US artists that rocked Vietnam in 2022

After the Covid-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese music market experienced a strong revival in 2022 thanks to a string of live events, festivals and concerts. Local fans enjoyed a great year of live performances by several visiting artists from the US.

A screenshot of John Legend performing at Hanoi Opera House on January 20, 2022

Earlier this year, Grammy and Oscar-winning singer John Legend performed at the Hanoi Opera House for an awards ceremony, bringing hits like “You Deserve It All”, “All of Me” and a captivating cover of the international anthem “Imagine” to the stage. The R&B legend also impressed fans when he said thank you in Vietnamese.

Hayd performs “Head In The Clouds” in The Masked Singer Vietnam on October 16, 2022. Photo courtesy of The Masked Singer Vietnam

One of the most impressive and surprising performances by a U.S. artist in Vietnam this year was Hayd on the reality TV show competition “The Masked Singer Vietnam.” No one expected that the one who sang the worldwide hit “Head in the Clouds” from behind the mask was its original creator. Hayd’s October performance on the show went viral and “Head in the Clouds” ascended the Vietnamese music charts. Previously on October 4, Hayd also did a minishow in HCMC.

Jack White performs in HCMC on November 10, 2022. Photo courtesy of Jack White

In November, rock legend and 12-time Grammy winner Jack White chose Ho Chi Minh City as the next stop for his tour “Supply Chain Issues”. The former member of renowned rock duo The White Stripes attracted a large number of Vietnamese fans in HCMC and from neighboring provinces, as well as foreign audiences.

Singer thuy performs in HCMC on November 11, 2022. Photo courtesy of thuy

Also in November, Vietnamese-born American R&B artist thuy made a guest appearance on singer Thinh Suy’s live show “Thinh Suy & Family.” She quickly hypnotized the local audience with her beautiful voice and catchy R&B songs. Her song “girls like me don’t cry” went viral in Vietnam and cracked the top 10 of Billboard Vietnam Hot 100.

From left to right: Babyface, Alastair Moock, Ricky Kej and Johnny Stimson. Photo courtesy of the artists

Vietnamese fans also had a great night at the HCMC International Music Festival (HOZO) with performances from several renowned artists, especially Babyface, who has won 12 Grammys and has countless R&B hits under his belt. The R&B legend sang a duet with local singer Ngoc Mai. Other US artists at the festival included Grammy-nominated folk singer Alastair Moock, two-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej, and pop musician Johnny Stimson.