From a Guest Cameo to a Co-Writing Credit: How Vietnam’s ‘Say Hi’ Universe Grew Up

Two years after Alan Walker's brief appearance on the finale of Anh Trai Say Hi, the successor series Tinh Hà Say Hi is taking a different approach by bringing five internationally renowned producers directly into the writing room. In December 2024, Walker was invited to share the spotlight for a few minutes, capturing the attention of Vietnamese social media as a national event.

However, this time around, the producers will remain on set to co-write and build tracks alongside the cast, marking a significant departure from the previous model.

Tinh Hà Say Hi, the latest installment of DatVietVAC's "Vũ Trụ Say Hi" ("Say Hi Universe") series, premiered this summer and features 24 Vietnamese entertainment stars, each representing a real-life star as "individual points of light converging in one shared universe." The cast, which includes rapper-singer CAPTAIN BOY and singer WEAN, has been open about the intense workload, with workdays often extending beyond 10 hours. The show airs on Saturdays at 8 p.m. on VieON, HTV2's Vie Channel, and YouTube.

In contrast to the previous year's finale guest appearance, this season's format emphasizes real production challenges and tangible creative output. The five international producers brought in for this round are Danny Chung, a Korean-American lyricist with major K-pop experience; FrancisGotHeat, a Grammy-nominated Vietnamese-Canadian producer; Dylan Matthew, an EDM and pop producer with platinum-selling credits; Softest Hard, a Vietnamese-American DJ and producer; and SOFTSERVEBOY, a multi-platinum Berklee-trained producer. Two of the five producers, FrancisGotHeat and Softest Hard, are of Vietnamese descent.

The producers' involvement is seen as a significant international crossover for the Vietnamese entertainment format, offering a more substantial and structured route to international visibility. Unlike a single viral clip, the show aims to establish credibility through the producers' existing platforms, audiences, and press relationships.

Vietnamese identity is a central aspect of the format, with the star-naming concept, mythology, and the cast's pride in explaining their culture to collaborators being integral to the series.

Whether Tinh Hà Say Hi becomes a template for Vietnamese entertainment collaboration or an experimental one-season project will depend on how the producers and the cast reflect on the experience once they return to their own studios and engage with their international audiences.