With famous singers or established songwriters, creating a hit song requires a lot of effort and financial investment to make a splash in the community. However, a young singer-songwriter like Thai Kiet, who lacks the know-how of self-promotion and financial backing, has received significant attention and admiration from audiences and fellow artists alike.
The evidence is that when you type in the keyword ‘Đời Là Cát, Bụi Là Ta,’ millions of search results will immediately appear, with more than 12 consecutive pages at the top of Google’s priority ranking. So, what is it about Thai Kiet’s song that has gone viral after just one week?
Choosing to follow the mainstream music trend
In Vietnam, mainstream music has been popular since 2000, particularly among young people attracted to its simple and familiar melodies, short and easy-to-remember lyrics, and lively youthful style. Among the most popular genres are Pop, Ballad, Rap, Jazz, and Hip-Hop. However, Rap with Jazz is a niche genre requiring more technical expertise and may not appeal to all listeners. Therefore, the majority tend to choose Hip Hop, Pop, most importantly, prioritize Ballad music for its gentle melodies, slow tempo, and emotional resonance.
Consequently, the song ‘Đời Là Cát, Bụi Là Ta – Life is like Sand, We are like Dust’ not only appeals to young people but also easily resonates with middle-aged and older audiences, making it a significant advantage for this track.
The lyrics of the song deeply resonate with the listeners’ emotions
Although the content is concise at only 75 words in Vietnamese, it touches upon a common thread everyone experiences. Coupled with simple and understandable language, when the song opens with the line “Đừng chê bai hay cười ai (Don’t mock or laugh at anyone)”, it strikes a chord with listeners as a sympathetic reminder or a call to confess to someone to stop belittling others. Transitioning to the line “Đời là thế đó! Lúc thân tàn chẳng ai ngó ngàng (Life is like that! When you’re poor, no one pays attention)”, The song advises people to accept the natural order of life and recognize that no one can escape the decline of age, fame, or being ignored during tough times. The line “Ngày xưa vinh quang, ai cũng ngoan. Dạ thưa anh anh, khi sa cơ chẳng còn dạ thưa. (The days of glory, people would obediently follow your orders, but when you fall on hard times, they no longer feel compelled to do so)”, emphasizes that those in power and success are often respected by others, but also expresses disappointment in how ‘brothers’ behave towards each other when they face failure and defeat.
The author skillfully incorporated Daoism into the lyrics to remind listeners in the last four lines of the song: “Đừng khinh khi tranh giành chi đến lừa gạt nhau. Luật nhân quả cũng sẽ đến xin làm điều tốt. Hãy tu tâm tích thiện đức, chớ đừng hại ai. Đời là cát, bụi là ta nằm xuống như nhau. (Never underestimate, compete, or deceive one another. The law of karma will come, please do many good deeds. Look inward to correct your faults, perform good deeds, and not harm others. Life is like sand, and we are like dust, all of us falling away the same”. These lines are considered an important refrain with profound philosophical and humanitarian values that help listeners feel the importance of altruism and inner peace for true happiness. Thanks to this, the song has been able to endure longer than other commercial music.
Time will repay the efforts and determination
Many successful and famous individuals have advised that every job comes with its difficulties, but with effort and daily improvement, time will repay us with worthy results. Just like the Vietnamese proverb “Practice makes perfect”, this is true in the case of singer Thai Kiet.
It is known that he was born in Hoc Mon, Ho Chi Minh City. From age one, he was brought by his grandparents in Go Cong, Tien Giang to nurture and care for him. At the same time, his grandfather was the one who inspired him to pursue his passion for singing, he said “In the past, my grandfather used to be a traditional folk opera artist, but he was very poor at that time and had to work various jobs. He didn’t hesitate to sell cotton candy on the sidewalks and deliver cups of smoothies to schools, hoping to earn enough money to support me. During that time, his skinny back was my only means of transportation to school.” Singer Thai Kiet emotionally recounted.
Photo. He has nurtured a passion for singing since childhood.
Having often witnessed the hardships of his grandparents’ livelihood, at the age of 10, he began to learn how to catch fish to earn some money to assist them. “Despite my tough childhood, living next to my grandparents was the happiest thing”, he expressed his gratitude to his grandparents while cherishing genuine artists’ hard work and sweat. Ever since he has aspired to become a singer and carry on his grandfather’s legacy by contributing beautiful values to life.
Photo: His charitable activities
In 2010, he began to develop a passion for the arts, and officially pursued his professional path in 2016 with the release of his first music short film MV, “Tự Tình Lý Cây Bông”. He also composed many songs such as Biệt Ly Tình, Cố Quên Lòng Vẫn Nhớ, Đá Vô Tình, Khúc Hát Chúc Mừng Năm Mới, Cho Đi Là Còn Mãi, etc. Although not many people have recognized his work, he perseveres and remains determined to pursue his passion for the love of art.
Photo. Portrait of singer-songwriter Thai Kiet
Suddenly, one day, he was shocked and deeply saddened when he received the news of his best friend’s sudden death, and he suffered from severe psychological shock for three months. “When he was alive, he was very kind and always helped his friends, but they all ignored him when he had an accident”. Because he empathized with his friend, he was motivated to write this song to express his feelings and guide others towards better things. He never thought this song would become popular in just one week because many channels had previously refused to air it because he was not a well-known artist. “Fortunately, thanks to Mr. Dinh Hoang Quoc’s enthusiastic support for publishing it on his YouTube channel, I received the favor of the community”. He also added, “I was very surprised to see hundreds of artists performing ‘Đời Là Cát, Bụi Là Ta’ with many different styles and techniques.” He happily shared.
Photo. The song “Đời Là Cát, Bụi Là Ta – Life is like Sand, we are like Dust” was purchased and recorded by singer Truong Vu in 2023, with copyright owned by Thuy Nga Paris By Night Center.
Particularly, the renowned artist Kim Tieu Long expressed his deep admiration for this piece, which led him to recently release an MV titled “Life is Like Sand, We are Like Dust,” incorporating New-classics music to introduce young audiences to the Art of Reformed Theatre in Vietnam. He remarked, “I highly appreciate Thai Kiet’s effort in composing such a profound song. It requires talent, knowledge, and a soulful touch to truly resonate with the listeners’ hearts. These humanitarian values need to be widely spread. I sincerely hope that young people can contribute even more to help the audience appreciate the true worth of genuine artists.”
By TVVN Press
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