The Sweetest Pain

Life is hard enough for an average person. Imagine what’s life would be like to walk in Cindy Thai Tai‘s high heels? Even though she has transformed back to her feminine side, the road ahead as a transsexual is still rough and lonely, and she recognizes it in her debut Noi Long… Co Don, an album filled with personal expression. From the bosa-nova “Cho Nhau Loi Nguyen Cau (Tinh Yeu Da Mat)” to the jazzy “Cho Em Ngay Gio Xanh” to the sentimental “Noi Dau Ngot Ngao” to the wistful “Uoc Gi,” Cindy’s voice—sweet, slightly smoky with a touch of Thai Thanh’s sensation—floats like a deserted songbird that went through a sea of pain to get a whole new set of feathers. So get past the queer shit, and you will feel the sorrow of a woman who trapped in a man’s body.