or OMO may refer to: Geography Ethiopia * Omo River (Ethiopia), in southern Ethiopia is the largest Ethiopian river outside the Nile Basin and namesake for all the topics below * Omo Nada, one of the woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia ...
), "Âm thầm bên em" and "Buông đôi tay nhau ra", were released between June and December 2015. Although they were modest commercial successes compared to their predecessors, "Âm thầm bên em" received a ''Green Wave'' Award for Single of the Year. In July, eight thousand tickets for Tùng's first major concert in
Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...
, M-TP & Friends, sold out in two weeks. His ''Dandelion'' castmates, including Hari Won and Phạm Quỳnh Anh, were the show's
opening act A opening act, also known as a warm-up act, support act, or supporting act, is an entertainment act (musical, comedic, or otherwise), that performs at a concert before the featured act, or "headliner". Rarely, an opening act may perform again a ...
s. At the
2015 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2015 MTV EMAs (also known as the MTV Europe Music Awards) were held at the Mediolanum Forum in Assago, near Milan, Italy, on 25 October 2015. This was the third time the awards have taken place in Italy, second time Milan has been the host ...
, Tùng received the Best Southeast Asian Act award and was nominated for Best Asian Act. In December 2015 and January 2016, Tùng's M-TP Ambition – Chuyến bay đầu tiên
concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
played in Ho Chi Minh City and
Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
. In his 2017
autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
, ''Chạm tới giấc mơ'', he called the tour one of his life's "unforgettable failures." It was reported that only half of the tickets for the first concert were sold and, although a number of critics appreciated the singer's stage presence, others felt the show lacked content. Two songs he introduced on tour, "Remember Me" and "Như ngày hôm qua", were released as singles in December 2015. Tùng's
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel released recordings of the concerts in November 2016. In January 2016, he guest judged an episode of ''The Remix'' second season and endorsed Oppo's
Tết Tết (), short for Tết Nguyên Đán (Chữ Hán: 節元旦), Spring Festival, Lunar New Year, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations in Vietnamese culture. The colloquial term "Tết" is a shortened form of , ...
campaign with the song "Một năm mới bình an". At the 11th Dedication Music Award in April, Tùng became the youngest recipient of the Singer of the Year award. He also won the Favorite Male Artist category at that year's Zing Music Awards. Tùng released his single "Chúng ta không thuộc về nhau" in August 2016. It was Google Vietnam's most-searched song of 2016, YouTube's 11th-most- disliked video of the year and WebTVAsia Awards' Most Popular Video in Vietnam. Due to his creative conflicts with WePro since the M-TP Ambition tour, Tùng announced that he had parted ways with the company in December 2016. He established M-TP Entertainment, and released three singles in early 2017: " Lạc trôi", "Nơi này có anh" and "Bình yên những phút giây". The music video for "Lạc trôi" was described as a "play on
Asian stereotypes Stereotypes of Asians may refer to: *Stereotypes of East Asians in the United States, ethnic stereotypes of East Asians found in American society as well as other Western societies *Stereotypes of South Asians Stereotypes of South Asians are br ...
," such as gold thrones and statues of dragons. It and "Nơi này có anh" were two of the fastest Asian music videos to receive 100 million views on YouTube, and were two of the year's top streaming tracks in Vietnam. ''Green Wave'' and WeChoice Awards later gave the former track the Single of the Year and Favorite Music Video awards, respectively. Tùng's last solo release for WePro, "Bình yên những phút giây", was a single written as part of a promotion for Không Độ green tea.


2017–present: ''M-tp M-TP'', ''Sky Tour Movie'' and ''Chúng ta''

