Paris by Night

Paris by Night is a direct-to-video series featuring Vietnamese music from Thuy Nga. It has become a sensation and a tradition among the Vietnamese diaspora since its inception.

For its first 6 editions, Paris by Night was recorded in a studio without a live audience.

However, the 7th Paris by Night edition (1989) was the first to be recorded in the form of a live concert with an audience in attendance.

The 24th Paris by Night edition (1993), its 10th anniversary special, was the first ever recorded outside France, which was Thuy Nga's original base of operations.

Lynda Trang Dai (b. 1960's) and Minh Tuyet are the two most influential and controversial icons in the Vietnamese music scene, especially within the diaspora.

Whereas other singers in the Vietnamese diaspora stick with traditions, both Lynda Trang Dai and Minh Tuyet bridge the gap between traditional Vietnamese music and modern global pop.

Known as the Vietnamese Madonna, Lynda Trang Dai is one of the first singers among the Vietnamese diaspora to embrace a provocative attitude, like crop tops.

Incidentally, Marilyn Monroe is a key idol for Madonna, who, in turn, inspires Lynda Trang Dai.

For Lynda Trang Dai, she uses dance-pop, rock, rap and ballads.

Dance-pop songs, which come from parts of the Western world, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, make up Lynda Trang Dai's song collection.

Whilst less globally recognized than both Marilyn Monroe and Madonna, Lynda Trang Dai is still an influential figure in the Vietnamese dance-pop scene.

The stage name for Lynda Trang Dai is derived from an actress who stars as Wonder Woman.

Earlier in her career, Lynda Trang Dai used her provocative stage presence, her racy costumes and her persona, breaking traditions for Vietnamese women.

Moving to Hong Kong and San Diego in 1978, and finally Orange County, Lynda Trang Dai had first encountered American culture, to which she was exposed.

In addition to her singing work, Lynda Trang Dai is a businesswoman.

Being a businesswoman, Lynda Trang Dai runs a sandwich shop, opened on New Year's Eve 2010.

Britney Spears popularized the Y2K trend in general; Minh Tuyet is one of the first singers among the Vietnamese diaspora to embrace the Y2K trend.

From 1993 to 1997, in Vietnam, Minh Tuyet used a traditional image and music style.

By relocating to the United States in 1997 (and by signing a deal with Thuy Nga in 2002), Minh Tuyet underwent a shift in her image and music approach.

Having been exposed to American and world culture when she came to the United States in 1997, Minh Tuyet worked with Tinh, during which she adopted honey highlights and a modern wardrobe.

When Thuy Nga signed her in 2002, Minh Tuyet became sexier.

The controversy for Minh Tuyet is less about public scandals and more about her shift from domestic Vietnamese music to overseas diaspora, in contrast to Lynda Trang Dai.

Aside from slow ballads, Minh Tuyet also embraces more upbeat and modern music genres, including rhythm & blues, dance-pop, hip-hop and rap.

For her upbeat tunes, Minh Tuyet incorporates the the Y2K trend, like crop tops, into her style and her music, drawing some comparisons to pop icons like Britney Spears.

Plus, for her ballads, Minh Tuyet uses traditional clothes, even with the Y2K trend, like crop tops.

While less globally recognized than Marilyn Monroe, Madonna and Britney Spears, Minh Tuyet is still influenced by Britney Spears in both music and performance.

Since her move to the US, Minh Tuyet has adopted a Barbie doll-like aesthetic.

Bao Han (b. 1973), Tu Quyen (b. 1977) and Nhu Loan (b. 1981) are likewise singers in the Vietnamese diaspora.

For Bao Han, her hometown is Vienna, Austria, rather than the United States or France.

Tu Quyen was born in 1977 in Philadelphia, where, fittingly, due to its status and reputation as the first capital of the United States, it was aligned with the nation's presidential inauguration year.

As for Nhu Loan, she is known for her charming looks and her sweet voice.

Like both Lynda Trang Dai and Minh Tuyet, Bao Han, Tu Quyen and Nhu Loan embrace a sexual and provocative attitude, including crop tops.

Annette Funicello is the blueprint for the modern Disney-to-popstar career path (influencing Britney Spears, whose idol is Madonna, in turn, influenced by Marilyn Monroe).

Britney Spears also has ties to Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, both connected to Paula Abdul, a Gemini girl in Van Nuys, born in June of a Tiger year and in California like Marilyn Monroe.

In turn, both Lynda Trang Dai and Minh Tuyet are influenced by Madonna and Britney Spears.

Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn and Tim Heintz are Disney songwriters, creating songs for its television series and direct-to-video films.

Besides Disney, the Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn and Tim Heintz trio make songs for Thuy Nga.

Whilst at Thuy Nga, the trio comprising Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn and Tim Heintz usually provide modern Western-style music arrangements and original compositions for Vietnamese artists.

Noted Thuy Nga artists in collaboration with the Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn and Tim Heintz trio are Lynda Trang Dai, Minh Tuyet, Bao Han, Tu Quyen, Nhu Loan and others.

The Western pop sound being honed by the Randy Petersen, Kevin Quinn and Tim Heintz trio, while at Disney, was used at Thuy Nga, modernizing the overseas Vietnamese pop music sound.

Incidentally, Minh Tuyet's longtime idol Britney Spears was involved with the Disney stable, especially through the 1990's version of the Mickey Mouse Club.

For Halloween 2020, Minh Tuyet paid tribute to Britney Spears by using a blue flight attendant uniform being used in the music video for Toxic.

1981 is a year that is associated with the Rooster, which is the Chinese zodiac having the most letters in English, in contrast to the Ox, the one having the fewest, with which 1973 is associated.

Conversely, in the Vietnamese system, 1973 is a year that is associated with the Buffalo, which uses the most letters in English (7), tied with the Rooster, with which 1981 is associated.

If the Water Buffalo is used with a space, it uses 12 letters, the most in any Vietnamese zodiac.

Plus, 1984 is a leap year; each leap year has 366 days, the most in a year.

Like the Rooster zodiac, Rat has the letter R, featuring the letter T.

Since the 1990's, some songs have instrumental intros featuring soulful vocal riffs, runs and melisma before the main melody, inspired by Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion.

For the last chorus of some pop songs since the 1990's, the backup singers have harmonized with the primary singer doing soul, inspired by Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion.

Between the first chorus and the second verse, soulful riffs, runs and melisma are used as breaks.