2pillz, billion views and the era of Gen Z producers

Returning to Vietnam, 2pillz was introduced to tlinh, MCK, wxrdie... After 6 years, they became prominent Gen Z music artists in Vietnam.

2pillz is a typical Gen Z DJ and producer of Vietnamese music - Photo: FBNV

Dropping out of his computer science studies in the US, 2pillz (Pham Phu Nguyen, born in 1998) returned to Vietnam at the end of 2019 and started making hip-hop music. He was introduced by a friend to tlinh - a shy girl at that time, and MCK - who was then an indie Nger, or young rapper wxrdie. At that time, Vietnamese hip-hop was still very "underground".

Beauty in distortion

After only a few years, with the Rap Viet seasons (in which 2pillz participated in season 3 as a producer), hip-hop has become the mainstream music genre in Vietnam. The names mentioned above have become successful Gen Z music artists. Their music has spread and brought them to big stages.

Album only Ai by tlinh, 2pillz and colleagues was included in the top 25 best Asian albums of 2023 by NME (ranked 15th) and created the big hit If at that time.

Until now... - 2pillz x tlinh

Just counting the Rap Viet program alone, 2pillz's remixes have reached 3 billion views on TikTok, earning him the title "billion-view producer". This achievement does not even take into account his individual albums and big hits outside the program: making albums, making music for tlinh, Low G, AMEE, Andree Right Hand, Tang Duy Tan, MONO, Grey D...

And not just hip-hop, he pursues all genres of music from house, afrobeat, drum & bass, bossanova to bolero and Vietnamese folk music (dan da, zither t'rung...).

All of this creates a unique musical concept that he named "Vinafro" - a fusion of Vietnamese culture with the vibrant beats of global club music.

Recently, 2pillz's debut album PILLZCASSO ranked #1 on iTunes in Vietnam, Germany and #3 in Canada. The album reached #2 on Apple Music Vietnam and the single " By the time now ..." reached #5.

2pillz, tlinh, MONO, Grey D... - young people lift each other up in music - Photo: FBNV

The album name PILLZCASSO comes from a joke by rapper MCK when he saw that 2pillz's musical thinking had many unconventional features. The name was inspired by Pablo Picasso, a rebellious and limitless artistic icon. Conflicting emotions, breakdown, beauty in distortion... are the inspiration for the 27-year-old producer.

Composing, producing and DJing, 2pillz is a model of a young, versatile artist in Vietnamese music. He appeared as a DJ at the Forestival music festival in Ninh Binh in May with 20,000 spectators, and the upcoming V Concert - Radiant Vietnam in Hanoi in August with tens of thousands of spectators, and many large and small music nights during this time.

2pillz's identity is 'bounciness, beauty and romance'

2pillz talks about 4 words that create his identity and make him different from other producers. The first is "bounce" - he wants when listening to his music, whether sad or happy, the listener cannot sit still but has to sway and flow with the music. The second is "pretty" - his music will make everyone feel beautiful, cool and confident.

And finally, "emotion". Even though it's house, afrobeat, very "club" with a very fast tempo, he determined that his music must also be very emotional, always incorporating R&B, pop, ballad harmonies and gentle sounds that sound like pouring into the ears.

2pillz would love it if listeners felt "mixed emotions" when listening to his music because it blends so many things at once.

Bustling but not cliche, "so much love" but not in a deep and profound way but cheerful and cheerful, true to the spirit of youth.

2pillz likes lyrics with short, simple sentences, with syllables like ư, ô, u, a... creating a magical feeling, both real and unreal. That is one of the factors that creates "addiction".

When researching traditional instruments such as lithophone and t'rung to create material for the new album, 2pillz was amazed that Vietnam has such wonderful instruments. But the sound is gentle and fresh, making the listener excited. These instruments bring a new feeling when used to play modern music such as R&B and afrobeat.

Although 8 out of 10 songs failed because they were not suitable, he created Thac Ninh and Dua Em Vao Troi , two songs he was very satisfied with in this album.

2pillz and MONO, the excellent Gen Z singer, just collaborated with him on a new album - Photo: FBNV

"MONO's voice makes me wonder why it can be so diverse. There's a national touch in it, whether you try or not you can always have it" - 2pillz commented on MONO, the excellent Gen Z singer who collaborated with him in the song Thac nìng .

As for tlinh - his close collaborator and the one who created great success with him, what 2pillz likes most about her is her honesty and not being afraid to be herself. Together, they are contributing to creating the image of Gen Z in Vietnamese music.

The Time of the Music Producer

The Gen Z music wave has created a big change in Vietnamese music, with producers' names becoming more prominent, no longer just behind singers. The name 2pillz is still unfamiliar to some audiences, but for those who are familiar with music and interested in Gen Z artists, both his name and appearance are familiar.

"I care about the listeners' feelings. How the audience receives it and who they remember is entirely up to them. Making good music is my way of bringing value, and maybe they will develop feelings for me later," he said.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/2pillz-ti-view-va-thoi-cua-cac-nha-san-xuat-gen-z-20250726233404988.htm