Phuong My Chi: 'I used to be a blank sheet of paper, now society has painted me'

Sharing her feelings after 4 years of becoming famous from The Voice Kids 2013, the singer of 'My hometown in flood season' said that she is no longer naive and does not want to be called a "child singer" anymore.

Phuong My Chi is considered the first child singer to become a musical phenomenon after a reality TV show. Overcoming many expectations, doubts and controversies, the little girl who sang folk songs has proven that she was not lucky or won the love and sympathy of the audience thanks to the story of her family situation.

4 years since appearing on The Voice Kids 2013 stage and making many people cry with Que em mien nuoc lu, Phuong My Chi not only maintains her singing form but also has a positive direction.

And of course, the innocent girl became more mature in her thinking and speech.

Phuong My Chi emerged as a phenomenon after participating in The Voice Kids 2013. Many viewers think that Phuong My Chi is now a young woman in both appearance and voice, what do you think?

- I think things have gone by really fast. For me, 4 years may be a long time, but for other artists, it is a very short time. So compared to them, I am still a very young person just starting out in the profession. And for them, compared to those who have just come out of reality TV shows, I am still "older".

Of course, after 4 years in Vietnamese showbiz, I have matured a lot, changed a lot from appearance to thinking. I think I am no longer as naive as before.

But many people also say they like the old My Chi better, because she looks cuter and more adorable than her current image?

- I think everyone has a different perspective on right and wrong, good and bad. For example, if this person thinks it's beautiful, but I don't think it's beautiful, I have the right to speak up because it's my privacy, as long as it's not too offensive or humiliating to others. Therefore, I can't stop others from talking about me.

As for the fact that I'm not as cute as I used to be, I can't help it. Maybe I was a blank sheet of paper back then, but now that sheet of paper has been colored by society, so it must be different.

Everyone grows up eventually, sis. Those who comment like that will probably find themselves cuter when they look back at their old photos.

4 years of singing, what joys and sorrows have you experienced?

- After being in showbiz for a while, I have had more joys than sorrows. The greatest joy is to pursue my passion, standing on big and small stages. And whether I have a small or large audience supporting me, I still feel very happy. The second joy is to be known and loved by many people.

There are relatively few sad things, mainly the violation of freedom and privacy. However, I think this is something that any artist has to face so it is not worth worrying about. I have never thought that I wish I were not famous because for me this is a great blessing.

Happiness here is being loved by everyone in a strange way. People who don't know me love my voice so much that they like me as a person, give me food and gifts. Sometimes I wonder why people are so nice to me.

Every time you encounter sadness, how will you face it?

- Sometimes scandals come to me one after another and make me tired, but I think back that what I have is the love that the profession has given me. Of course, when receiving blessings from the profession, I have to go through difficulties.

I think I am being tested, if I can’t overcome it then I won’t succeed. For example when I go to the gym, I have to try my best to complete the exercise, it’s the same in life.

In addition, you can also post a status on your personal page or confide in your sister and close friends. Both are people you trust and can give you advice or solutions. When you say it all, you can "release" all your sadness.

Through the way she talks, it seems like Phuong My Chi thinks older than her 14 years. Has anyone ever commented on her like this?

- My friends also say that I think older. I feel the same way because sometimes my friends seem very "childish". Maybe because I get to go out a lot, I learn more things. In addition, on social networks, I follow many pages about life mottos and the Life Gifts program.

It may sound “childish” but I feel it and learn many good lessons for myself. For example, when I have an argument with my friends, I go online to read famous quotes about friendship and immediately get rid of all my sadness.

Many people think negatively that playing Facebook will make you addicted, all day long just knowing how to get useless likes. I do not discuss this issue because it is each person's personal right, but personally I think I am using social networks in a very positive way.

Does this personality affect the life of a school-age girl like you?

- Sometimes I feel tired from thinking too much, to the point that my hair turns gray. At night when I go to bed early, I still lie there thinking about whether I will still be loved in the future, will I have any hit songs?

The other day I saw a clip of Liu Zhi Wei being scolded by the show organizer for being late. I felt very scared, wondering if I will encounter that situation in the future.

Recently, a story appeared online about someone “accusing” me and my family of being fake. What is the truth of this story?

- That fake word comes from the story of my family going to eat at a restaurant not long ago. I don't know if the story is true or not, but according to the story told by a female employee, when my family left, she nodded goodbye but my family didn't say goodbye back.

She also said, "Phuong My Chi's parents were cold and sitting there eating, engrossed in their meals", "Phuong My Chi just sat there playing with her phone, and when someone came to ask to take a picture, she smiled brightly". For this reason, she posted very harsh comments online.

