Living the same life as singer Le Quyen.
Singer Le Quyen is a rare case of someone who, despite being frank, sometimes harsh and even lacking in manners, has maintained her position in the profession.
A late-blooming star
Le Quyen didn't become a star overnight. She started her career by singing covers of hit songs from the Green Wave era and foreign songs with Vietnamese lyrics at cafes and tea rooms.
Prior to the year 2010, she had already made her mark with many hit songs such as:The dream is real, please answer me, stop dreaming, if that day is bitter.... The articlesLike a dream, Lonely NightDuets with Tuan Hung are also very popular.
Despite having quite a few hit songs, Le Quyen only managed to establish her position in the industry and was not considered on par with contemporary stars.
The reason is that while her singing of light music isn't bad, both professionals and audiences feel it lacks true harmony. Furthermore, her success is fleeting and then fades away; this series of sporadic, broken successes isn't enough to propel her to a higher level.
Lệ Quyên's life and career took a new turn when she moved to the South and ventured into the world of Vietnamese sentimental music. In 2010, it's not an exaggeration to say that Lệ Quyên's style of singing sentimental music was pioneering and unique.
She possesses a mezzo-soprano voice, with a bright, sharp, and slightly husky tone, and a foundation in vocal technique that is average to weak but sufficient for practical use.
At the time, the assertion that "Le Quyen is 'elevating' Vietnamese sentimental music" sparked intense debate among generations and audience segments. This debate, which lasted for many years, contributed to spreading her name both domestically and internationally.
Leaving aside the controversies, the pioneering and unique aspect of Le Quyen's singing style lies in its complete departure from the generation of Vietnamese sentimental singers overseas. She avoids the stereotypical approaches of domestic folk singers, and is neither clichéd nor superficial like the young singers who are clamoring to "modernize" sentimental music.
Looking at the 2010s as a whole, it's clear that Le Quyen had a smart and sound strategy for developing her career.
Popular products that become brands, like albums.Old Love Songlive concertQ ShowThis has been developed into a series of successful ventures, helping Le Quyen maintain her popularity. In particular, the frequent organization of live shows demonstrates that this is a very profitable business.
Having achieved success with sentimental Vietnamese music, she continued to develop a compilation model such as: Le Quyen singing Lam Phuong, Le Quyen singing Vu Thanh An... with low costs, low risk, and high profits.
Next, Le Quyen expanded her "territory" to the genre closest to hers, pre-war and lyrical styles, exemplified by her album.Timeline, an album themed around Trịnh Công Sơn.
At the same time, Le Quyen participated in several reality TV shows - which were very helpful in increasing her recognition, especially during the period when Vietnamese sentimental music was at its peak (2014 - 2017).
Ten years after the milestone of 2010, Le Quyen's career has risen dramatically. Her rare failures, if any, have been her attempts to return to light music or pop music in the form of albums.Unending love.
Happy like Le Quyen
In recent years, Le Quyen's name has frequently appeared in controversies outside of music.
When taking the examThe beautiful woman braves the wind and waves.In 2023, Le Quyen caused controversy throughout the show, from constantly using social media to express her frustration about a colleague, to several unconvincing victories, and to "overacting" with her boyfriend - host Lam Bao Chau.
Her nonchalant sharing of all her negative emotions on social media tarnished the image of the competition, negatively impacting the collective efforts of many other artists; it stirred up public uproar and added more controversy to the entertainment industry.
Le Quyen is also a Vietnamese artist who likes to show off her wealth and frequently engages in heated arguments with netizens using harsh, sometimes vulgar language.
As a celebrity, Le Quyen's behavior has a certain influence on the public and the potential to create public opinion. Therefore, her uncivilized use of social media violates her responsibility as a celebrity to the community.
Notably, despite the controversies, Le Quyen has maintained her position in the industry.
Currently, she holds an A-list status, with an average fee of around A- to A+. If she participates in a show with commercial elements, the figure could reach S-.
Compared to her contemporaries or former rivals, Le Quyen has a slight edge. She is also admired for her successful career, solid financial foundation, and fulfilling personal life with her younger boyfriend.
While most artists are extremely cautious in their behavior and speech to maintain their image, Le Quyen is a rare case who shows her true self in her conduct and lifestyle without significantly affecting her current position.
To explain this, it's not difficult to see that the young audience who are constantly on social media and possess the power to boycott are not the target audience Le Quyen is serving.
The controversies surrounding Le Quyen have been moderate, not involving serious ethical or legal violations; she may have received criticism, but not to the point of being boycotted.
However, Le Quyen should be more aware of the limits of her behavior. There have been many cases where artists' careers have been ruined in ways that cannot be explained by normal rules.
There are several clear examples where artists get embroiled in scandals and plummet to the bottom of their careers, even though their actions don't justify the consequences.
