Bye Barbie

Thanh Thao flips her image as fast as her mood. From a Thai’s Barbie to a rock gal to a street chick, and now she is back as a traditional Vietnamese lady with her latest effort Bay Ngay Doi Mong. I am not ashamed to say that fun tracks like Y Van’s “Hai Muoi Bon Muoi” and Van Khoi and Van Phung’s “Trang Son Cuoc” groove me. Unfortunately, romantic ballads such as Tran Thien Thanh’s “Bay Ngay Doi Mong” and Le Huu Ha’s “Nho Nhau Lam Gi” suffer from her limited vocal range. Yet, the most heartfelt performance on the record is Nguyen Vu’s “Loi Cuoi Cho Em” with the aid of Quang Dung. He sings as if he tries to communicate his last words to his lover (especially on the chorus, “Neu ngay mai lo chung minh xa nhau, anh xin muon kiep yeu em ma thoi.”) before she walks down the isle with that rich old fart. Damn, we’re feeling you, QD.