Ho Quynh Huong – Ngay Diu Dang

Ho Quynh Huong is popping up everywhere. She is currently the industry’s favorite babe. Ever since her second volume Ngay Diu Dang (A Sweet Day) drops, all eyes are on her. Qualified as a fresh rising star, Huong has the style, the attitude, and the voice. Above all, she sounds best when she has blazing beats to ride with, and her album proves it.

Ngay Diu Dang is like an experimental project for Huong. She covers everything from pop, jazz, rock to hip-hop. Surprisingly, the most successful track is Duc Tri’s “Toi Tim Thay Toi” (I Find Myself). She knows how to swing her gorgeous voice – smooth, deep with a slight cracked mantra – around the intoxicating jazz chord. After listening to that song, I just want to grab her and say, “Look ma, this is it. Give me more of it.” But even with honey pop performances, she is never unlistenable. For instance, she flows in and out of a pleasing up-tempo pop tune on Vo Thien Thanh’s “Ngay Hom Qua” (Yesterday) The mesmerizing sax breakdown gives the song a fragrance of jazz.

To give listeners different flavors, she switches up her style to blend in with various genres. Her delivery becomes rock-up when she covers Le Quang’s “Tinh Yeu Khong Quay Ve” (Love Doesn’t Return) to give listeners a taste of rock. Then she chops up her flow on Ha Dung’s “Tinh Yeu” (Love) for the hip-hop vibe. On the quieter tracks, including her own pen’s “Muon Yeu Anh” (Want to Love You), she transforms them into romantic ballads.

Whether Ho Quynh Huong doesn’t have a clear path of where she wants to go or she is being greedy, her all-you-can-eat buffet is still chewable. Although I am not a fan of flashy pop songs, I have to give her props for bringing them to my ears. Nonetheless, I still hope she would have a more focused direction on her next album.