I just think that when my family goes out to eat, it is normal for them to focus on eating. As for my behavior, if I am cold, people will blame me for being unapproachable, and if I smile, people will blame me for being fake. I really don't know how to behave properly and make everyone happy.

Usually choosing to stay silent, but this time Phuong My Chi spoke up to explain. Could it be that she couldn't stand the scandal?

- I only answered that story when someone asked, I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. My family also advised me that this is a story that everyone working in this industry has to face. If we wanted to clear things up, my family would have returned to that restaurant to find the employee to ask clearly about the whole story.

Is this the first time the audience has said bad things about you?

- No, sister, from 2013 until now, I have heard it all the time. For example, in public, people say I speak quickly and have more personality, but when I go on stage, I have to wear ao dai, so I proactively become gentle as a way to protect my image.

Because of that, many people said I was fake. But I don’t know what to do or how to explain it. I have the feeling that every time I wear the ao dai, I get “possessed” and become much gentler.

If you behave like in real life, there will be people who won't like you and will criticize you for wearing traditional clothes but behaving inappropriately, being "teeny" or too active.

Many famous artists cannot keep calm when being criticized by netizens. Why can you endure all this at such a young age?

- Because I rarely share things, people think it's the first time they've met me. But I'm sure I can still handle it (laughs). If you say I stole something or lip-synced, I'll show my emotions and prove it right away.

When I first entered showbiz, I often felt upset when I heard untrue things about myself. But gradually I got used to it, and sometimes I even felt happier because this proved that people still cared about me.

I think it's sad when people don't want to talk about you anymore, but it's positive when they still discuss you, whether right or wrong.

Despite her young age, Phuong My Chi is in high demand for shows both domestically and internationally. Many people think her family is very rich. What do you have to say about this?

- Do you think my family is rich? Rich is when you have a villa, a car, and a swimming pool. This is enough to live on, not rich. But for my whole family, everything has turned to a new page, warmer and more complete.

Chi is the main source of income in the family, and her parents also temporarily stopped working outside to focus on taking care of her. Does this put pressure on her at such a young age?

- My family's sweet soup shop has closed because business is a bit difficult and my mother has to follow me to perform. My father stays at home to take care of the house and take me to school. If you hadn't asked, I wouldn't have thought about it and wouldn't have cared that I'm the main source of income in the family. I only care about singing well.

It is also possible that I will not be able to pursue this career in the future, so right now I have to cherish every moment on stage. Many people wish for a second on stage but are not destined for this career, so I have 2-3 minutes to sing each song, so I have to give it my all.

What have I done that has made Chi truly satisfied?

- Of course, when I have a long-standing dream, I am satisfied, but to a certain extent. I still have to strive to achieve more. I do not consider it greedy but a spirit of progress, not only for myself but also for my family.

For example, I can buy a bigger house and a car so that my parents and siblings can have a comfortable life. In addition, if I become really rich in the future, I will build schools and other useful things for society, helping people around me.

Right now, I do affordable things like doing charity work to help lonely artists, orphans, and disabled children.

Where do you get this seemingly mature thinking for your age?

- I see many artists like My Tam, Dam Vinh Hung, Tuan Hung… have admirable hearts, always wanting to share with those in need and not selfishly keeping it for themselves. In addition, I have a somewhat mature thought that when I do good deeds, I will have virtues to leave to my children (laughs).

In the past, I watched many clips about the law of karma as well as visited the 18 levels of hell at Dai Nam tourist area, so I felt very scared. So I kept in mind that I had to do good deeds to avoid being punished later.

Because I'm an artist, I avoid giving money to people. At that time, I asked my sister to go with me and give it to her and then I would pay her back. Now I can only do things like that.

Now, Phuong My Chi still likes to be called "child singer"?

- It's not that I don't like it, but I find it a bit funny. When I was introduced as "child singer Phuong My Chi", the audience burst out laughing and said "she's a grown-up girl, she's not a child anymore". So every time I perform, my mother asks the MC to introduce me as "singer Phuong My Chi" or "young singer" and not "child" anymore.

Recently there was news that Chi had left singer Quang Le's company due to conflicts. What is the truth?

- I am still in Quang Le's company but not in a couple, if there is my father then there must be me and we both often perform independently. As for the conflicts between my family and my father, they were resolved later. I never dared to argue with my father, on the contrary, Le's father always loved me and gave me many opinions.

After the Bolero Idol program, my foster father has many other favorite students. What do you think if your love is shared?

- I'm not afraid to accept. Of course, when dad has many new students, his love will be shared somewhat. I can't win it, and I don't do it for anything.

I think it is very selfish to do that. Many people have the same passion and ability, and if I want to be sponsored by Ba Le, I have to share that opportunity and cannot keep it for myself.

According to Vietnamnet