In April 2017, Tùng released the
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
'' M-tp M-TP'' to commemorate his fifth anniversary in the music industry. Released physically in
USB flash drive A USB flash drive (also called a thumb drive) is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface. It is typically removable, rewritable and much smaller than an optical disc. Most weigh less than . Since firs ...
format, it contained most of his past tracks with new remixes. One thousand copies were reportedly sold at its signings in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. In June 2017, Tùng performed at the Viral Fest Asia in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
,
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, and conducted a second M-TP & Friends concert in Hanoi in the following month. He starred in ''Âm bản'' (2017), a short film sponsored by Oppo, and took part on "Gia đình tôi chọn", a single marking WePro's fifteenth anniversary in that August. The singer's autobiography, ''Chạm tới giấc mơ'', was published in September. It detailed Tùng's early life and his time with Văn Production and WePro Entertainment, omitting the controversies surrounding his career. Ten thousand copies of the book were sold in its first two days. Tùng later received a
Mnet Asian Music Award The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...
for Vietnamese Breakout Artist, a Keeng Young Award for Favorite Male Artist, a V Live Award for Best V Star and a WeChoice Award for Breakout Artist. In May 2018, his single "Run Now" was released with a music video featuring Thai actress
Davika Hoorne Davika Hoorne ( th, ดาวิกา โฮร์เน่), nicknamed Mai ( th, ใหม่), is a Thai actress, model and singer, who made an acting debut on 2010 in television series ''Ngao Kammathep'' as the lead role. She rose to fame f ...
. Many
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
viewers condemned its usage of
William-Adolphe Bouguereau William-Adolphe Bouguereau (; 30 November 1825 – 19 August 1905) was a French academic painter. In his realistic genre paintings, he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female ...
's 1876 painting ''
Pietà The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus after his body was removed from the cross. It is most often found in sculpture. The Pietà is a specific form o ...
'', as it was seen burning in the video. "Run Now" was awarded two Zing Music Awards for Music Video of the Year and Most Favorite Dance/Electronic Song, and a WeChoice Award for Most Favorite Music Video. Later in July, the singer played a fictionalized version of himself in ''Chuyến đi của thanh xuân'', a short film sponsored by Biti's and directed by Nguyễn Quang Dũng. Tùng's collaboration with rapper
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
, "Give It to Me", was released in July 2019. The accompanied video features an appearance by singer
Madison Beer Madison Elle Beer (born March 5, 1999) is an American singer. Born in New York, she began posting covers to YouTube in early 2012. Beer gained substantial media coverage when Justin Bieber posted a link to one of her covers. She released her d ...
and set a 24-hour record for Vietnamese music videos with 25.8 million YouTube views on the first day. This record was previously held by "Chạy ngay đi" (17.6 million views). The singer embarked on his second nationwide concert tour, Sky Tour, from July to August 2019. The show was divided into two sets. The first half featured performances by guest acts such as Tiên Tiên, Rhymastic and Kimmese, while the other half was Tùng's solo set. Tickets to the Hồ Chí Minh and Hà Nội dates sold out. Despite many panning strict security measures at the concerts, critics still praised the performances and Tùng's audience interaction. The tour was chronicled in the documentary film, ''Sơn Tùng M-TP: Sky Tour Movie'', which debuted in June 2020. Dubbed as Vietnam's first musical documentary, it grossed 5.5 billion (US$238.700) after the first three days of release even with mixed reviews.
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
went on to distribute the film globally. An accompanying live album was also released. Later that year, Tùng released "Có chắc yêu là đây", and the lead single from his forthcoming extended play ''Chúng ta'', "Chúng ta của hiện tại". The former became the 4th-most streamed music video premiere on YouTube at the time with 901.000 concurrent viewers. Tùng also became the first Vietnamese musician to enter the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Social 50 The ''Billboard'' Social 50 is a popularity chart which ranks the most active musical artists on the world's leading social networking services. Its data, published by '' Billboard'' magazine and compiled by Next Big Sound, is based collectivel ...
chart that July at number 28. On April 24, 2021, he released his music video ''Muộn rồi mà sao còn'' on YouTube. On April 28, 2022, he released his music video " There's No One at All'' on Youtube, making his comeback after a year absent.


Controversies

In 2014, several of Tùng's songs, including "Em của ngày hôm qua" and "Cơn mưa ngang qua", were accused of
plagiarism Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...
. The singer initially denied the allegations in 2012. In 2014, he admitted to using others' backing tracks as references to create his own work. The songs in question were later removed from the music television program ''Favorite Song''. The ''Green Wave'' Awards also banned "Em của ngày hôm qua" from that year's shortlists. In October 2014, Tùng's "Chắc ai đó sẽ về" received comparisons to "Because I Miss You", a 2011 track recorded by Korean singer
Jung Yong-hwa Jung Yong-hwa (; ; born June 22, 1989) is a South Korean singer, musician and actor. He is the leader, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band CNBLUE. Jung made his television debut in ''You're Beautiful'' (2009), and has since sta ...
. Jung's record label,
FNC Entertainment FNC Entertainment (; stands for "fish and cake") is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2006 by South Korean singer and record producer Han Seong-ho. The label operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, ev ...
, found that there was no copyright infringement. Vietnam's
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) is a central government agency responsible for the areas of tourism, culture, art, religion, and sports. It has two vice ministers, three assistant ministers, one commission, and ...
temporarily banned both "Chắc ai đó sẽ về" and its accompanied film ''Dandelion'', requesting a new version of the single to be produced. A remix was eventually released. In 2016, "Chúng ta không thuộc về nhau" was criticized for its similarities to
Charlie Puth Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer and songwriter. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his song videos uploaded to YouTube. Puth initially signed with the record label eleveneleven after pe ...
's " We Don't Talk Anymore" and
BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produ ...
' "Fire"; leading two musicians,
Tùng Dương Tùng Dương (birth name Nguyễn Tùng Dương, born September 18, 1983) is a Vietnamese singer. He came to fame after the 2004 music contest Sao Mai điểm hẹn, in which he won first place as ranked by the judges. Songs he performed in the ...
and
Vũ Cát Tường Vũ Cát Tường (born October 2, 1992) is a Vietnamese singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, television judge and businesswoman who was a runner-up on the The Voice of Vietnam (season 2), season 2 of ''The Voice of Vietnam''. During the ...
, to chide the singer. In 2021, music producers Robin Wesley and GC accused Tùng of plagiarizing their work for his singles, "Có chắc yêu là đây" and "Chúng ta của hiện tại", respectively. GC later stated that he and Tùng's record label had eventually resolved their dispute. In May 2022, shortly after releasing his new song “ There’s No One At All”, it was called out that the music video was found to have visuals that may have negative impacts on morality, public health and psychosocial well-being. On May 5, the Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a decision to sanction M-TP Entertainment Co., Ltd. Specifically, the company was fined 70 million VND along with returning the profit earned from the music video and remove the visual aspect of "There's No One At All" of the social platforms. He later released a new version of this song called There’s No One At All (another version) on July.


