Ngo Thanh Van – Nuoc Mat Thien Than

Ngo Thanh Van has stepped up her game. Her newest release, Nuoc Mat Thien Than, proves that her music has been upgraded from really bad to not so bad. She knows that her fragile voice alone can’t carry the album; therefore, she relies on the beats and the rapping to make up for her singing.

With infectious, club-driven beats and tolerable raps, NTV cuts the most listenable record so far in her singing career. From the rock-hip hop “Di Tim Binh Yen” to the highly catchy “Mai Mat Nhau” to the booty-shaking “Tinh Yeu Nhac Nhoa,” Nuoc Mat Thien Thien comes on like an all-night-out party taking the girls out of school and into the dark, wild club. Put this record on high volume and you’ll guarantee to be sweat.

Of course the album isn’t perfect and NTV has her limitations. Her weak voice is not ready (or may never been ready) to take on slow-pop songs like “Khi Tinh Yeu Den,” “Tham Mong” and “Giot Nuoc Mat Mau Den.” Nevertheless, I wouldn’t have imagined that she could make some improvements. The album hits the mark for clubbing functionality.