Đông Nhi

2.3.1. 1988-2007: Early Life and Career Beginning

Mai Hồng Ngọc was born in Hanoi on October 13, 1988. Her family moved to Ho Chi Minh City when she was two years old. From a young age, Nhi developed a strong interest in music, winning numerous awards in high school singing contests. She enrolled at Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities but later left to pursue her music career. Despite failing auditions for several singing competitions, including Vietnam Idol in 2007, she was officially signed as a singer by the recording company NewGen. During this period, teen pop was popular, and her songs "Chàng Baby Milo" and "Đu quay tình yêu" became hits. However, NewGen deemed her strong image unsuitable for the prevailing trend and dropped her after a few months, choosing to support Khổng Tú Quỳnh instead.

2.3.2. 2008-2011: First Singles and Success

In 2008, Đông Nhi independently released her first single, "Khóc" (Khóc_Khoc^Vietnamese), which became a minor hit and helped her gain recognition. This success led to her signing with Tinu Production Company. She continued to produce teen-pop songs, further increasing her popularity. During this period, she also ventured into acting, starring in films such as Giải cứu thần chết, Thứ ba học trò, and Công chúa teen và ngũ hổ tướng.

In November 2009, Đông Nhi announced a two-month hiatus due to health concerns, having previously been hospitalized after a performance. Rumors of pregnancy circulated during this time, which she publicly denied. She returned in September 2010 with her official debut album, The First Step, featuring 10 songs she composed. The album was voted the Favorite Album at the Album Vàng program and ranked in the Top 10 Albums at the Zing Music Awards. In 2011, her single "Từng Thuộc Về Nhau" (Từng thuộc về nhau_{Tung Thuoc Ve Nhau}^Vietnamese, meaning "Once Belonged to Each Other") became a major hit, dominating music charts. In September 2011, she released her EP The Singer, which included collaborations with notable Vietnamese musicians like Đức Trí, Lưu Thiên Hương, Mr. Siro, and Mạnh Quân. Her music video for "Cho em một lần yêu" (Cho em một lần yêu_{Cho em mot lan yeu}^Vietnamese, meaning "Give Me One Chance to Love") won the Digital Online - Most Downloaded Music Video award at the MTV Video Âm nhạc Việt awards. That same year, Đông Nhi was named Best Female Singer at the Zing Music Awards, and The Singer was recognized as one of the Top 10 Albums of the Year.

2.3.3. 2012-2013: Getting More Public Recognition

In early 2012, Đông Nhi expanded her career by providing voice-over work for the Hollywood animated film The Lorax alongside TV host Thanh Bạch. In late April, she released the music video for "Sau Mỗi Giấc Mơ" (Sau mỗi giấc mơ_{Sau Moi Giac Mo}^Vietnamese, meaning "After Every Dream"), notable for its 80% underwater scenes. Both the song and the music video topped numerous Vietnamese music charts, leading to Đông Nhi winning Favorite Female Singer at the Zing Music Awards for the second consecutive time. At the end of 2012, she held a mini-concert with the cast of Bộ tứ hoàn hảo (Bộ tứ hoàn hảo_{Bo tu hoan hao}^Vietnamese, meaning "Perfect Quartet"). In 2013, her music video for "Tìm Về" (Tìm về_{Tim Ve}^Vietnamese, meaning "Finding Home") was groundbreaking as the first in Vietnam to feature 3D scenes and technology.

Early in 2013, she took on hosting duties for the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars (Bước nhảy hoàn vũ) alongside Lương Mạnh Hải. During this year, Đông Nhi also parted ways with her manager Đằng Phương and signed with Ông Cao Thắng's newly established 6th Sense Entertainment company. Under this new management, her music products received more meticulous investment and care. Đông Nhi underwent a significant transformation, adopting a more alluring and sensual image, and made a breakthrough with EDM, releasing a series of new hits. "I Wanna Dance" is often considered the song that initiated this transformation. Alongside her EDM success, she continued to achieve success with pop songs like "Tìm Về" and "Xóa" (Xóa_Xoa^Vietnamese, meaning "Delete"). Her growing popularity led to her winning several awards and building a substantial fanbase, attracting numerous brand sponsorships.

2.3.4. 2014-2015: I Wanna Dance and The Remix

In early 2014, Đông Nhi released her second studio album, I Wanna Dance, which featured a blend of pop and electronic dance music. The album included successful tracks such as "I Wanna Dance", "Giận lòng" (Giận lòng_{Gian long}^Vietnamese, meaning "Angry Heart"), and "Hey Boy". The album's lead single, "I Wanna Dance", topped numerous music charts in Vietnam, and even charted in China and Spain. The song earned her the Favorite Pop-Electronic Song award at the Zing Music Awards 2014, where she also won Favorite Female Singer for the fourth consecutive time. At the 19th Golden Apricot Blossom Awards, she received the Favorite Ballad Singer award. In late September, Đông Nhi confirmed her role as a judge on the show Vợ chồng mình hát (Vợ chồng mình hát_{Vo chong minh hat}^Vietnamese, meaning "My Husband and I Sing") alongside Ông Cao Thắng.

