By: Godfreyna Canja
People’s love of music has proved to transcend culture and language because whether or not we fully understand the lyrics of a foreign song, we still think it’s a bop nonetheless. If it’s fresh music we’re looking for, what’s better than checking out what our region has to offer?
Thai and Vietnamese pop or simply TPop and VPop, once confined only to their own space, are now slowly getting recognized around Asia and beyond thanks to these rising new artists. Read on and listen to these High Five Southeast Asian musicians!
Phum Viphurit (Thailand)
Phum is a 24-year-old indie pop, neo-soul singer from Thailand. He grew up in New Zealand where he discovered his love for music. In 2018, he released his single Lover Boy which went viral and made him a household name around the world, among music enthusiasts at least. Since then, he has collaborated with 88Rising’s Chinese hip-hop group Higher Brothers and Korean indie rock band Se So Neon.
His most recent single was “Wings” – a collaboration with Korean singer-songwriter Sooyoon which was released in October of last year. Watch the official lyric video below.
Son Tung M-TP (Vietnam)
Dubbed as the “Prince of V-Pop,” Son Tung is said to have placed Vietnamese pop on the map. He is also the first Vietnamese singer to hit eight million subscribers on YouTube, where his reggae take on the track Hay Trao Cho Anh – a collaboration with US rapper Snoop Dogg – gained over 222 million views.
Son Tung M-TP’s latest music video “Muộn Rồi Mà Sao Còn” (It’s Late But…) was released this April and raked in more than 41 million views on YouTube. Watch it below.
Jannine Weigel (Thailand)
The Thai-German singer first launched a career in her YouTube channel and became the first Thai singer to receive a Gold Play button from YouTube! She is not only followed by fans because of her awesome music but also for her bubbly and energetic personality.
Her recent release “Passcode” was produced by Tommy Brown, a Grammy-Nominated producer who has worked with the likes of Ariana Grande, Travis Scott, and The Weeknd. The song was released in September of last year and has since inspired a TikTok dance challenge. Watch the music video below.
Erik (Vietnam)
Erik was a former member of V-pop boyband Monstar but has since started his career as a solo singer. He continues to mesmerize fans with his top vocal skills and dancing prowess. Erik even collaborated with the K-pop girl group Momoland for the ballad song Love Is Only You, showing his international and cross-cultural popularity.
In 2020 his music video “Em Không Sai, Chúng Ta Sai” (You Are Not Wrong, We Are Wrong) reached over 23 million views on YouTube and grabbed the top charts in YouTube Vietnam for over a week after its release. Watch the music video for this hit song below.
Milli (Thailand)
Danupha Kanateerakul, better known by her stage name Milli, is a rising female rapper that competed in season 2 of Thai reality competition The Rapper. The 17-year old is hailed as the “Rap Queen of Thailand” for her catchy tunes, fresh rhymes and badass attitude. She has performed in 88Rising’s Winter Wonderland Festival and has collaborated with Thailand’s other homegrown rappers Maiyarap, LazyLoxy, Ben Bizzy and Autta.
Her debut rap song “Pakkorn” (You Need to Calm Down) became a big hit overnight with over 20 million views on YouTube, and has since gained more than 60 million more views. Watch the viral music video below.