V-pop

The introduction of Hippie culture is thought to be the birthplace of V-pop in the 1960s to 1970s

Vietnamese pop music was influenced early on by the large U.S. military presence in South Vietnam.[1] Much of the music retained its traditional instruments, with the exception of war songs and war anthems. Vietnamese pop genre was not as renowned during the war, as most music would consist of patriotic music, war songs, or songs from the U.S. Some of the most successful acts of the era include Phượng Hoàng, Elvis Phương, Trường Kỳ, Nam Lộc, Tùng Giang, Thanh Lan and Carol Kim. Popular for their modern style, Mai Lệ Huyền and Hùng Cường are considered to be more "exciting" or energetic" contributors to V-Pop.

On 30 April 1975, Saigon fell, and as a result, the Vietnam War ended and some South Vietnamese citizens evacuated to other countries. Popular music released up to that day (dubbed "yellow music") was then prohibited - specifically after July 2, 1976 - due to its sentimental and sympathetic nature.[2] Music that was patriotic and followed a traditional revolutionary theme (dubbed "red music"), as well as folk songs, had "good values," and were encouraged by the then-newly re-unified Communist Vietnam.[3] However, Vietnamese classics (dubbed "Nhạc trẻ") continued to survive in overseas Vietnamese communities, where it remained even after being reintroduced back to Vietnam in 1986.[2]

In 1986, after the Đổi Mới reformations, Vietnamese pop music made a gradual recovery. The music at that time, mainly produced by Trịnh Công Sơn, continued the traditional "love and war" theme. This historical genre gradually lost favor by the early 1990s, around the time the Soviet Union had collapsed.[4][5]

Mỹ Linh was one of the most successful Vietnamese recording artists from the early 1990s to the late 2000s.[6]

Lam Trường is a singer representative of the early 21st century

By 1995, multiple restrictions were being lifted and diplomatic relations with Western-aligned countries improved. V-pop returned to a more steady path compared to its tumultuous period during and prior to the Vietnam War. In 1997, the Làn Sóng Xanh ("Wave of Green") Awards were founded to push the development of the music industry.[7] Singer Lam Trường produced "Tình Thôi Xót Xa" in 1998 and was popular amongst the young people of Ho Chi Minh City, which marked a strong beginning for Vietnam's domestic music market.[8][9]

Mỹ Tâm was one of the representatives of V-pop during the 2000s and 2010s

At the beginning of the 21st century, popular artists (such as Hồng Nhung, Thu Phương, Hồ Quỳnh Hương, Mỹ Tâm, Mỹ Linh, Thanh Lam, Phương Thanh, Đan Trường, Thanh Thảo) emerged, creating musical hits that were characteristically light, vibrant, and youthful. Singers such as Bảo Thy, Khoi My, Tóc Tiên, Hương Tràm, Soobin Hoàng Sơn, Son Tung M-TP, and Noo Phước Thịnh further popularised R&B tunes.

Numerous artists, such as Bằng Kiều, Hồ Quỳnh Hương, Mỹ Linh, Hồng Nhung, Phương Thanh, Mỹ Tâm, and Đan Trường emerged from Vietnam and started to produce EDM, pop music, R&B, rap, ballad, and other genres. During this period of cultural expansion, a number of foreign artists had worked with the emerging industry (4Men, Super Junior, Lee Young Ah). Also emerging were a large number of modern music acts such as Anh Khang, Tạ Quang Thắng, Bảo Thy, Đông Nhi, Noo Phước Thịnh, Quang Vinh, whom of which were all associated with the R&B genre.

The Asia Song Festival (Festival of Asian music) created many opportunities for cultural exchange between countries. Artists representing Vietnam included Mỹ Tâm (2003), Mỹ Linh (2004), Hồ Quỳnh Hương (2006 & 2008), Lam Trường (2007) and Hồ Ngọc Hà (2009). Many of these Vietnamese artists hope to fortify the entertainment industry by engaging in festivals, shows, etc., in other countries.

During this period, a new wave of young artists, such as MIN, Amee, Erik, and Sơn Tùng M-TP (Sơn Tùng M-TP is considered King of V-Pop), started to develop in this era. Vietnamese music competitions also played a role in shaping a new wave of Vietnamese artists such as Vietnam Idol, The Voice (Vietnam), Vietnamese Stars, and Star Academy (Vietnam). Thanh Bui, an Overseas Vietnamese (Australian-born Vietnamese singer), also participated in Australian Idol. In 2018, SGO48, a Vietnamese sister group of Japanese AKB48, was released but has had mixed success since debuting.

After the fall of Saigon, some artists emigrated. A growing demand for music until 30 April 1975 lead to a re-emergence of the popularity of these previously-available songs, which were no longer widely available in Vietnam.

In the early 1980s, the number of foreign record companies specializing in Vietnamese music began to grow. Thúy Nga Centre, Van Son Entertainment, and Asia Entertainment were all companies that have produced many popular Vietnamese songs, as well as entertainment concert series like Paris By Night, the Van Son Show, Asia, and multiple others.

Around the 1990s, more young artists began to appear overseas in the international market. These included Lâm Nhật Tiến, Trish Thuy Trang, Tuấn Ngọc, Bằng Kiều, and Minh Tuyết. During the 2000s and 2010s, K-pop and J-pop had already started to spread to the Western world. K-pop had spread to South East Asia and was influential for Vietnamese entertainment. Vietnamese pop music began include more traits seen in such MVs, such as flashy visuals and fashion, which was a departure from melodic ballads that Vietnamese audiences were more accustomed to. EDM was also incorporated into Vietnamese songs. Nevertheless, boléro, ballad, R&B, rock etc. still remains popular.

Currently, YouTube is the main video-sharing platform. Many MVs have started to trend on YouTube in Western countries in the late 2010s and early 2020s. However, sad, melodic ballad songs, such as historical war songs, war movie soundtracks, pre-1975 South Vietnamese pop songs, or musical shows such as Paris by Night, are also still popular amongst Overseas Vietnamese.