In October 2014, Đông Nhi released the music video for "Bad Boy", which became a sensation on charts, including Youku in China and charts in Spain. This song marked a turning point in her career, solidifying her image as a sensual and alluring singer embracing modern dance and EDM trends. She also won Best Female Singer at the Yan Vpop 20 Awards.


In early 2015, Đông Nhi participated in the first season of The Remix - Hòa âm Ánh sáng, a reality television show in Vietnam. In February, she continued her success by winning Favorite Ballad Female Singer at the 20th Golden Apricot Blossom Awards. In March 2015, during Live Show 6 of The Remix, Đông Nhi performed her new song "Stop Loving You (Vì ai vì anh)" (Vì ai vì anh_{Vi ai vi anh}^Vietnamese, meaning "For Whom, For Him"), co-written with Đỗ Hiếu. The song immediately soared to the top of Vietnamese music charts, including Zing MP3. On March 28, 2015, Đông Nhi officially became a judge for the Toả Sáng Tài Năng Châu Á (Toả Sáng Tài Năng Châu Á_{Toa Sang Tai Nang Chau A}^Vietnamese, meaning "Shining Asian Talent") competition, alongside Midu and Lâm Vinh Hải. On April 5, 2015, she won Favorite Female Singer at the HTV Awards with over 73.07% of audience votes. On May 3, 2015, Đông Nhi was crowned the winner of the first season of The Remix, also receiving the Most Loved Team award with Producer Đỗ Hiếu and DJ Mike Hào. Her team achieved the Best Team award four times and topped audience votes nine times out of ten live shows.

On May 15, 2015, Đông Nhi released the music video for "Vì ai vì anh", featuring Isaac and incorporating 80% modern 3D effects. The video garnered over one million views and topped the Zing MP3 chart on its release day. This song won Music Video of the Year at the Zing Music Awards 2015, where Đông Nhi also received the Favorite Singer award for the fifth consecutive time. "Vì ai vì anh" further won the Best Song Award at the Yan Vpop Awards 2015. On May 16, she was a judge on Ngôi sao Phương Nam (Ngôi sao Phương Nam_{Ngoi sao Phuong Nam}^Vietnamese, meaning "Southern Star"). On May 31, 2015, Đông Nhi returned to Vietnam Idol as a guest performer, singing "Hot" during the first gala results night. On July 2, 2015, she was confirmed as a judge for the BeU with Honda 2015 competition. On December 2, 2015, Đông Nhi became the youngest Vietnamese singer to win a Mnet Asian Music Award (MAMA) for "Best Asian Artist". Although she was not present at the ceremony in Hong Kong, she appeared on screen accepting the award. On December 14, she released the music video for "Boom Boom", a grand production with refined visuals and trap music elements.

2.3.5. 2016-2017: The Voice Kids, First Live Show, and The Voice of Vietnam

On January 22, 2016, at the 21st Golden Apricot Blossom Awards, Đông Nhi won Favorite Ballad Female Singer for the third consecutive time and was listed among the Top 10 Artists of the Year. On January 25, 2016, Forbes Vietnam recognized her in their "30 Under 30" list of most prominent young faces, using her real name, Mai Hồng Ngọc.

On February 9, 2016, Đông Nhi released the music video for her single "Pink Girl", featuring her boyfriend Ông Cao Thắng. The song, produced by Đỗ Hiếu, incorporated modern Tropical House elements. On April 8, 2016, she and Ông Cao Thắng officially confirmed their roles as coaches for the fourth season of The Voice Kids of Vietnam. Their contestant, Trịnh Nhật Minh, went on to win the season. During this period, Đông Nhi and Ông Cao Thắng also trained the K-pop-inspired groups LipB and Uni5, as well as the group Hello Yellow. On April 23, Đông Nhi won Favorite Female Singer for the second time at the 10th HTV Awards, receiving 73.32% of the total votes.

On October 2, 2016, Đông Nhi held her first solo live show in eight years, titled It's Showtime - Dệt Giấc Mơ Bay (It's Showtime - Dệt Giấc Mơ Bay_{It's Showtime - Det Giac Mo Bay}^Vietnamese, meaning "Weave a Flying Dream"), at the Military Region 7 Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, drawing an audience of 15,000. On October 8, 2016, the Big Apple Music Awards 2016 organization announced Đông Nhi as the winner of the "Best Vietnamese Female Artist" category. On November 6, 2016, MTV Asia declared Đông Nhi the "Best Southeast Asian Act" at the 2016 MTV EMAs.

On January 3, 2017, Đông Nhi was officially confirmed as a coach for the fourth season of The Voice of Vietnam, alongside Thu Minh, Noo Phước Thịnh, and Tóc Tiên. In the same month, she received the Artist of the Year award at the Yan Vpop20 Awards and won Favorite Female Singer at the Zing Music Awards for the sixth consecutive time.

