Rising R&B singer and songwriter thuy has recently released her highly-anticipated debut EP i hope u see this. The nine-track EP includes seductive and heartfelt singles ‘chances’ ft. DCMBR, ‘in my bag’, and ‘in my head’.
We interviewed the vibrant artist to ask her more about her new record and how the journey has been.
With over 60 million streams in just a few short years, thuy, who is of Vietnamese descent, has proven that she’s a promising artist to watch for. Her soothing vocals, authentic lyricism and honesty stand out in the new record, showcasing’ a beautiful and introspective collection of tracks touching on heartbreak, love, empowerment and self-confidence.
Says thuy,
“Every track has a message that I felt needed to be heard. Songs like ‘chances’ and ‘figured u out’ are songs about my past heartbreaks and how much it taught me to be a better lover, especially to myself. ‘in my bag’ is a message to all the non-believers but more importantly, stands as an empowering anthem to myself. ‘universe’ and ‘u got me’, are love notes. The title track is my audio signature and it really encapsulates all these themes into one song to close everything out.”
Accompanying the release of the EP, are also the visuals for the title track.
She elaborates,
“The music video for this last track is so important because it’s a look into my younger self, growing up, my culture, and how music, dancing, and singing was my sanctuary. I’m just in my little world, while my family, who also appears in the video, live out their daily life as immigrants. It’s just a cool backstory to who Thuy is, because that is also a really important theme to i hope u see this. As much as I hope the toxic ex sees this, or that the haters see this, I also hope that the little Asian girl or boy at home sees this and feels inspired by what I’m doing and think, ‘hey maybe I can do this too’. So there are a lot of themes that I touch on but it was important for me to highlight my culture and where I come from.”
AsiaLive365: Hi thuy, Vanessa here. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us over at AsiaLive365. Congrats on the release of your debut EP i hope you see this. How does it feel to finally release this EP into the world?
thuy: It feels incredible to finally have my baby out for everybody else to hear it. We worked on the EP for about two years and it was so hard for me to hold back all of the singles because I love them so much but now it feels so amazing to hear that people are really resonating with the songs.
AL365: Do you have any favourite song from this EP or one which is more personal to you?
thuy: It’s funny because “figured you out” was not going to make the project because it wasn’t quite there yet but while we were mixing and mastering the project, my engineer DTB ended up adding some post production and it made me fall in love with the song all over again. However, one that is super personal to me is definitely the outro track, “i hope you see this”. This was the last track to make it onto the project and it really summarizes all these themes into one song to close everything out.
AL365: If you could describe your audio signature, what would you say?
thuy: Raw and authentic. Sweet and spicy and definitely a lot of sass.
AL365: ‘in my bag’ is such an empowering piece. What was it inspired by?
thuy: Honestly that song was kind of a way for me to tap into my alter ego. I never really talk about my accomplishments or boast too much about what I have going on so the song was a fun way for me to do that. I really wanted the song to be empowering especially for all my babes out there who are really hustling and building their empire from the ground up. I wanted them to have an anthem that made them feel super confident and supported.
AL365: What do you hope people will feel when they listen to your new EP?
thuy: I hope people can feel my actual scars as I am singing about the journey of going through a bad relationship to then finding yourself again and then falling in love all over again. I hope that they feel like they can go through whatever it is they’re dealing with because they see that I came out on the other side okay.
AL365: You mentioned that you previously traded your musical hopes and tried for a career in medicine. When did you decide to take the journey as a musician full time and what was it like when you finally did?
thuy: I was working in an optometry office at the time and I just remember feeling really unhappy where I was. I loved helping patients and I loved being able to touch people’s lives but I knew that this wasn’t my end goal. I remember hearing that a couple rooms were opening up at my engineers house in Los Angeles and I just remember having an inner conversation with myself about where I was headed. I knew that I needed to take a risk and I’m so glad that I did because had I not, I probably would still be doing something that didn’t truly make me happy. When I took that leap of faith I felt like everything was finally lining up for me.
AL365: What were the challenges you faced not having any exemplars to look up to that looked like you?
thuy: The biggest challenge was that it led me to put my dreams to the side. I didn’t know who I could look to that could guide me to where I wanted to go in music. I remember loving Britney Spears so much but not feeling all the way represented. That’s why I’m so thankful that today, there is more representation in music and I’m just grateful that maybe even I can be that exemplar for a young Asian kid who may want to pursue this passion and make it a career.
AL365: So, what sort of music or artists influenced and inspired you growing up
thuy: Definitely Britney Spears. When I first heard her I knew that I wanted to be a popstar. In junior high I remember hearing R&B for the first time and I just remember it pulling at my heartstrings. R&B made me feel like I was in love even when I wasn’t and it made me just fall in love with music. Growing up I listened to a lot of Tamia, Brandy, Avant, and so much more!
AL365: What was the very first song that you taught yourself to play or sing to
thuy: Honestly it’s so hard for me to know for sure because I’ve been singing since I could talk. If I had to take a guess, it might’ve been “I swear” by all 4 one because my sister and I used to sing that on karaoke all the time.
AL365: What message would you give to an aspiring musician about the journey ahead?
thuy: That the journey is the best part. You don’t want instant success because all the “no’s” and all the “failures” will make you a better artist in the long run. Don’t be afraid to do the things that scare you and don’t be afraid to do things that are out of the norm.
AL365: Is there anything that you like to say to your fans and listeners out there
thuy: Thank you. I wish I could hug each and every one of you because you all changed my life. Thank you for allowing me to share the same space with you even if it’s just for three minutes. Thank you for giving me the strength and the support to keep going.
AL365: Thanks again thuy!
Listen to her new EP below.
