The 2019 'The Voice' Champion Reveals Reason for Reluctantly Quitting Singing

Hoang Duc Thinh is a contestant in coach Tuan Ngoc's team, winning the championship at The Voice - The Voice of Vietnam in 2019. However, his name is less known, even somewhat less prominent than some contestants competing in the same year.

Part of the reason is that the young singer who just won the crown has been "missing" for nearly 2 years.

Singer Tuan Ngoc (left) and singer Hoang Duc Thinh. (Photo: Facebook character).

Hoang Duc Thinh shared: "In the past, I studied at the Maritime University. According to my family's plan, when I graduated, I would become an electrical engineer, working with my brother, who is a construction engineer. However, I dropped out of university to pursue my passion for singing. After winning the championship, I thought my career had begun a new phase, life was rosy.

Unexpectedly, shortly after I went to the US to perform, the day I boarded the flight to the US was also the day the decision was made to close all airports. Entertainment activities in the US were completely frozen. At first, I thought I would only be stuck for a short time, but I didn't expect that in the US, social distancing would be required and the situation would be tense for a whole year. After the US had just relaxed and I could return home, Vietnam started to have an outbreak again, closing for nearly a year. That's why I had to stay there for 2 years."

The male singer said that after becoming the champion of The Voice 2019, he also received many invitations to perform, so he saved some money, thanks to which he was able to cover his living expenses in the US. In addition, because he was able to stay at a friend's house, the young singer also saved some expenses.

The male singer dropped out of college to compete in "The Voice 2019". (Photo: Character provided).

However, after being crowned, Hoang Duc Thinh toured the US and was "stuck" for 2 years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo: Character provided).

The Voice 2019 champion said that when he was "stuck", he was extremely worried and stressed because if he was unlucky enough to get sick, he would not have enough money for treatment. Every day, the male singer stayed at home, only going out once a month to buy more food.

Hoang Duc Thinh said that during his 2 years living in the US, he read the newspaper every day, hoping for information about flights to bring Vietnamese people home. However, the news of the Covid-19 outbreak in Vietnam made him even more worried.

"During the time I had to stay at home, I learned to cook, listen to music, learn English and practice singing. I can say that now I know all of Mr. Tuan Ngoc's songs by heart," the male singer said with a laugh.

The young singer also said that he tried to find a team in the US to produce the product and planned to release it while he was not able to return home. However, despite recording it many times, the product still did not satisfy him.

During his time in the US, Hoang Duc Thinh learned to cook, listen to music, learn English and practice singing. (Photo: Character provided).

Hoang Duc Thinh admitted: "Honestly, at first when I was stuck abroad, I was extremely stressed and thought about being "frozen" even though I had a pretty solid foundation before. But thinking back, I feel quite lucky that I still have a future, still have a chance to come back."

Returning to Vietnam last February, Hoang Duc Thinh rushed into making a series of products, determined to return to the music scene after a period of "unwilling hiatus".

He said: "When I returned to Vietnam, I was really "shocked" to see my friends, peers, fellow contestants of The Voice 2019 as well as other artists working very enthusiastically. I really admire them, and also focus more on work."

Despite many challenges, singer Hoang Duc Thinh affirms that he has never thought of giving up his passion for music.

Hoang Duc Thinh wants to send the audience many quality products to make up for the recent "frozen" period. (Photo: Character provided).

The male singer believes that in every misfortune there is a blessing because thanks to the 2 years of being "stuck", he learned many new things and was more thoroughly prepared for his career.

Hoang Duc Thinh revealed: "This year, I have many plans to make up for the past time and send the audience the best products. Before, when I entered the music industry, I was quite self-conscious because I did not go through any training. With the recent "frozen" period, I think I have to make a lot of effort."