Ha Quynh Nhu caused a sensation with her rap song "Angry but Loving".

Introducing rap into Nghe Tinh folk songs.

In "Gấy Nghệ," Hà Quỳnh Như rearranges the familiar, sentimental melody of "Giận mà thương" (Angry but Loving) from Nghệ An province with a completely new spirit. The story of anger and love, originally gentle in folk songs, becomes a more playful and lighthearted version in this electronic, rap-infused arrangement. The beat is neatly handled, not disrupting the original melody but creating more space for the vocals and lyrics to resonate with younger listeners.

The rap part, performed by Ha Quynh Nhu herself – “But if you’re wrong, it’s your fault, and if I’m wrong, it’s also your fault. But even though we’re angry, we still love each other!” – is both playful and perfectly captures the essence of a young Nghe An girl. Strong in her speech, listeners can sense the soft heart of this young woman in her twenties. This spirit became the highlight that made the MV go viral. The traditional folk songs, with their poignant and intimate melodies, are given a playful version that reflects the rhythm of youth.

When asked if she was worried that the new arrangement might distort the spirit of the original folk song, Ha Quynh Nhu shared: “I’m not afraid. Because the essence of folk music is still in ‘Gian ma Thuong’ (Angry but Loving). I’m just modernizing it to make it more accessible to younger people, in line with the spirit of the digital age.” For her, innovation is not about destroying tradition but about finding a way to give folk music a new lease of life so that it doesn’t stand outside of contemporary music.

On November 8th, the EP "Gấy Nghệ" was officially released, coinciding with the 11th anniversary of the recognition of Ví and Giặm folk songs by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The EP's release coincidentally serves as a way for the young singer to pay tribute to the heritage that has nurtured her since childhood. The EP's title, "Gấy Nghệ," is an affectionate term for girls from Nghe An province: simple, straightforward, but with a gentle and compassionate heart. All four songs in the EP feature familiar melodies.Angry but Loving, Xam Nghe, Returning to Nghe An with You, Singing on the RiverThe EP is recreated on a foundation of World Music combined with Electronica. The zither, moon lute, lute, flute, two-stringed fiddle, and traditional percussion instruments blend with modern electronic sounds, creating a new space while still retaining the traditional essence. For Ha Quynh Nhu, it's a way to express gratitude to the heritage that has nurtured her since childhood. She shared: “Over the past 11 years, folk songs and dances have given me so much. Releasing this EP now is something I want to commemorate as a beautiful milestone. For me, my love for folk songs and dances will never fade. Folk songs and dances are my journey and my ultimate goal throughout my life dedicated to music.”

The music videos in this debut EP are created using visualizers – a simple choice that focuses more on the music than on performance effects. For Ha Quynh Nhu, revitalizing folk music starts with small things: relatable lyrics, rich imagery, allowing listeners to feel the atmosphere of Nghe An without ostentation. However, to meet the tastes of young people, she had to ponder how to make folk music as youthful as possible, youthful yet still retaining the soul of the nation, the simple and profound cultural soul of Nghe Tinh.

After 7 years since leaving The Voice Kids, Ha Quynh Nhu chose to preserve her folk music roots instead of chasing market trends. "Gay Nghe" is her first self-produced music collection, carrying both the maturity and the unconventional aspirations of a Gen Z growing up in a constantly changing era.

Many viewers expressed their delight at this bold approach: "Modern yet still sounds rustic," "sweet but unique," "every word touches on memories"... These positive responses partly prove that the combination of folk singing and electronic music, seemingly two completely different genres, can still meet at the point of shared emotion.

Song Ha Quynh Nhu and her team didn't stop there. She also tried her hand at dance – for the first time in her musical journey – when she released a dance version of "Giận mà thương" (Angry but Loving) on ​​November 14th. The remaining 3 songs in the EP are expected to be released in November, each with its own unique, passionate, and poignant style, yet still distinctly contemporary.

Efforts to revitalize folk songs

Taking a different musical path from most artists of her generation, Ha Quynh Nhu understands the pressure of "maintaining something familiar but keeping it new so it doesn't become outdated." She chooses to view this pressure as motivation to learn and work seriously. The transformation in her EP "Gay Nghe" is the result of many years of quietly accumulating experience, from traditional stages and performance programs to daily self-training sessions.

"I want to bring folk songs and melodies closer to more people. But as a young person, I also have to keep up with the times. This EP is my way of combining what I do well with what I'm learning," Ha Quynh Nhu shared.

Throughout that journey, moments of discouragement were inevitable. She worried that audiences who loved folk music wouldn't accept the new arrangements. There were sleepless nights, and times she shed tears because she felt like she was "walking precariously on a tightrope." But instead of stopping, she cautiously continued, because she believed that young people have the right and the responsibility to keep folk music alive in the modern era.

The support of the team was also a great source of encouragement. They are all young people from Generation Z, who dare to experiment and take risks to create a sound that both respects cultural roots and breaks new ground. Each arrangement is carefully researched to avoid feeling like a disjointed illustration of the deeply rooted national melodies, while maintaining the distinctive spirit of Nghe Tinh folk music: rustic, profound, and emotionally compressed.

From an emotional perspective, "Gấy Nghệ" is like a long letter from a girl from Nghe An to her homeland: authentic, unpretentious, and without clichés. The EP is a gentle invitation to friends from all over to rediscover the sounds of folk songs and traditional melodies, but in a version that resonates with today's spirit.