Only Messi can judge?

After releasing the MV "From Where I Was Born" on August 31, singer Jack (real name Trinh Tran Phuong Tuan) caused a lot of controversy. The noise about this music product was related to the appearance of Lionel Messi for about 3 seconds. The "argument" lasted for a whole week between singer Jack on one side and businessman Pham Ngoc Quoc Cuong on the other side - a famous football shirt collector in Vietnam, who is said to be the person who connected Jack to Messi.

Singer Jack did not invite Messi to star in the MV. The image of the Argentine superstar is actually a commemorative video, recorded from a personal meeting between Mr. Pham Ngoc Quoc Cuong and the Argentine superstar, through the arrangement of a friend. Jack was invited by Mr. Cuong to go along.

The controversy arose when singer Jack talked about the meeting at a press conference, along with rumors that he had to pay 60 billion VND to meet Messi. It can be said that this was the turning point that caused the two sides to "turn against each other".

How much does it cost to meet Messi?

The information about the figure of 60 billion VND is the reason why businessman Pham Ngoc Quoc Cuong spoke up. He said that his reputation and relationships with partners were affected by this rumor.

Jack's representative company issued a statement denying the information that the singer spent 60 billion VND. However, Jack affirmed that he had to spend a large amount of money to meet Messi. Mr. Quoc Cuong asked Jack to make this number public.

The specific amount was revealed by the male singer later.

"Mr. Cuong kept changing the service price. Initially, Mr. Cuong quoted Jack 80,000 EUR (more than 2 billion VND), then he increased it to more than 200,000 EUR (more than 5 billion VND). During his time in France, Jack borrowed some money from Mr. Cuong (because Jack did not have enough Euros). After returning to Vietnam, Jack paid Mr. Cuong in full. In total, Jack spent more than 200,000 EUR on Mr. Cuong alone according to the agreement. In addition, all travel and accommodation expenses for Jack and his crew during that trip were paid by Jack himself," J97 Entertainment - Jack's representative company - revealed.

Regarding the cost of meeting Messi, Mr. Quoc Cuong explained that a large part of it was for accommodation, travel and tickets to the match. The original meeting was scheduled at Parc des Princes (Paris, France) after the Paris Saint-Germain match. Another expense was for renting an expensive car for several days - according to the businessman, "to have a good image" - and paying for the support staff at the stadium.

All of these expenses were inflated when the trip took longer than expected, due to the originally planned meeting with Messi not taking place.

Singer Jack spent more than 5 billion VND to meet Messi.

Jack used Messi's image without permission?

Messi's appearance in a commercial costs 19 billion VND per second. The Argentine superstar only appeared once in a music product in early August 2023. At that time, he participated in the MV called Trofeo by Colombian singer Maluma - a friend of his.

Therefore, Jack's inclusion of Messi in the MV raises questions. The question of whether the male singer is allowed to use the image of the meeting with the 2022 World Cup champion in his music product - even though he has turned off the monetization mode on the YouTube platform - is legal or not, still unanswered.

Jack affirmed: "I would not have made this video without permission from the beginning. During the trip to meet Messi, I discussed and asked for permission to use the image. Messi's side agreed on the condition that his image would not be used for commercial, political or national purposes."

Previously, at the press conference to launch the MV "From Where I Was Born", singer Jack revealed that he was given a signed commemorative shirt by Messi after having dinner with the superstar.

However, businessman Pham Ngoc Quoc Cuong revealed the opposite and accused Jack of providing false information.

"There was absolutely no dinner, but rather going there to have dinner, waiting for Messi and his friends to finish eating, then asking to take a photo and sign. The shirt Messi signed, because I didn't have any meaningful shirts, even that shirt was borrowed from you to sign. A day before the press conference, you sent it in for me to use, there was absolutely no story of Messi giving me a shirt," said Mr. Quoc Cuong.

Mr. Quoc Cuong repeatedly emphasized that throughout the journey, all of the group's contacts with Messi were through this businessman. Mr. Quoc Cuong asked Jack to provide evidence proving that Messi allowed the use of his image in the MV. However, the male singer has not responded.

After clarifying the amount of money spent on the trip, perhaps this is the final sticking point in the argument between singer Jack and Mr. Quoc Cuong.

Only... Messi can judge?

On September 6, Mr. Quoc Cuong's media representative confirmed that he had a meeting and worked with Jack to resolve the necessary problems. However, information from both sides about the meeting was inconsistent. The press conference to provide general information scheduled for September 7 was also canceled. After "turning into enemies", Mr. Quoc Cuong and singer Jack still show no signs of being able to "make peace" with each other.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Quoc Cuong met Messi in France. (Photo: Pham Ngoc Quoc Cuong)

Whether Jack violated copyright or was allowed to use Messi's image in the MV can only be verified by the Argentine player himself and the company authorized by the superstar. However, the possibility of Messi speaking up is not high. In fact, the captain of the Argentine team probably doesn't even know about the existence of this MV.

Meanwhile, Jack is not responsible for providing evidence as requested by Mr. Pham Ngoc Quoc Cuong. However, in case the male singer wants to end the noise, dispel doubts and accusations from public opinion, he can also prove himself by publicly disclosing evidence approved by Messi, such as information about the amount of money spent on the trip.

Another issue that Jack needs to speak up about is the story about having dinner and receiving a signed shirt from Messi. The male singer did not mention these details in his response to Mr. Quoc Cuong and these are the points that Jack was criticized for in this controversy.

In fact, the male singer used the story related to meeting Messi to promote the MV "Since I Was Born". It can be said that the 3 seconds of appearance of the Argentine superstar - which is considered to have nothing to do with the content of the song - is the only highlight of this music product.

Many people think that Jack achieved the goal of viral effect when releasing the MV. After exactly 1 week since its release, the number of views of the MV "From where I was born" exceeded 6.5 million.

Mai Phuong

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