During the first semi-final broadcast on the afternoon of 11/7, 10 contestants were paired up for duets. The three highest-scoring pairs advanced directly to the second semi-final. Phuong My Chi partnered with Chinese contestant Kha Lau, performing a mashup of "Tuy Am - Luc Hai Vi Vuong" (arranged by DTAP). The duo showcased a cultural exchange: Phuong My Chi sang "Luc Hai Vi Vuong" in Vietnamese, while Kha Lau performed "Tuy Am" in Chinese.

The performance captivated the judges when Phuong My Chi sang a "vong co" passage from the "cai luong" piece "Tieng Trong Me Linh". This evoked the tragic yet heroic image of female general Trung Trac: "But alas, my ambition remains unfulfilled, while the path of life and death separates us, a cold and sorrowful cloud hangs...". Kha Lau then performed a Peking opera passage. To facilitate this collaboration, the Chinese contestant flew to Vietnam for recording.

Phuong My Chi (left) and Kha Lau at the first "Sing! Asia" semi-final. Photo: Provided by the contestants

According to judge To Huu Bang, the performance was a complete fusion of musicality and stage presence. "Having not seen Phuong My Chi for a few episodes, I didn't expect her to do so well," he commented. He had previously praised the Gen Z singer during the Vietnam recording session.

Judge Truong Luong Dinh remarked, "The song has an intricate and challenging melody. But both of their performances evoked strong emotions in me."

The Phuong My Chi - Kha Lau duo received a total score of 190.6 from the main judges and 22 online judges. They were among the three highest-scoring pairs of this round.

Phuong My Chi rose to fame at the age of 10 after winning The Voice Kids Vietnam 2013 with the song "Que Em Mua Nuoc Lu" (Tien Luan). In her 10+ year singing career, she has released numerous music videos and albums including "Thuong Ve Mien Trung" (2017), "16 Xuan Trang" (2019), and "Bat Nha Thuyen" (2020). In 2023, she released the album "Vu Tru Co Bay", inspired by Vietnamese literature. She has also acted in films such as "Hai Lua" (2014), "Mua He 1999" (unreleased), "Nha Gia Tien" (2025), and the web drama "Tiem Hoa Di Ghe".

"Sing! Asia" is a 30-day music competition held on a cruise ship, organized by the iQiYi platform (China). The judges include renowned Asian artists such as Dan Truong, Truong Luong Dinh, Vu Truong Tinh, Lam Chi Dinh, To Huu Bang, and Co Cu Co. The ship departs from Shanghai (China) to Okinawa (Japan), stopping at Ha Long Bay (Vietnam), Singapore, and Malaysia, before concluding in Hong Kong. The program airs live internationally, simultaneously on FPT Play every Saturday evening.

32 singers and groups from across Asia compete in the Confrontation, Talent, and Final Glory rounds to determine the winner.

Hoang Dung