My Anh has come full circle.
Vietnam's fresh-faced songstress is growing up.
šHanoi, Vietnam
My Anh is a singer-songwriter and producer whose ability to blend musical genres has made her one of Vietnamās leading Gen Z stars. Her highly anticipated debut album will be released on all streaming services this January 11th.
T: I want to begin by saying how refreshing your music is and that I admire your transparency throughout your music production process. Howās life?
M.A.: Itās good! I was up until 5AM yesterday talking to my best friend, Kieu Anh, about the meaning of life. I donāt know how we got there and Iām definitely in need of sleep, but Iām very excited for this interview. Everythingās been really exciting because Iāve been preparing for my upcoming album āEmā.
T: Yes! In previous interviews, youāve talked about how the making of a song is deeply personal to you and your emotions. How does the process usually begin for you?
M.A.: Every song is different, just like how every emotion and experience is different. I try to stay as raw and authentic as I can be. If Iām starting with an experience Iām going through, Iāll start drawing a mind map with keywords of how itās making me feel and the visuals I get from those emotions. Then Iāll go from there and hum a melody or start building a beat. The starting point is often hardest for me to nail down what exactly it is I want to write the song about and how I want it to sound. Once Iāve got it though, the process flows more naturally.
T: Youāve emphasised authenticity as something artistically important to you. What has it been like to share such personal emotions out into the public sphere and receive opinions about it?Ā
M.A.: Iām fortunate that my parents also work in the industry, so as a child I always knew how things functioned with the press and media. But knowing is one thing and actually being in the scene is entirely different. Artists nowadays donāt simply release music and perform, thereās a lot of social media and branding involved. I think it took me a long time to get to a point where I felt the need to actively use social media.Ā
T: How do you ground yourself throughout all that noise?
M.A.: Since my debut, Iāve received this wave of opinions. Theyāre not all bad, some people genuinely want to give you advice. But I think no matter how much you try to mentally prepare yourself, youāll want to eventually take a step back, which was what I did for a month with my social media. In any industry, really, there are going to be conflicting interests between you and your audience that sometimes don't align. Thereās always pressure to make music that might be more commercially successful, which is definitely advice Iāve received. But how I deal with it is by taking a step back from everything, which I didnāt know how to do before. I do a lot of mind maps, which is my go-to de-stress method.
T: Iām glad to hear that. I notice that you collaborate almost exclusively with people who are close to you, notably your brother-in-law & producer Eric Derwallis. Many artists have similar tight-knit collaborators they always work with, such as Billie Eilish and Finneas OāConnell or Jack Antonoff and Lorde. How does collaborating with close friends and family influence your sound?
M.A.: Music has always been part of the foundation of our relationship, which is so important when it comes to creating collaborative art. You have to be emotionally comfortable in yourself with someone to bring out the best ideas together. Iām pretty hesitant about collaborations because Iām a really shy person. Even with Eric at the start, it was so hard for me to express my opinions and give him feedback on the production changes I wanted to make. Iāve been working with my dad too, and itās been really nice. But I would love to branch out and start collaborating with others once Iāve become surer of my identity, which is the phase Iām in now.
T: Youāve received a lot of praise as one of Vietnamās leading crossover artists who has a wide Gen Z appeal, with your music spanning across V-pop, R&B, soul blues, and bossa nova. How do you always seem to strike the right balance?Ā
M.A.: I used to feel insecure because I thought that I needed to choose a specific sound or specific branding for my music. But I realised that there's such a beauty about the ability to ācommitā and knowing that everything that we make right now is simply a time capsule. And we don't have to sing or play this forever if we don't want to. And I think it's very exciting knowing we have so much freedom as artists and it truly reflects our personal growth and changes. For me, at least right now, Iāve moved past the pressure to maintain cohesion, because I myself am always growing and changing every day. So why should I force my music to stay static like that? Since I began to think this way, Iāve felt a lot freer with experimenting and committing to what I like at that moment and being okay with the fact that thatāll change. It is such a privilege to be able to grow alongside my audience as well.