On February 14, 2017, Đông Nhi released the music video for "Cảm ơn (We Belong Together)" (Cảm ơn (We Belong Together)_{Cam on (We Belong Together)}^Vietnamese, meaning "Thank You"), composed by Huỳnh Hiền Năng and filmed in Japan, featuring her student Trịnh Nhật Minh. Also in February, she released the music video for "Love Me Too", sponsored by Samsung. On September 24, 2017, Đông Nhi traveled to Busan, South Korea, to perform "Xin anh đừng" (Xin anh đừng_{Xin anh dung}^Vietnamese, meaning "Please Don't") and "Bad Boy" at the Asia Song Festival 2017. On October 5, 2017, she released the ballad music video "Sao chẳng thể vì em" (Sao chẳng thể vì em_{Sao chang the vi em}^Vietnamese, meaning "Why Can't It Be For Me"), marking her return to her signature ballad style, filmed in Taiwan and featuring Ông Cao Thắng. The following month, she released the music video for the film Cô Ba Sài Gòn (Cô Ba Sài Gòn_{Co Ba Sai Gon}^Vietnamese, meaning "Miss Saigon"), written by Only C, which quickly gained popularity among young people.

2.3.6. 2018-Present: Ten on Ten

On October 4, 2018, Đông Nhi represented Vietnam at the 2nd ASEAN - Japan Music Festival in Tokyo, Japan. She performed a remixed version of "Nụ cười Việt Nam" (Nụ cười Việt Nam_{Nu cuoi Viet Nam}^Vietnamese, meaning "Vietnamese Smile") and debuted her new song "Xin lỗi anh quá phiền" (Xin lỗi anh quá phiền_{Xin loi anh qua phien}^Vietnamese, meaning "Sorry I'm Too Annoying").

On October 28, 2018, she released "Xin lỗi anh quá phiền" as the lead single from her third studio album. On November 22, 2018, Đông Nhi released another single, "Giả vờ say" (Giả vờ say_{Gia vo say}^Vietnamese, meaning "Pretend to Be Drunk"). On December 8, 2018, "Gọi em đi" (Gọi em đi_{Goi em di}^Vietnamese, meaning "Call Me"), the third single, was released, coinciding with the announcement of her album Ten on Ten, celebrating her 10-year singing career. The album officially launched on December 9, 2018, featuring collaborations with artists such as Đỗ Hiếu, Huỳnh Hiền Năng, Max Vol, and Toof.P and Lục Huy from the group Uni5. To promote the album, a Ten on Ten concert was held on December 22, 2018, at the Military Region 7 Stadium, attracting over 40,000 attendees.

In early 2019, Đông Nhi won two categories at the Keeng Young Awards: Favorite Dance Song for "Xin lỗi anh quá phiền" and Artist of the Year. Subsequently, at the 24th Golden Apricot Blossom Awards, she received the Favorite Light Music Female Singer award for the fourth time. On April 16, 2019, at the 14th Cống hiến Music Awards, Đông Nhi was honored with the Artist of the Year award. On September 7, 2019, she won the Impressive Singer award at the VTV Awards 2019, surpassing prominent artists like Mỹ Tâm, Noo Phước Thịnh, Lê Cát Trọng Lý, and Đen Vâu, though she could not attend due to a busy schedule.

After her marriage to Ông Cao Thắng, on May 8, 2020, Đông Nhi collaborated with Khắc Hưng and Kawaii Tuấn Anh to release "Khi con là mẹ" (Khi con là mẹ_{Khi con la me}^Vietnamese, meaning "When I Am a Mother"), a song conceived and released during her pregnancy and coinciding with Mother's Day. On December 8, 2020, Forbes Asia included Đông Nhi in its "100 Digital Stars of Asia-Pacific" list, alongside Vietnamese celebrities Trấn Thành and Chi Pu. Following this, Forbes Vietnam ranked her 10th in their list of the "20 Most Prominent Stars on Social Media."

On April 23, 2022, Đông Nhi returned with the music video "Đôi mi em đang u sầu" (Đôi mi em đang u sầu_{Doi mi em dang u sau}^Vietnamese, meaning "My Eyelashes Are Sad"), featuring Wowy, which quickly became the top trending video on YouTube. In mid-April 2022, Đông Nhi's image was featured on Times Square in New York City as part of Spotify's EQUAL campaign, which celebrates female artists globally. In 2022, she was invited to perform at the finals of three major beauty pageants: Miss Environment Vietnam, Miss Universe Vietnam, and Miss World Vietnam. She also performed "VINAWOMEN," the official theme song for Miss Universe Vietnam 2022. On May 18, 2023, she released the song "Những tháng năm tươi đẹp" (Những tháng năm tươi đẹp_{Nhung thang nam tuoi dep}^Vietnamese, meaning "Beautiful Years").

2.6.1. Film and Television Roles

Đông Nhi has taken on various acting roles in Vietnamese films and television series:

2.6.2. Television Appearances

Đông Nhi has been a frequent presence on Vietnamese television, serving as a coach, judge, host, and guest on various programs, particularly talent competitions.