Where is champion Cao Bá Hưng?

Seven years after the first season of Sing My Song aired, many of the show's contestants have risen to become Vietnamese music stars. Meanwhile, Cao Bá Hưng has chosen a path that sets him apart from the rest.

Eight years ago, Sing My Song aired and quickly became a sensation. It was a game show with a novel format at the time, where contestants simultaneously performed as both songwriters and singers. This game show served as an ideal stepping stone, allowing many artists to enter the market and establish their positions.

Over the past year, Bui Cong Nam Phan Mạnh Quỳnh made a career breakthrough by participating in "Brother Overcoming a Thousand Obstacles." He recently held his first live concert in Ho Chi Minh City, further solidifying his position after many years of establishing himself. Hứa Kim Tuyền served as the music director for the second season of "Beautiful Sister."

Conversely, other phenomena of Sing My Song season 1 such as Cao Bá Hưng, Phạm Hồng Phước, Ưng Đại Vệ, and Lê Thiện Hiếu have been working quietly. In particular, the disappearance of the winner, Cao Bá Hưng, has attracted the most attention from the audience.

Phan Mạnh Quỳnh and Bùi Công Nam have both had successful careers.

A training ground for "hit makers"

Back then, Sing My Song created a sensation no less than Rap Viet and the two current game shows, Anh Trai. Sing My Song made a breakthrough in the music game show industry with its highly professional nature. The judges in Sing My Song season 1 were Duc Tri, Nguyen Hai Phong, Giang Son, and Le Minh Son, all renowned songwriters.

Contestants must compose new songs and perform them themselves in the first round. As the competition progresses, the songwriting challenges become increasingly rigorous and demanding. The competition in Sing My Song is completely different from Vietnam Idol, The Voice, or X-Factor, which focus on vocal ability and performance. In contrast, Sing My Song prioritizes songwriting skills above all else.

Audiences get to hear a range of new compositions, diverse in themes and musical genres. This is the most attractive aspect, contributing to the success of Sing My Song. Longing Cao Bá Hưng's song was a viral hit all over social media at the time. Other songs included... Grandparents (Le Thien Hieu) Chi Pheo (Bui Cong Nam) There's a boy who wrote it. The song (by Phan Manh Quynh) also caused excitement.

From Sing My Song, a series of singer-songwriters emerged, shining in the market and contributing many hit songs. Phan Manh Quynh is perhaps the most successful, after 8 years. There was a boy who wrote on a tree. It's still a huge hit. Bui Cong Nam and Hoang Dung are the next two names from the group that made it to the finals and have maintained their popularity for a long time.

The group of contestants includes Doan The Lan (Grey D), Tran Dung Khanh, Vicky Nhung, Hua Kim Tuyen Grey D didn't go far in the game show, but he had a bright career afterward. Grey D is a special case, participating in Sing My Song when he was only 16 years old. Nguyen Hai Phong and Le Minh Son once predicted that Grey D would definitely achieve something explosive later on. In fact, after 8 years, Grey D has become one of the top Vietnamese singers with a high number of listeners.

Season 1 of Sing My Song featured Vuong Anh Tu and Trinh Thang Binh, well-known names in the market, but they were eliminated in the first round. The song... Shattered Trinh Thang Binh's song wasn't chosen by any of the coaches, but surprisingly, it became a Vpop hit afterward. Just one year after Sing My Song, Vuong Anh Tu became a "hit maker," dominating the Pop Ballad segment.

Cao Bá Hưng and Lê Thiện Hiếu after 8 years.

The champion has disappeared.

At the age of 17, Cao Bá Hưng became a phenomenon in Vietnamese music, but his victory sparked controversy. Many viewers believed that Phan Mạnh Quỳnh and Bùi Công Nam were the two contestants who performed best in the final and maintained consistent performance throughout the rounds. However, based on the judges' votes, Cao Bá Hưng surpassed them all.

After 8 years, Cao Bá Hưng's name gradually faded from the Vietnamese music market. The reason is that the singer, born in 1998, did not continue to develop his career in the direction of the mainstream market, but instead charted a course targeting a minority audience. Specifically, Cao Bá Hưng mainly composed and produced music with a national identity and contemporary folk style, completely separate from the mainstream market.

The winner of Sing My Song has now almost completely withdrawn to the background to participate in music production, meaning that Cao Bá Hưng's name is gradually fading after the fleeting glory of the game show.

Not only Cao Bá Hưng, but many rising stars have faded away since the first season of Sing My Song. Lê Thiện Hiếu had a very good start but couldn't break through. Ưng Đại Vệ gained audience attention once again thanks to Sing My Song, but after that, he didn't have any notable projects. Phạm Hồng Phước was once a "hit maker," but mysteriously disappeared after the show, only recently returning.

In Sing My Song, there was once a singer named Le Kieu Diem who was considered "Ho Ngoc Ha version 2.0," mentored by Duc Tri. This singer was the runner-up in X-Factor and showed great potential when participating in Sing My Song. However, after all these years, Kieu Diem is no longer mentioned.

Building on the success of its first season, Sing My Song aired its second season, still featuring a host of promising contestants, but it failed to generate the same buzz. The game show then faded away for a while, returning with a new name – Big Song With Deal – airing in 2022, but still failing to recapture the glory of its first season.

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