T: You performed at 88Risingās Head In The Clouds 2021 festival, which was huge because you were one of the first Vietnamese artists to do so. What was that like?Ā
M.A.: I also ate pizza with Rich Brian - I used to watch his music videos in the seventh grade! Every time I get asked this question, the answer is still the same; it feels pretty surreal. Iām so fortunate to have had that experience, and I got to perform with my brother-in-law with my sister in the audience. Usually, I get terrible stage fright, but for some reason, I didnāt feel scared at all because the audience sent out such a comfortable energy. There were a lot of Vietnamese people there too, and they held up a My Anh sign, which I didnāt expect at all. In a way, although I was technically away from home, it felt like I was actually at home.
T: So, you are gearing up to release your highly anticipated debut album. How are you feeling?
M.A.: I'm nervous and excited! Our team has been working very hard for this project and it feels quite surreal that it's finally coming out. Thank you to everyone who's been patiently waiting for me. I feel like this album really comes from the heart and I hope youāll feel my growth and find comfort in feeling confused, which is what the album mainly explores. There are also elements of full-circle moments Iāve had. The opening track of the album opens with an interview I did when I was 5, where Iām asked if I like singing and I go, āYeah!ā, which is where I started. I feel like Iāve been able to return to that core passion and simplified my love for music and accept the fact that Iāll keep at this. We will keep losing ourselves over and over again, but at some point weāll return back to that state. Once I started accepting that that was the nature of time and life, I felt good.
T: Itās good to see you take breaks. I respect that youāve taken time to hone your craft and focus on producing a full body of work despite the industry norm to continuously drop singles. How do you do this successfully?Ā
M.A.: I stay close to my family. Most of the industry activities take place in Saigon, which is a great place where artists can grow and thereās lots of opportunities. But I decided that I wanted to stay in Hanoi to reset myself. I think itās hard to move past this fear of missing out, at least in this field, because all our achievements are very public. Iām pretty sure this is a collective feeling, and weāre all trying to survive by making a living from our craft. Iām very fortunate to be a freelancer, so I have more control, whereas other artists who are signed to a label face different expectations that I canāt comment on. For me, I remind myself that I do have a plan and know what Iām doing. I just hold onto that feeling and through therapy have been referring to my inner child as āMy Emā (Little My Anh). The album title is āEmā, which directly means āmeā, but also refers to my inner child. So Iāve been practising separating myself and my inner child, and viewing her as a little sister that I should take care of.Ā
T: I think thatās a great way to recondition how you talk to and view yourself.
M.A.: Right. Itās hard to see ourselves as a being. For a while, I couldnāt separate my professional and personal life because I myself am the product, so it can be difficult to see myself as a person and simultaneously a product that requires branding. But I feel good now because I think Iām learning the skills to navigate that and finding joy in little things.Ā
T: On the topic of mental health, where did you find the strength and creativity to continue working on such a large and quite anticipated body of work?Ā
M.A.: Oh, I didnāt. When I took a pause from social media, I also stopped doing music entirely. It was such a hard decision for me because the industry requires you to stay super active all the time. In the beginning, I felt a lot of guilt, thinking about all the what-ifs that are attached to pausing any career. Music is my whole heart, but Iām more than my career and thereās an inner child waiting to be listened to. I was working on other hobbies during that time, like crocheting and cooking. I used to think that doing anything that didnāt benefit my career would be a waste of my time, but through that period I realised how important it was to have interests outside of music, for the sake of balance.Ā Ā Ā Ā
T: So what will the visuals of this album be like? What were you inspired by?
