Sure, David Meng’s debut, Tinh Phai, will be the lamest album released this year (if not all time), but let gives the dude a break. Despite his limited vocal ability, mispronunciation (he’s not Vietnamese) and karaoke delivery, he is trying really hard. If you get past those three flaws, you’ll hear his passion for Vietnamese shallow pop songs.

My girl and I were listening to his rendition of “Xin Loi Em” while preparing salad for our lunch for the next day. Near the end of the song she had to give in: “Alright, alright! I forgive you.” Whether his sincerity or annoyance was delivered, it worked. So the next time she gets mad at me, I don’t even have say a word. I’ll just play this song on repeat until apology is accepted. When he sings “Nguoi Dan Ong Chan That,” you can feel the honesty even in his stilted flow. Somehow I keep on wanting to hear him busts out “6 cau vong co” (six bars of Vietnamese opera) to completely the sweet and vinegar soap opera on “Anh Khong Muon Lam Nguoi Thu 3.”

“Mac Ke Nguoi Ta Noi” should have been chosen for the title track for the album. It fits him so well. Regardless of what people are saying, David Meng is doing his thang. Hate the game, not the contestant.

Unlike her stage appearance, which is getting creepier and creepier, her music stays unchanged. Her latest release, Shades of Blue, uses the same damn shticks as any of her previous albums. No matter what song she sings, her syrupy vocals remain unemotionally annoying. No matter what lyrics she writes, her rhymes remain nursery. No matter what beats she rides, her flows remain constant. If I have to pick one track to describe this album, it would be “Hollow.” She actually expresses herself pretty well: “I am so hollow, so hollow / hollow in my heart / hollow in my soul / because I am so hooolloooow….” No doubt about that!

Le Kieu Nhu can hardly sing, yet she knows how to get you hooked just like the way she had Nguyen Nhat Huy on the tip of her finger. The man who was responsible for the mega hit “Nguoi Ve Cuoi Pho” is now focusing his energy on the young, trying-to-be-sexy chick. Who can blame him? A man has to do what a man has to do.

Let’s be fair. Le Kieu Nhu is not a bad vocalist. In “Tinh Nhu,” an opening track off her second album Tinh Khuc Nguyen Nhat Huy, she rides the cha-cha tempo like a drunken chick in a karaoke bar, but she manages to pull it off. Her out-of-tune delivery and odd phrasings make the cute tune so damn amusing. Despite her limited vocal ability, she could soar like a bird with a wounded wing in the slow-ballad “Tinh Si.” In contrast, she sounds weightless on “Cuoc Tinh Chiem Bao,” as she tries to float with the Jacuzzi-jazz arrangement. If her voice wouldn’t put you to a snoozing mode, the smooth saxophone would.

Then again, who wouldn’t feel bad for someone who croons the last words for her lover (“Lan Cuoi Cho Nguoi Tinh”) with such benevolent? Never mind the generic, computer-generated rhythm, just listen to the way she delivers the refrain: “Tha anh dung den trong doi / De em dung qua hy vong / De trong long khong mang dang cay / Loi yeu nao nhu con gio bay / Gio em tin ai nua day?” She makes you feel guilty but in a pleasure way.

After three consecutive flops, My Tam is finally making a solid comeback with Tro Lai. Maintaining her pop and r&b flavors, her new album is a consistent set—track for track—in both vocal performance and beat production. Her song choices are wise and her writing skill has revealed incredible improvement.

The advantage of singing her own songs is that she knows exactly how they should be delivered. “Nhu Em Doi Anh” is a slow, pop-rock ballad in which she carried the tone and emotion just like the way she has intended: sweet and mellow. “Khi Tinh Yeu Tro Lai,” also written by her, is an instant hit as well. She takes her time pouring her heart out on the simple, electric guitar that accompanied by a thumping r&b beat.

Although she does her own songs good, she does other songs even better. In Quoc Bao’s “Va Em Co Anh,” she proves to have enough juice to take on a gospel-tinged cut. The way she vocalizing and phrasing reminded me of r&b singer like Alicia Keys and Mariah Carey. Unfortunately when she tries to be like them on “Hurt So Much,” the spell breaks. Even with such a marvelous voice couldn’t save her English accents.

Music wise, the Korean producers have done a much better job on here than her previous Vut Bay. They must have recognized that they can’t turn a “toc nau moi tram” into a blonde Korean doll. The slow productions blended in with her voice smoother. Tro Lai indeed is an important return for My Tam and she has reclaimed her title as the princess of Vietnamese pop.

Nguyen Khang has a fabulous voice, but he needs a talented producer like Rick Rubin to get on him the right track. Asia and Van Son, two of the three notorious Vietnamese music productions, are backing him up, yet they don’t know what to do with him. Ta Muon Cung Em Say, his previous album with Asia, covered popular tunes with not much creative effort. Love, his new release under Van Son, featured new and lesser-known tunes, but they are simply monotonous.