Artistry

Tùng recalled in his autobiography ''Chạm tới giấc mơ'' that he frequently listened to his grandparents singing
Quan họ ''Quan họ'' () singing is a Vietnamese folk music style characterized both by its antiphonal nature, with alternating groups of female and male singers issuing musical challenges and responses. Quan họ is common in rituals and festivals, and a ...
(a
Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
style originating in
Bắc Ninh Bắc Ninh () is a city in the northern part of Vietnam and is the capital of Bắc Ninh province. The city is the cultural, administrative and commercial center of the province. The city area is 82.60 square km, with a population of 501,199 in N ...
) as a child. Its signature vocal style eventually affected his way of singing slur notes, and Vietnamese folk music in general has inspired his work. The singer later grew up listening to artists such as
Quang Vinh Quang Vinh may refer to several entity in Vietnam, including: Place * Quang Vinh, Biên Hòa, a ward of Biên Hòa Biên Hòa (Northern accent: , Southern accent: ) is the capital city of Đồng Nai Province, Vietnam and part of the Ho Chi Min ...
, whom he idolized,
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
,
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
and
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
. Tùng has also been influenced by the Vietnamese underground hip hop scene and K-pop acts, including
Big Bang The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...
,
Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...
and
TVXQ TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!), an initialism for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (), is a South Korean male pop duo consisting of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. They are known as in Japanese releases, and are sometimes referred to as DBSK, an abbreviation of ...
. After the death of Thái Bình-born composer An Thuyên in 2015, he said that Thuyên was the biggest influence on his artistry, and expressed appreciation when the composer defended him during the controversy surrounding "Chắc ai đó sẽ về" in 2014. His early releases contain pop,
contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music. The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhythm ...
and hip-hop elements. Tùng followed electronic dance music later in his career, with the
tropical house Tropical house, also known as trop house, is a subgenre of house music, and a derivation of tropical music, with elements of dancehall and Balearic house. Artists of the genre are often featured at various summer festivals such as Tomorrowland. T ...
-oriented "Chúng ta không thuộc về nhau" (2016) being one of his first releases in the genre. Some of his productions also incorporated Vietnamese traditional musical instruments—most notably "Lạc trôi" (2017), which is a
future bass Future bass is a style of electronic dance music which developed in the 2010s that mixes elements of dubstep and trap with warmer, less abrasive rhythms. The genre was pioneered by producers such as Rustie, Hudson Mohawke, Lido, San Holo and Ca ...
track featuring the
đàn tranh The ''đàn tranh'' (, ) or ''đàn thập lục''Le, Tuan Hung. Dan Tranh Music of Vietnam : Traditions and Innovations. Melbourne, Tokyo : Australia Asia Foundation, 1998. (hard back); (paperback), page 1 is a plucked zither of Vietnam, bas ...
and
sáo The ''sáo'' (Chữ Nôm: 筲, also called ''sáo trúc'' or "sow trook", pronounced ) is a family of flutes found in Vietnam that is traditionally thought to contain the culture and spirit of Vietnam's countryside. The most common variety is playe ...
. In a 2014 interview, Tùng said that most of his romantic lyrics were inspired by
Korean drama Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea. They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...
s and his former high-school crush; the latter was most evident in the lyrics of "Em của ngày hôm qua" (2013). Many of his early songs referred to rain, and so he was nicknamed "the Rain Prince" by the early press. "Không phải dạng vừa đâu" and "Remember Me" were 2015 tracks Tùng wrote in response to the backlash against his career. He performed them with his signature
rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
vocals, which over the years were often described as being unclear and divided public reception. Also in addition to electronic keyboards, Tùng plays the
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
.


