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Chi Pu, Captain of Stars Enlist 2025, is the first confirmed artist in the line-up. The star rose to new international fame after her performances on Sisters Who Make Waves 2023. — Photos thethaovanhoa.vn

TÂY NINH — A large-scale music and light festival will take place at T&T City Millennia, a modern urban township in Cần Giuộc Commune, Tây Ninh Province, on the evening of August 9. 

Titled Khơi mạch nguồn Di sản – Vững bước Kỷ nguyên mới (Awakening Heritage, Stepping into a New Era), the open-air event is being organised by T&T Group to celebrate two national milestones: the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945) and the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam (September 2, 1945).  

Organised with large-scale investment by T&T Group, the festival will feature a grand outdoor stage set in the heart of the modern mega-urban T&T City Millennia development. The show will combine live performances, cutting-edge sound design, lighting, and visual mapping to offer a sensory-rich experience.

Well-known Vietnamese hits will be given modern remixes, blending contemporary sound and visuals in a show designed to be both aurally and visually captivating.

The most anticipated highlight of the evening is a drone light show featuring more than 1,000 drones, making it one of the largest in Southeast Asia and the biggest ever staged in Tây Ninh Province. The synchronised drone performance will light up the sky over the southern outskirts of HCM City, creating a high-tech spectacle symbolising innovation and unity.

Among the first performers confirmed for the event is Chi Pu, one of Việt Nam’s most dynamic pop icons and recently appointed ‘Captain’ of Sao Nhập Ngũ 2025 (Stars Enlist 2025), a military-themed reality TV show.

She is expected to bring her signature style and energy to the stage, building on the momentum of her acclaimed international appearance on China’s Sisters Who Make Waves 2023, where she was widely praised for her vocal performance, choreography, and stage presence.

Known for his powerful tenor voice and artistic integrity, Đức Tuấn has carved a unique path in Vietnamese music by modernising classic, pre-war and revolutionary songs.

Joining her on stage will be a host of Việt Nam’s top-tier vocalists, including Đức Tuấn, the classically trained tenor known for reinterpreting pre-war, revolutionary, and theatrical songs with a modern sensibility; Uyên Linh, winner of Việt Nam Idol 2010; and singers Isaac, Erik, and Quân A.P, all of whom are prominent names on digital music charts and social media.

As part of the festivities, T&T Group will also inaugurate the Millennia Journey pedestrian street, an experiential cultural walkway inspired by Marco Polo’s legendary 13th-century expedition through Asia.

This nearly two-kilometre boulevard reimagines a miniature ‘cross-cultural journey’, where visitors will explore themed stations that blend Eastern and Western aesthetics. Each stop offers a unique experience designed to evoke the cultural richness of historical trade routes and encourage discovery.

Beyond being a high-energy entertainment event, the festival is also envisioned as a way to express the spirit of a new urban lifestyle – one where culture, community and innovation converge. According to the organisers, T&T City Millennia is being positioned not only as a place to live, but as a destination for vibrant public life.

The festival will be free and open to the public, welcoming both residents and visitors to enjoy an unforgettable summer night filled with music, lights, and cultural exploration. — VNS

 

 

 

Sydney Sweeney overlooks herself in her latest campaign for American Eagle.

Courtesy: American Eagle Instagram

Outside of what has become an annual American tradition of reviewing Super Bowl commercials, it has been years since I’ve heard or been sent so many reviews, opinions, and hot takes on a :15 or :30 second commercial spot.

Until now.

Last week, American Eagle came in hot with a series of ads featuring one of America’s most popular rising stars. Actress Sydney Sweeney, 27, launched her new collaboration with the retailer, titled ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’.

And it did not disappoint (or perhaps it did, depending on who you ask)

From the South China Morning Post to the Daily Mail, and Vanity Fair to NPR – outlets across time zones, age brackets and industry verticles are chiming in on their thoughts and perspectives and symbolism of the ad. On social media, the ad is the talk of TikTok, X, and Instagram with influencers and everyday people eager to record videos to share their opinion, all while replaying the ad for their users to see, of course. Even the President commented!

What’s all the talk about?

The pun/double entendre of language between genes and jeans, the intersection of visual identity and sex appeal, and the pretty privilege of “traditional” beauty.

Quite simply, this ad has unlocked America’s culture war about looks, influence, and eugenics?