M.A.: Itās based on one of the most important realisations Iāve had in the past year, which was largely influenced by Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh. Iāve also incorporated a lot of circular imagery. Circles can represent time, birth and death, my relationship with music, and my full circle realisation that Iām in the position my mom used to be in because Iām also pursuing the career she has now. Understanding that time doesnāt wait for you, and thatās the nature of life, so living simply and enjoying things in the moment is okay. A lot of it is trying to ground myself whilst reflecting on my past experiences with toxic and healthy relationships. Itās a way to capture this period of my life before moving on to capture the period of my life further into my 20s.Ā
T: Will your album be a mix of English and Vietnamese songs?
M.A.: Yes! Totally. But I'd say āEmā is the Vietnamese part of my identity. After "Em", I'll let y'all know the other bit.Ā
T: You also work with stylists for most of your photoshoots, events, and shows. What has this collaboration been like?
M.A.: It took a lot of experimenting. We also have a mutual understanding of what my personal style looks like, which was thanks to the pause I took earlier this year. It helped me clearly figure out what I liked without other peopleās input, which was also because I was on Pinterest every day. Once I was able to do that, it was like I got tunnel vision when I returned to work, which helped me voice my opinion a lot easier when I didnāt like a certain aspect of an outfit, something they really needed to hear from me.Ā
T: Speaking of that, I love that your style is so whimsical and colourful - but never over the top. In your opinion, how do fashion and music intersect?
M.A.: Theyāre both forms of art, and I guess the best way to put it is that art reflects life and who you are in that moment. Our state of mind in a given moment will show through the way we dress and what music we are listening to. It really depends on your mood and where youāre at, what the context is. Both aspects are a part of our identity. Even the music I make ā when another person in a different state of mind listens to it, they may draw their own meaning from it.Ā
T: How does fashion function as a vehicle for your personal expression but also as a way to present your music on stage?
M.A.: I guess when I took the time to figure out what I like, the style I developed ended up reflecting my personal life. Now, I really like dressing up, which I really didnāt care for before. Thatās fine too, but now I like to look cute when I go up as a way to show up for myself and feel good about it. Now, music is very attached to its visual representation and literally everything people see alongside it will be viewed as part of your identity, alongside the energy you put out. All this contributes to my onstage character. So Iām happy I found a style I feel comfortable and good in.Ā
T: How do your onstage looks differ from your everyday style?
M.A.: I donāt know if it has, ācause Iām a lot more casual in real life. On stage, you need to match the set and stand out a lot more, whereas day-to-day I donāt really wear makeup unless Iām going out with friends. My Pinterest era mainly taught me that I can do makeup looks to go out with friends, not just for stage makeup inspiration. It was great because I realised I could just do it for myself, which wasnāt something I felt before. I used to view it as a chore, rather than something that makes you feel good. Now, I search for hairdos and DIY beauty things I can do myself. Iām trying to allow myself to have a little fun, even when itās not work-related, because I think itās really important.
T: Similarly, hair, makeup, and nails are a large part of your onstage persona. Whatās the process of curating these looks as part of your final outfit?Ā
M.A.: Honestly, my stylist helps a lot with the process and sends me a lot of inspiration. It took a lot of trial and error and not feeling entirely myself, but there isnāt really a choice when you have a show to run to. Everything is a process to figure out whatās best for you, but lately, Iāve been really enjoying leaving my hair naturally straight ā partly because Iām lazy to wash off hair styling products, but also because I feel good with my natural hair.Ā
T: Lastly, can you give us something to look forward to from āEmā? Maybe a favourite lyric or production detail?
M.A.: I want to maintain suspense, so Iāll just say that thereās a lot of āMy Emā on the album. Lots of nostalgia and childhood sounds. I hope that people will be able to identify with my personal evolution of exploring different parts and layers of my identity and being accepting of that, as well as finding themselves in the artwork.Ā Ā
T: Well, thank you for having me, weāve had a really lovely conversation. Iām excited to hear your album!
M.A.: This was really nice, thank you.
This article is an extended version of the original interview published on UCLās Pi Media website. This interview was conducted in July 2023.
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