Overview
"Từ hôm nay (Feel Like Ooh)" (English: "From now on") is a song recorded by Vietnamese model and actor Chi Pu, written and produced by South Korean musicians Krazy Park and Eddy S. Park, with translation handled by singer-songwriter Trang Pháp. This K-pop-influenced electropop track served as the first official single launching its performer's career as a recording artist. On October 10, 2017, "Từ hôm nay (Feel Like Ooh)" was released via Chi Pu's self-established label GOM Entertainment. However, it quickly drew negative reception from the public, which was mostly aimed at the performer's limited vocal abilities and Trang Pháp's lyrical work. Chi Pu's decision to pursue a singing career also created a controversial debate among celebrities, attracting various opinions from artists such as Hương Tràm and Lam Trường.
Further criticisms went to the song's accompanying music video for being disjointed in content, and eventually, it became that year's most-disliked V-pop video on YouTube. The track's Korean version, titled "Ijebuteo", was later included in Chi Pu's debut extended play Love Story (2017). While her live performances were panned for weak vocals, cover versions from Trung Quân and Trọng Hiếu received a more-favorable reception. The latter's rendition was also released as a single in January 2018.
Background and composition
In October 2017, model-actress Chi Pu announced that she was pursuing a career in music, with a web series documenting the process. Two South Korean musicians, Krazy Park and Eddy S. Park, were recruited to join the project after they were introduced to the singer by one of her close friends. They later wrote and produced two songs, "Từ hôm nay (Feel Like Ooh)" and "Cho ta gần hơn (I'm in Love)". Chi Pu eventually decided to release the former track first on October 10, declaring it the project's "warm-up" single. They were, however, eventually pleased with Trang Pháp's final product. Due to this comparison, the singer subsequently displayed the animal's imagery or referred to it in several of her music videos and her performance at the V Live Awards in January 2018. Chi Pu recorded "Từ hôm nay (Feel Like Ooh)" and "Cho ta gần hơn (I'm in Love)" in two days in South Korea.
The former track's Korean version, titled "Ijebuteo" (), was included in her extended play, Love Story, which was released exclusively in South Korea.
Critical reviews
Upon its release, "Từ hôm nay (Feel Like Ooh)" received polarizing—but mostly negative—reactions from reviewers and audiences. Multiple publications regarded the song as "disastrous", In contrast, Người Đưa Tin thought the song was not that "disastrous", as Chi Pu only needed time to improve. Tiền Phong compared the singer to Sơn Tùng M-TP in 2013, suggesting that despite initial negative reactions from the public, she would eventually succeed. Both Lao Động and Tuổi Trẻ Online went on to say that regardless of some technical errors, some audience still found "Từ hôm nay (Feel Like Ooh)", indeed, "catchy". "Từ hôm nay (Feel Like Ooh)" was shortlisted for Best Dance/Electronic Song category at the Zing Music Awards in January 2018, but was not nominated.
Celebrity reaction
Notable performers have since voiced their disapproval of the track and Chi Pu's motive to become a singer, including Thanh Lam, Mỹ Linh, Thu Minh, Hương Tràm, and Văn Mai Hương. Hương personally felt it was an "insult" toward "true artists" like herself. "I initially thought I was wrong for criticizing Chi Pu ," she stated.
"However, I think people will realize someday that if they were straightforward like me from the start, together they could have stopped something that should not have happened." Văn Mai Hương, who received death threats from Chi Pu's fans following her opinion, explained that she only disagreed with the singer's comment: (literal translation) "In Vietnam, if you hold a microphone, you're a singer." This statement first sparked outrage as it was taken out of context and misunderstood as "you only have to hold a microphone to become a singer." Chi Pu's full statement actually read: "In South Korea, if you hold a microphone and sing, you can become different types of artists like a vocalist or an idol. But in Vietnam, if you hold a microphone, you have to be a vocalist.
There's no other term coined for an artist that relied on performing like me ." In addition to Lam Trường, other artists such as Thanh Hà, Phi Nhung, Huỳnh Nhật Tân, Noo Phước Thịnh, WePro Entertainment's CEO Quang Huy Minh Hằng, Phương Vy, Erik, and Chi Pu's former boyfriend Cường Seven, defended the singer. They joined several media outlets in opposing overly-disparaging remarks that were made by artists such as Hương Tràm, which Thanh Hà called "taboo" and "foolish". Noo Phước Thịnh and Minh Hằng expressed sympathy toward Chi Pu as they also had their starts in modelling and acting before gaining fame as recording artists.
Music video
s It was shot in 26 hours, follows a similar concept to music videos of K-pop, and features the singer in six different outfits from fashion houses such as Gucci, Givenchy and Moschino. One billion VND () was spent for clothing in the four music videos, and half of those costumes appeared on this clip. According to Chi Pu, the song's lyrical context served as the basis for the video's narrative, with both depicting a young woman wanting to make a positive change in her life after a failed relationship. Her stylist, Hoàng Ku, was meant to substitute for the mannequin in the video, but the idea was scrapped.
Chi Pu later shared that being filmed in a fish tank filled with cold water was the most-difficult scene to shoot, and explained that the last scene, where she sits on a throne, was meant to represent women as "the most powerful and the queens of the world." It was later shortlisted for Music Video of the Year category at the Zing Music Awards in January 2018.
Live performances and cover versions
Chi Pu performed the track live for the first time at a press conference conducted for the release of "Cho ta gần hơn (I'm in Love)", dubbed as "Dream Show – Cho ta gần hơn," on October 27, 2017; The new versions were praised for their arrangements, and the latter was released as a single four days after its televised debut.
Credits
Credits adapted from Melon and "Từ hôm nay (Feel Like Ooh)" music video's closing credits. ;Recording and management *Mixed at Krazy Studio and Eyaki Studio (Seoul, South Korea) *Mastered at 821 Sound Studio (Seoul, South Korea) *Published by NHN Bugs Corporation ;Personnel *Chi Pu – lead vocals, executive production *Krazy Park (Park Hyun Joong) – writing, production, arrangement *Eddy S. Park (Park Deogsang) – writing, production, arrangement *Trang Pháp – writing (Vietnamese) *Huỳnh Hiển Năng – recording engineering *Choi Hyung – mixing engineering *Kwon Nam Woo – mastering engineering *Noh Kyung Hwan – guitar *Nguyễn Hữu Anh – executive production *Bora Hương – project coordination