NextSharkNextShark.com

‘Queen of Vietnamese hip hop’ Suboi delivers emotionally charged performance on Colors

‘Queen of Vietnamese hip hop’ Suboi delivers emotionally charged performance on Colors

Suboi reveals in an interview with Colors that she never wrote love songs because she “wasn’t comfortable with” being vulnerable

February 8, 2023
SHARE
Vietnamese hip-hop phenom Suboi delivers an emotionally charged performance against the monochromatic background of Colors Studios in a new video.
Performing a piano arrangement of the song “Best Friend” from her latest album “NO-NÊ,” the 33-year-old Saigon native’s stellar vocals and striking pink and purple dress blend perfectly with the magenta stage. 
Hardened by the male-dominated hip hop scene “as a girl in an all guys area,” Suboi reveals in an interview with Colors that she never wrote love songs because she “wasn’t comfortable with” being vulnerable. 
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

Through the track “Best Friend,” Suboi can finally channel these suppressed emotions.   
“I just wanna express what my love is. It’s not about the step one step two step three, and how perfect you are, it’s about the confusion.”
The YouTube video’s comments section was swarmed by fans who lauded the rapper’s delicate and mesmerizing vocal delivery.
“The imagery, the cadence, every word was breathed with soul,” a commenter wrote. “This is the sound that Vietnamese Hip Hop should show the world.”
Another user said they were moved to tears by the performance. 
I don’t know why after awhile I started to cry. It touches. It’s so deep feeling…” the commenter wrote. 
Dubbed the “queen of Vietnamese hip hop,” Suboi’s stage name comes from her childhood nickname “Su,” which is combined with “boi,” a nod to her tomboyish nature. 
In 2015, she became the first Vietnamese artist to perform at the music festival South by Southwest and even rapped for former president Barack Obama during his tour of Vietnam the following year.
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      William Yuk

      William Yuk is a contributor for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.