THỦY, the Vietnamese-American artist with 600 million streams on Apple Music, will be performing in HCMC on November 17 and TikTok Awards Vietnam 2024 on November 23.
The first Vietnamese-American female artist to perform at Coachella is returning to her homeland as part of her WingsWorld Tour, with a highly anticipated show in Ho Chi Minh City on November 17.
This weekend, at Loud Minority (142 Tran Nao, District 2), THỦY’s Vietnamese fans will have the chance to experience her modern R&B sound live. The concert is already sold out, with fans eager to meet THỦY during a Meet & Greet session, attend soundcheck, and, most importantly, enjoy the electrifying atmosphere as she performs tracks from her latest album, Wings, alongside hits from her previous EPs Girls Like Me Don’t Cry (2022), I Hope You See This (2021), and various singles.
THỦY expressed her excitement about returning to Vietnam after a year to headline her own show. “It feels like the ultimate full-circle moment, and I know the show is going to be a special one,” she shared with us.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: Hi THỦY! How has the wings tour been for you so far, now that you’ve completed the Australia and New Zealand leg and currently meeting your Asian fans?
THỦY: The wings tour has exceeded all of my expectations. After taking a break to work on the project, I was a bit nervous to go back on tour. But, after the first show in Perth, I was reminded how amazing and supportive my fans are. I think it’s been really cool to see how each city responds to the music, and one thing that has stood out to me it’s just how passionate the fans get during the shows. It’s such an overwhelming but amazing experience every time I’m on stage.
A lot of the cities on the wings tour, I’m coming back for the second or third time so I have a good idea of what to expect. But, the cities and countries I have yet to touch, I’m so excited to perform at! The coolest part about being a musician is the touring aspect. Being able to be in a new place, experience new cultures, try new foods, and most importantly scream with the fans every night, are all things I find myself yearning for when I’m not on tour — I love how fast paced it all feels.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: Ho Chi Minh City is an exciting stop on your tour, and it’s already sold-out! You will be meeting with a lot of fans. How are you preparing for this part of the tour? Are there any special surprises in store for your Vietnamese fans?
THỦY: My show in Ho Chi Minh City is the one show I’m most looking forward to because my parents and my siblings are flying out there to meet me and watch me perform. To be able to go back to my parents’ home country and do my own headline show feels like the ultimate full circle moment and I know it’s going to be a special one. Aside from my parents, I do plan on having some surprise guests!
HARPER’S BAZAAR: There’s already one surprise guest revealed: Singer My Anh. What inspired you to invite her to join the show?
THỦY: I actually used to listen to a lot of her music a couple years ago so it only felt right to add her to the show! I think she’s so talented!
HARPER’S BAZAAR: You always play a crucial role in creative process of your albums. So how about the wings tour, how hands-on are you with details like stage visuals and styling?
THỦY: Sometimes being so hands-on is a blessing and a curse. I occasionally will keep myself up at night thinking about all the things I could do, but there are times where I have to be realistic with myself. Touring is so much fun because it really is such a blank canvas and the aspect I always want to bring to all my shows is a big party. My team and I love to have fun so prepping for this leg of the tour was so effortless!
As for the styling, I think it is one of the most important aspects of the show! Through styling, you build a storyline with the songs but in a live setting. My personal style is very relaxed. If you see me out on the street I’m most likely in sweats, a tank top, and comfy sneakers, but on stage, I love to play around with textures and colors to express my personality and femininity.
Dressing for shows can be a lot of fun but sometimes it can be a challenge to find cuts that flatter a more curvy body. Me and my stylist work very closely together to build a story with the clothes while also making sure I feel sexy but comfortable.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: The wings World Tour centers around your latest album, wings, a deeply personal project for you. Is there a particular song from this album that you especially love performing live?
THỦY: I really love performing the song wings. The song comes at a place in the set list where the energy is starting to wind down just a bit and I get to be a little more vulnerable with my fans. Every time I perform this song, I can see all of their faces so clearly, and I know they see themselves through me. The song means a lot to me and I can tell it resonates with a lot of my fans as well.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: What emotions or memories do you hope audiences will carry with them after attending one of your concerts?
THỦY: I hope that they allow themselves to feel all of their emotions at my concert and most importantly, I hope they just have fun. I want them to look back on the show in the future and remember it for being one they won’t ever forget.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: You’ll also be performing at the TikTok Awards Vietnam 2024, which is just one week after your wings World Tour performance in HCMC. What are your expectations for the experience?
THỦY: Being included at the TikTok Awards in Vietnam is one of the highest honors. I am very, very grateful for the opportunity and I am just so excited to experience something like this for the first time. I know it’s going to be an amazing show and I can’t wait to see how it all comes out!
HARPER’S BAZAAR: TikTok has helped bring your music to a larger audience. Many artists now design songs with catchy hooks to make them more TikTok-friendly. How does this trend influence your creative process? Do you also consider virality when crafting your music?
THỦY: I think that there is definitely a fine line when it comes to this. I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about it while creating music, but it is not my driving force.
When I’m in the studio I try to write about things that are relatable and authentic to me, the same way I created my older songs that gained virality through TikTok. I think that making music that means something to you will always resonate the most with the fans. Usually for me, the songs that tend to do the best are the ones I write about something personal to me which has enabled me to have viral moments while maintaining my artistic integrity.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: What does Vietnamese’s fans support mean to you?
THỦY: It means the world to me! My community is so strong and supportive. It makes me so proud to be Vietnamese and I hope that I continue to make them proud!
HARPER’S BAZAAR: Do you keep up with the Vietnamese music scene? Is this something that influences your approach to music, especially when reaching out to Vietnamese fans?
THỦY: There are Vietnamese artists that I follow and admire! I hope one day I can collaborate with a Vietnamese writer to compose a song in Vietnamese. That is a goal of mine for sure.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: As we approach the end of 2024, how do you feel you’ve grown as an artist?
THỦY: I have yet to feel like I have reached any ceiling. There is so much more I want to achieve and so many other doors I want to kick down. I feel more confident than I’ve ever felt and I’m excited to venture off into other areas like fashion and film!
Also, 2025 will be filled with a lot of live shows. I will also be working on more music and of course there will be more collaborations with artists I love. I think any collaboration is built off being fans of each other first as humans! I’m always manifesting collaborations with people I’ve been fans of for years, so stay tuned to see who I work with next. As far as Vietnamese artists, I definitely plan on collaborating with more but we’ll keep that a secret for now.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: Is there a message you’d like to share with your Vietnamese fans who have supported you throughout this journey?
THỦY: I love you guys so much. Thank you for seeing me and supporting me through some of the biggest moments of my career. I hope that you see a part of yourself in me and I hope that I make you feel free to be who you are without judgment!
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
