artLIVE – After more than two years of dedicated creation, Phung Khanh Linh officially returns with her third studio album titled ‘AMONG TEN THOUSAND’, marking a milestone of maturity in the female artist’s music, creative mindset and journey of self-reflection.
‘A rite of passage’ in Phung Khanh Linh’s music
No longer the female singer associated with dreamy melodies and sadness, Phung Khanh Linh in ‘AMONG TEN THOUSAND’ appears with a mature image that is bolder, more truthful and more intense.
Before the album release, she subtly paved the way with four singles from the project: ‘Ước anh tan nát con tim’ (Wish you had a broken heart), ‘Em đau’ (I hurt), ‘Khóc Blóck’ (Cry Block) and ‘Tâm sự với đêm một mình’ (Confiding in the night alone). Each song is like an emotional slice, gradually leading the listener deep into the artist’s inner world woven throughout the entire album.
Concurrently, Phung Khanh Linh conducted a cross-Vietnam tour with 5 concerts featuring a live band. This was an opportunity for her to directly experiment with sound, space and emotions with the audience. Each show was like a miniature ‘art laboratory’ where Linh listened, observed and perfected every detail, from the musical storytelling to emotional connection, before officially launching the complete album.
Phùng Khánh Linh shared: “I want this album to be not just separate songs, but an emotional journey that has been nurtured, listened to, and lived with the audience very early on.”
‘Swan Lake’ reflects the artist’s soul
Before the official album launch, Phung Khanh Linh and her team also introduced a Jacket Film for the album ‘AMONG TEN THOUSAND’, a short film inspired by Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, Swan Lake.
More than just an ‘unveiling’ for the album, the ‘AMONG TEN THOUSAND’ Jacket Film presents a deeply introspective story. It is the journey of an artist who once tirelessly pursued the spotlight to the point of losing herself and then gradually learned to stop, reflect on her inner self and find her true identity in quiet moments of contemplation.
“I borrowed the image of Odette to recount my own journey – between light and shadow, between aspiration and fear. When I sit in the mirror room, I see countless versions of myself: beautiful, weak, wounded, and proud. That’s when I understood that I don’t need to search for the light outside, because I am my own source of light.” – Phùng Khánh Linh said.
The image of the mirror room symbolizes the artist’s journey of self-reflection, where all boundaries between self and stage, between dream and reality, gradually dissolve. In the final scene, when the female artist sits on the black swan, it is not only a moment of Linh confronting and understanding herself but also a heartfelt thank you to the audience who have accompanied her through every melody, every musical chapter.
A dreamy and intense musical space
The album ‘AMONG TEN THOUSAND’ consists of 12 tracks, including 8 entirely new compositions. For this project, Phung Khanh Linh collaborated with producers Dai Lam, Phu Pham, blossom…, delivering a multilayered, modern and deeply emotional musical arrangement.
The mixing was handled by Josh Frigo – who was the main music producer for the two albums CITOPIA and yesteryear (both nominated for Album of the Year at the Devotion Music Awards), while Chris Gehringer – the sound engineer who has worked with Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran… – was in charge of mastering, guaranteeing the international sound quality of the project.
In terms of genre, the album is a blend of Alternative Pop, Dream Pop, Punk and Indie Rock, opening up a musical world that is both ethereal and soaring, yet also powerful and intense, much like the artist’s inner journey between reality and dream.
If yesteryear was a diary of memories, and CITOPIA was a dream of an ideal world, then ‘AMONG TEN THOUSAND’ is the inner reality, where Phùng Khánh Linh confronts and accepts her scratches, losses, mistakes and even loneliness, to find peace in music and within herself.
The female singer confessed: “For many years, I yearned to be seen among ten thousand people. But after going through hardships, I realized what I needed wasn’t the gaze of others, but the ability to see myself.”
Finding herself ‘AMONG TEN THOUSAND’
Throughout the visual campaign, Phung Khanh Linh appears as a girl on the boundary between the real and the dreamy, both fragile and proud. From the gentle frames in the Jacket Film to the image of the resolute female warrior holding a sword at the finale, everything creates a symbol of awakening and the artist’s journey of inner dialogue.
Sharing about the project, Phung Khanh Linh confided: “My music is not just for listening, but also for feeling – like a mirror to help me look back at myself.”. For her, this album is a profound healing journey, where every pain, love, loss and loneliness is cherished, transforming into the material that creates a more mature, composed and grateful Phung Khanh Linh than ever before.
Phung Khanh Linh’s album ‘AMONG TEN THOUSAND’ gives the feeling of stepping into a zone where light and darkness intertwine, the artist tells her story not only through sound but also through the journey of reclaiming her true self. Each song is like an emotional piece, sometimes gentle, sometimes intense, fully reflecting the inner turmoil of an artist who is learning to accept all versions of herself.
What is precious is Linh’s courage to express her loneliness, aspirations and even her wounds sincerely, without avoidance. Music is no longer just a means of expression for her but has become a healing therapy for herself and for the listeners.
Just 4 hours after its release, ‘AMONG TEN THOUSAND’ quickly hit Top 1 on the Apple Music Vietnam chart, with all tracks entering the Top 30. The Limited Edition version of the album ‘sold out’ before the release date, proving Phung Khanh Linh’s appeal and distinct position in the contemporary V-pop scene.
Photo: Phung Khanh Linh
