Den Vau's arrow hits the target.

After a lackluster year, Den Vau is gradually regaining his form with the music video "Cooking for You". The new product from the rapper from Quang Ninh has beaten Son Tung M-TP to hold the number 1 trending spot on YouTube.

The music video for "Cooking for You," released on the evening of May 13th, has garnered over 6.5 million views to date. Compared to Den Vau's recent music videos such as "Always Loving Life" and "Bad Actor ," " Cooking for You " has a much more impressive start. Den Vau's success this time largely stems from the meaningful and impactful message the rapper conveyed in "Cooking for You ."

Den Vau announced that all proceeds from the music video would go towards a project to build schools and support underprivileged children. Therefore, many viewers are calling for support for the rapper's new product.

Den Vau returns.

Den Vau's previous music video, " Luon Yeu Doi" (Always Loving Life ), was unsuccessful in the race to the top of YouTube's trending music charts. This marked a turning point, showing that Den Vau's market appeal was truly threatened after a series of products that experienced a rapid decline in popularity.

Den Vau's decline in 2022 and early 2023 stemmed from several reasons. The Vietnamese rap craze had cooled down, and Den Vau's music videos were released during a period of intense competition from major rivals. However, the primary reason was the music itself.

The male rapper invested heavily in those products, even achieving groundbreaking breakthroughs, but it was the academic style of "Bad Actor" and the strong hip-hop vibe of " Always Loving Life" that led many viewers to comment: "I'm not used to this kind of Den Vau."

Den Vau cooks for children in the highlands.

On the other hand, Den Vau has exploited too much of life's material. His rap lyrics, imbued with the spirit of someone who has experienced life and perhaps even "preached," no longer offer anything groundbreaking. The rapper seems lost, lacking inspiration and failing to create viral rap lines like: "Bring money home for your mother / Don't bring worries home for your mother."

This time, "Cooking for You" is a rap song with a different spirit. Instead of telling a story, offering a perspective, or raising an issue, the rapper delves into a real-life topic. He directly addresses the characters (children in the highlands), and from there, writes music inspired by reality. Den Vau uses music to tell the story and achieve widespread impact.

Den Vau restrains his rapper persona, with lyrics that reduce the complexity of rhyming and wordplay, focusing instead on the message. Therefore, some rhyming lines end abruptly, like "delicious / homeland." The rapper's flow is also simple, focusing on clearly enunciating each word.

The breakthrough and uniqueness of Den Vau are not evident in the song "Cooking for You ." However, Den Vau succeeded in tapping into the listener's emotions. And once a song has emotional depth and a story, the other elements become less important.

PiaLinh's hook has a catchy melody. The music video for "Cooking for You" depicts moments of Den Vau providing free meals to children in mountainous regions. There are so many details that Den Vau uses to win over the audience. Regardless of the quality of the music, with "Cooking for You, " Den Vau has hit the mark.

Den Vau always knows how to appeal to the audience's emotions.

Den Vau's "unique path"

"Cooking for You" is Den Vau's 15th music video to reach number 1 on YouTube's trending music list. This is an impressive achievement, proving his status as one of the top three stars whose music has become a sensation in the Vietnamese music market over the past four years. Alongside Den Vau, the other three are Son Tung and Jack.

For a rapper like Den Vau, the achievements he has made are even rarer.

The rap fan community has been divided in two camps when discussing the success of Den Vau.

Some argue that this is a source of pride for Vietnamese rap, as he uses almost 100% Vietnamese when writing lyrics. The way Den Vau chooses themes for his songs also holds significant value. Meanwhile, others believe that Den Vau doesn't truly embody the essence of rap, from his appearance to his rapping style.

Most rappers have a rugged, edgy style, dressing in clothing and accessories typical of American hip-hop culture. The majority of rappers focus on themes of love, flexing (showing off), and reflecting on or criticizing social issues. Some rappers establish their name with "party" rap songs, often seen in bars and clubs, wearing designer clothes and driving luxury cars…

Den Vau is different. The rapper dresses simply, often likened to a "farmer who raps." There was a more edgy Den Vau with a pure rap style when he first appeared over 10 years ago. However, with the milestone song "Dua nhau di tron" (Let's Run Away Together), Den Vau's musical approach has broken free from the constraints of a rapper deeply influenced by the cultural roots of this genre. Instead, he seeks simplicity.

A rapper in the mainstream market shared his perspective on the case of Den Vau: “For me, Den is the epitome of the existence of rap in the Vietnamese music market. Most Western rap is edgy and intensely individualistic. In Vietnam, there are still rappers who successfully follow an edgy, flexing path, but to achieve the same strong mainstream appeal as Den Vau, the themes must resonate with a wide audience. Some say rap becomes corrupted when it goes mainstream. For me, it's more accurate to say that rappers have to change to choose the path that garners the most support from the audience.”

The rap community will forever debate whether Den Vau is a true representative of Vietnamese rap. But from the perspective of the general public, Den is a top-tier rapper, especially considering his positive contributions to society.

Tienphong.vn