Hien is a Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter/producer who has a knack for mixing ethereal vocals and lush textures. Through her music that is equally tender as it is infectious, Hien has been exploring ways of rediscovering her identity and honoring her Vietnamese and Hungarian heritage through her art. Her first full fledged EP as an independent artist, BLOOM, out tomorrow, captures the creative journey of rebuilding her identity as an artist and navigating life as a millennial Southeast Asian immigrant, who moved from Europe to the US for a new beginning and cements her as an artist you need to know.
Before the EP release, Glide is happy to premiere the “Family” visualizer. Cinematographically stunning, the video follows various striking shots of Hien in her home country, draped in eye-catching outfits and flickers of fire. The video is the perfect accompaniment to the song, an electropop homage to Hien’s Vietnamese ancestors with dance-ready beats that provide the foundation for Hien’s lyricism to get lost in.
On the track, she says, “My family and most of the Vietnamese accept as a fact that our family members who passed on before us continue to live in another realm. Just like almost every house in Vietnam, we also have an altar to commune with them. Since I moved from home, I don’t have access to our altars as often as I used to, so I started my own small rituals to make more time to pray to my grandparents and my ancestors. I can feel their protection, their presence and the power they passed on to me.”
The BLOOM EP, though only 3 songs, is infused with so much passion, emotion, and meaning. With quite the impressive background — from releasing two pop albums and playing the leading role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon– BLOOM captures Hien’s evolution as an artist, sonically and lyrically. Through her music, Hien demonstrates the multitudes of ways one can pay homage to your upbringing and others. It’s a record full of love and understanding for one’s family, for those around you, and most importantly, for yourself.