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 10: Sydney Sweeney attends the Variety Power of Young Hollywood Presented by For the Music at NeueHouse Hollywood on August 10, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Variety via Getty Images)

Variety via Getty Images

American Eagle Is An Unlikley Catalyst

American Eagle Outfitters, while a longstanding international retail brand and manufacturer, is an unlikely catalyst for this moment. But what their story tells you is that GREAT ADVERTISING is effective when done correctly.

In recent years, advertising has been an industry under siege by both clients, who hire out the creative agencies that make the work, and by consumers who have multiple ways they can avoid watching ads.

Recent trends are continuing to accelerate this. Last month’s Omnicom’s much anticipated $13.5 billion acquisition of rival Interpublic was approved by the FTC, creating the world’s largest advertising agency. In the U.S., the firm would become the largest media buying ad agency as well. The new Omnicom will have over 100,000 expert practitioners with the combined entity forecast to yield $750 million in annual cost savings, highlighting the ongoing drive toward consolidation on Madison Ave.

Some argue that this consolidation hurts creativity due to the red tape and corporate-leaning culture.

It’s not to imply advertisements aren’t all around us. The average person sees hundreds of ads every day, but the reality is that due to the squeeze from both sides, the creative product is not as memorable as it could be.

When asking people if they can recall the ads that they see, the response is only between 1%-10%.

From AI, to ad-free streaming to ‘skip now’, advertising has seemed to become “in the way” of what we are trying to consume vs enhancing the experience of the time we are forced to commit.

And as algorithms become more powerful in serving custom ads, it’s become more complex and harder for brands and audiences to be able to recall advertising as they once were immediately. Gone are the days of ‘Yo Quiero Taco Bell’, ‘The Geico Caveman’, ‘Mac vs PC’, or ‘Spuds McKenzie’

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: Sydney Sweeney attends the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton on March 14, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Opposing Voices Don’t Hold as Much Weight

As the dust settles, American Eagle has stood by their ad campaign despite the criticism and controversy. Saying in a recent Instagram post, they shared their ad campaign “is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”

The ‘Sydney’ jeans which the commercial was advertising, have completely sold out, and the stock price is at its highest point in nearly 6 months ($13.39 at the time of writing), showing that a great ad holds value for companies. Beyond that, the brand is now in minds and lips of millions across the world.

Could this American Eagle campaign be the tipping point to inspire a new era of creativity? And could the formula of painting the line on social issues surrounding privilege and race be the new formula?

I believe the answer is yes, and I for one am looking forward to actually watching them – regardless of what side of the debate I’m on.

Tiffany Haddish’s latest hard launch is stirring up confusion on social media.

The 45-year-old comedian on Aug. 3 shared a joint Instagram post with her friend Jason Lee, 47, with a caption that read “Cats out the bag ❤️.” Lee has one hand on a stroller and another around Haddish as she carries an infant in her left arm. In a second photo, the two gaze lovingly at the child as he stares straight into the camera’s lens.

Actress Tasha Smith summed up the sentiment in the comments section by writing: “What does this mean.” A few other commenters pointed out that the cat was, in fact, still in the bag due to the lack of context about who the baby was.

Haddish had some more fun the next day by posting content from a family Six Flags trip and adding a cheeky caption: “Spent the day at Six Flags with the fam. What’d I miss?”

Did Tiffany Haddish have a baby?

Makeup artist Rolexis Schinsing joked about being a godmother to this baby in both a comment and an Instagram story that Haddish re-posted. “I finally get to tell everyone about my godchild!! 🤣,” she wrote alongside Lee and Haddish’s post.

Lee, vice mayor of Stockton, California and CEO of the entertainment website Hollywood Unlocked, also shared a photo of Haddish holding the baby boy while visiting a local high school cheer squad practice.

However, the little one seems to be Major, the 6-month-old grandson of Lee’s cousin, Natasha “Tasha” Brown. In the post, Lee gave a “shoutout to my commissioner Natasha Brown … for inspiring the young ladies of the South Stockton Vikings cheer squad and giving them the chance to meet Tiffany.”

USA TODAY has reached out to Haddish’s representatives for comment.

Haddish, who is currently on her Funny and Fearless Tour, is typically open about her private life, including her fertility struggles and dating updates. In a May appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” she said she was still dating a “roster” of people.

She has also spoken about the effect that endometriosis has had on her body, including pain that’s allegedly so strong she’d faint – as well as pregnancy loss. In various interviews and as recently as 2024, she told People that she had experienced eight miscarriages, calling them “devastating.”