Thuy A Rising Vietnamese American Singer Celebrates Growth, Culture, and Love with Her First Ever Full-Length Project 'i hope you see this'
Some of the first feelings I felt when attending rising Vietnamese American R&B artist Thuy's "i hope you see this" listening event were of love and acceptance. Held to celebrate the Bay Area artist's upcoming project release on October 29th, the listening event gathered Thuy's friends and family from California and New York and featured "i hope you see this," a deeply personal record that is the star of Thuy's first full-length project.
Besides unveiling the track itself, Thuy also shared the touching music video to "i hope you see this," which stars Thuy's 10 year-old cousin as a younger, sassy version of herself. It was clear from Thuy's introduction to the video that both the song and video were very special to her, as they reflect Thuy's journey to self-acceptance - both in terms of her own person-hood and her heritage, Asianness, and family.
"i hope you see this" was conceived as a message to Thuy's younger self to keep going and pursue her dreams. Thuy reveals that she grew up in the UC Barbara area, an area with a primarily white demographic, which led to a period of her development where she rejected her Asian heritage. It wasn't until later when Thuy learned to appreciate and take pride in her Vietnamese roots.
In addition to Thuy's young cousin, the video also stars Thuy's mother and father in a poignant homage to her parents, who grew to support their daughter's dreams after initially opposing her change in career path and decision to become an artist. Needless to say, there was nary a dry eye in sight as the video unfolded, including Thuy who wiped away tears as she thanked everyone for being there to support her.
And support her they did. One of the reasons why the atmosphere felt so warm and welcoming was because both the event and Thuy's team were a family affair. Two of her brothers were at the listening event, and so was her longtime boyfriend, Charlie (better known as CR Crucial), who executive produced Thuy's upcoming project and was the one who brought her to the studio and encouraged her to become a singer in the first place. The song "universe," which is a standout track on the project is dedicated to Charlie and was written with him in mind. Many friends from the Bay Area also flew in to support Thuy in this first-time event.
Because Thuy's music is deeply personal and illustrates the instantly relatable steps of Thuy falling in and out of love, it really felt like the artist was opening her heart to her audience, as we all stood in the intimate venue and listened through each track on her project. Thuy's charisma was also infectious as she danced and sang along with her music, which was reflected in the many audience members who also bobbed their heads and mouthed along with her lyrics.
After we listened through the project, Thuy brought on guitarist Brad Morrison to perform acoustic versions of her songs, "figured you out," "in my bag," and "i hope you see this." The synergy between the two felt natural and Thuy's ethereal vocals were as effortlessly beautiful as they were in the recorded versions.
Thuy ended the night with a highly inspirational speech, which was an impassioned plea to her audience to "live your dreams and do whatever the fuck you do." A special focus was shone on parental support: Your parents may not support you in the beginning, but once they see how happy you've become, they will come around eventually.
And with that, the "i hope you see this" listening event ended. So, go out and live your dreams, people! And, go see the "i hope you see this" music video when it drops, so it's no longer a mere hope.
"i hope you see this" is set for an October 29th release. For more on your favorite celebrities, TV shows, and films, check out Enstarz!