I have to get past nine slow, sleepy cuts in order to hear something that I have wished he would focus his energy on making. It’s actually a combination of “Ai Ve Song Tuong” and “Toi Di Giua Hoang Hon” that set in a simple bluesy, swing arrangement. He didn’t even have to maneuver his voice around the jazz rhythm, but the result is still intoxicating. If he could turn some of these dead-slow tempo ballads into jazz-pop grooves, we would have something invigorating to enjoy. For instance, “Con Chut Van Vuong” would have been a great piece if it were converted into a bluesy ballad. “Tieng Tho Dai” could easily transform into a bossa-nova number and kill off the back up singer while you’re at it. No offense, but I can’t stand Nguyen Khuong’s caramel voice. His spineless whining on “Soi Toc Yeu Yeu” is still remarkably irritating.

Nguyen Khang, my brother, I have mad love for you and would hate to see you go down. If you feel burn out. Take some time off. Get away from Vietnamese music for bit. Go on tour and stop putting out albums that might harm your stature. Move forward, not back. Go further, don’t stop. You’re still blessed with that powerful, rugged and raw voice. Now work on some innovations.

Thuy Nga’s latest show, Paris By Night 91, takes viewers on yet another musical journey from Ha Noi, Hue to Sai Gon. The concept is being recycled like a plastic bottle, but if you have four hours to kill, you might enjoy the program. Most of the performances were decent; a few were memorable.

Khanh Ly’s “Bai Hat Danh Cho Nhung Xac Nguoi” was the most striking presentation of the show. Her powerful, soulful voice once again did Trinh Cong Son’s tune justice. The choreography added tremendous emotional impact to the song, particularly the moment when the female dancers in white ao dai floated off the men’s bodies. The motion was slow and lifeless. The performance left a few drops on many faces from the audience.

After the tear-jerking moment, the producers cleverly switched up the atmosphere with a skit comedy featured Chi Tai, Uyen Chi, Be Ti and Huong Thuy. Chi Tai had given one of his best routines. He cracked me the hell up, and his chemistry with Uyen Chi is right on. Be Ti, the cute shortie, was also up in her game. Her funniest word is “cat” (cut) in Hue accent.

Some of the snore-worthy performances are from Quang Dung, Tran Thai Hoa and Trinh Lam. Bang Kieu’s rendition of “Em Oi! Ha Noi Pho” was just passable. Even Thu Phuong’s version of “Huong Ve Ha Noi” was not so convincing. The arrangement didn’t do its job to support her vocals.

What makes the Puppini Sisters entertaining is their style of humor. On the sophomore release, The Rise & Fall of Ruby Woo, the sisters continue to do what they do best: covering well-known tunes with their own comical twist. Their version of Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got Tha Swing)” is simply amusing. They added their distinctive touches to the swing rhythm like mimicking the “wah wah” trumpet with their vocals, altering the time, switching their scats, and throwing in some Italian Mambo. Beyonce’s biggest hit “Crazy In Love” gets a fresh new makeover from the sisters as well. The rhythm swings in double speed while the violin saws away in a country ho-down style. The only thing that missing is Jay-Z’s verse. Beside covering, their own tracks also stand out. “I Can’t Believe I’m Not a Millionaire” is a humorous blues and “Jilted” is funniest heart-broken tune you have ever heard.

A true jazz genius is not how he can play by himself, but how he can play with others. Although Oscar Peterson had the capability to play intimate solo, he could also accompany other musicians. Some of his memorable collaborators included vocalist Louis Armstrong, saxophonist Ben Webster, violinist French Stephane Grapelli and Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman. Check out Peterson and Perlman’s rendition of “Dark Eyes.” Spottieottiedopaliscious!

With his fourteenth release, Co Mot Vai Dieu Anh Muon Noi Voi Em, Phu Quang proves once again to be a lyrical songwriter, capable of penning heartfelt ballads and applying Vietnamese words to European classical tunes in such an effortless grace. “Romance No. 2” would sound like a Vietnamese song if the listeners aren’t familiar with Beethoven’s tunes. He knows how to make the words flow with the classical melody and he knows how to add some pop flavor into the old song by featuring Hang Nga whose vocals is both sweet and sentimental. Quang Ly and My Hanh are among the contributors on the album. My Hanh’s rendition of “Giot Mua Buon” has a reminiscent of Thanh Lam minus the screaming dramas. What make Phu Quang’s music irresistible are the simple, emotional messages that bring you not just closer to him but to yourself.

The ladyboy had a spark when she first started, but now she’s just garbage. Cindy Thai Tai’s second release, Hoi Ve Voi Em, replaces the bittersweet pop-jazz flavor with tasteless remixes.

Can’t blame her though. Songbird Cindy is no longer a lonesome soul. She is now a “Woman In Love” and she’ll do anything to get you into her world. From “Bay Ngay Doi Mong” to “Hay Ve Voi Em” to “Nu Hon Ngot Ngao” to “Gap Nhau Lam Ngo,” the ladyboy is now in love. She even declares love on “I Feel Love,” a track has nothing but an up-tempo beat with the title repeats throughout.

It’s too bad because her vocals showed tremendous improvement—wider range and fluid flow—yet she flushes herself down the toilet trying to please the club heads.