Son Tung M-TP brings Vietnamese cultural symbols to new MV featuring American rapper Tyga

On YouTube, the MV premiere recorded strong engagement even before its release, showing that Son Tung M-TP’s appeal remains strong despite nearly two years of relative silence.

Son Tung M-TP, whose real name is Nguyen Thanh Tung, is a Vietnamese singer, songwriter, producer, and actor born in 1994.

One of the most successful Vietnamese artists, he has received a MTV Europe Music Award, an Mnet Asian Music Award, appeared on Forbes Vietnam's 2018 30 Under 30 list, and is also the first Vietnamese musician to enter the Billboard Social 50, according to Spotify.

Vietnamese culture celebration

Released globally, “Come My Way” quickly became a social media sensation, not only for its collaboration with Tyga, but also for Son Tung M-TP’s continued emphasis on Vietnamese cultural elements throughout the project.

Blending afrobeats with hip-hop and contemporary pop, Son Tung M-TP and Tyga share a highly symbolic visual setting, where Vietnamese cultural elements are translated into a global visual language.

From the opening moments of the music video, the image of the chim lac (lac bird), a symbol associated with the ancient Vietnamese Dong Son bronze drum, appearing in downtown Los Angeles sparked widespread discussion on social media.

Many viewers called it the MV’s most striking detail, praising the way a Vietnamese cultural symbol was placed at the heart of an American urban landscape as a visual statement on identity and global integration.

The MV also incorporates a range of familiar Vietnamese cultural references, including Ly Dynasty dragon motifs, the An Giang cow racing festival, motorcycle stunt performances, inspirations from Xuan Pha folk dance in Thanh Hoa Province, and the heritage landscape of Trang An in Ninh Binh Province.

Presented through modern visual storytelling, these elements create a contrast between tradition and contemporary culture.

Social media users believe that Son Tung M-TP is continuing his “Vietnamese core” approach, bringing Vietnamese cultural elements into mainstream pop in a way that feels both youthful and globally accessible.

Tyga also generated significant buzz.

Born Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson in 1989, Tyga is of Jamaican and Vietnamese descent.

Known for hits such as “Taste,” “Hookah,” and “Ayy Macarena,” he has amassed more than seven billion YouTube views and collaborated with Drake, Chris Brown, and Lil Wayne.

Mixed reactions over Son Tung M-TP’s English vocals

“Come My Way,” which is performed entirely in English, has also sparked discussions online over its vocal performance, particularly Son Tung M-TP’s English delivery.

Some said the Vietnamese singer sounded somewhat unnatural in his pronunciation and phrasing while performing a fully international-style track.

Others felt his vocals lacked impact and intensity compared to the heavier energy and dense flow of Tyga.

At the same time, many considered the song a noteworthy experiment in Son Tung M-TP’s efforts to enter the global music market.

Several also recalled his 2019 collaboration with Snoop Dogg in “Hay Trao Cho Anh” (Give It To Me).

Instead of taking the safer route of singing in Vietnamese as he did in “Give It To Me,” Son Tung M-TP chose to enter a more challenging arena, where every element, from pronunciation and flow to lyrical delivery, is measured against international standards.