Ho Quynh Huong – Anh

Ho Quynh Huong has such a damn sexy voice that she could seduce me with almost any song. Her new release, Anh, is an instant poppy album that has not only one but two Duy Manh’s tunes. When it comes to Duy Manh music, I can’t even take it from the writer himself, yet Ho Quynh Huong managed to make hits out of them with her soulful, powerful delivery. It must be her smoky timbre that burned the sugarcoated melody and cut straight to the emotional core.

Ho Quynh Huong shows off her big pipe on Minh Ha’s “Tinh Yeu Mai Mai.” The huge pop ballad starts out soft but launches into a powerhouse. It’s the style that Bang Kieu loves to do, but hearing Ho Quynh Huong is a much more pleasurable experience. Still, I prefer to hear Ho Quynh Huong takes on something more bluesy like Minh Ha’s “Trong Co Don,” in which she skillfully maneuvers her way around the savory piano ostinato and light swing rhythm.

Quoc Bao’s “Quynh” should have been the album closer. Unlike the glossy, flossy hits on the album, “Quynh” is fairly minimal. The first twenty bars, with only an acoustic guitar backing her up, are simply gorgeous. While Tung Duong’s version on Quoc Bao’s Q+B is sensational in his own style, Ho Quynh Huong owns the track like she owns her middle name.