Public image and achievements

Tùng, as one of the most successful Vietnamese contemporary music artists, has been called the "Prince of
V-pop V-pop ( vi, nhạc pop Việt Nam, nhạc trẻ or nhạc xanh), an abbreviation for Vietnamese popular music, is a music genre covering Vietnamese pop music from the 1990s to the present day. Etymology During the 1970s, V-pop was limited to ...
". '' Forbes Vietnam'' and ''Thể thao & Văn hóa'' described the singer "a phenomenon of Vietnamese pop". According to ''Thể thao & Văn hóa'' Cung Ly, Tùng's knack for "smoothly" blending originality with mainstream K-pop was the reason for his success. However, public reception during his early career was polarized. Due to Tùng's past copyright issues, his work was frequently compared to other foreign songs. ''Forbes Vietnam'' contributor Phan T. Trang wrote that although the public has been more "generous and open" towards the singer since the releases of "Lạc trôi" and "Nơi này có anh", the Vietnamese industry at large still doubts his creativity. In 2015, the WeChoice Awards named Tùng one of its five Inspiration Ambassadors (the awards show's top honor). It also voted him one of the ten most influential people in Vietnam in 2014 and 2017, and one of 2015's five most influential artists. In May 2016,
U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
mentioned Tùng during a speech examining the impact of
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
on young Vietnamese. The speech was part of Obama's town-hall meeting with members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative in Ho Chi Minh City. In 2018, ''Forbes Vietnam'' included Tùng in its annual 30 Under 30 list. He has also been included on the ''Green Wave'' Awards' top-five Favorite Singers (Top Hit board) list three consecutive times since 2015. Tùng has been described as a fashion icon, despite his fashion and music being repeatedly compared to South Korean musician
G-Dragon Kwon Ji-yong (; born August 18, 1988), also known by his stage name G-Dragon (지드래곤), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and fashion designer, known as the " King of K-pop". G-Dragon is the recipi ...
and members of BigBang. In 2017, Vietnamese ''Elle'' gave him a Style Award for Most Stylish Male Singer. His fan base, Sky, has a large following in the country. Tùng has endorsed a number of brands and companies, including Oppo,
Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...
and
Jollibee Jollibee is a Filipino chain of fast food restaurants owned by Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC). As of December 2021, JFC had a total of about 1,500 Jollibee outlets worldwide, with restaurants in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, East Asia ...
. Oppo launched the singer's phone line, Sơn Tùng M-TP Limited Edition F3, in June 2017. A pair of shoes from Biti's Hunter collection sold out after its
product placement Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, is a marketing technique where references to specific brands or products are incorporated into another work, such as a film or television program, with specific promotional intent. Much of th ...
in the "Lạc trôi" music video. Biti's recognized it as a factor in its 300-percent increase in sales, which helped revive the brand. In September 2016, Tùng's red-carpet interview at ''
The Face Vietnam ''The Face Vietnam'' ( vi, Gương mặt thương hiệu (season 1–2) or from season 3) is a Vietnamese modeling-themed reality television series, based on the US television series of the same name, and one of several national editions in ...
'' first season finale went viral. It inspired
meme A meme ( ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural i ...
s, remixes, original songs performed by
Hồ Ngọc Hà Hồ Ngọc Hà (born 25 November 1984) is a Vietnamese model, singer, actress and entertainer. She started her singing career by releasing her first album titled 24/7 back in 2004. The album was a hit which helped her to make an appearance in ...
, Noo Phước Thịnh and Only C, and eventually received a WeChoice Award for Catchphrase of the Year. Only C's song, "Yêu là 'tha thu'", was on the soundtrack of the film ''Em chưa 18'' (2017) and became a hit. He became the first Vietnamese artist to receive YouTube Diamond Play Button on July, 2022.


Discography


Extended plays


Compilation albums


Live albums


Singles

;As lead artist ;As featured artist ;Promotional singles


Headlining tours

* M-TP Ambition – Chuyến bay đầu tiên (2015–2016) * Sky Tour (2019)


Filmography


Film


Television


Music videos


Notes


See also

* Honorific nicknames in popular music


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Son Tung M-TP 1994 births Living people Vietnamese idols Vietnamese pop singers 21st-century Vietnamese male singers Vietnamese male film actors Vietnamese songwriters Vietnamese pianists People from Thái Bình province Male pianists 21st-century pianists MTV Europe Music Award winners