When the topic of representation and visibility in the Australian creative industry is discussed, it usually revolves around film, TV and theatre. Rarely are industries such as the musical artist industry discussed. Many Asian Australian musical artists are independent and work with passion to release their albums and singles – in the hopes their music gels with listeners.

One of these awesome artists is Minhy (pronounced as Mini) – a Vietnamese Australian woman hailing from the suburbs of Melbourne. Her music is unique and blends styles of pop-R&B. For Minhy, music has become her vehicle to explore themes including love, mythology and philosophical reflections.

“Becoming a musical artist is something I have always wanted to do since I was a kid, but I kept this dream somewhat as a secret as it felt like something not ever within reach.I remember watching pop stars on TV, performing in concerts an it always lit some fire within me”, Minhy discussed with Being Asian Australian in a recent interview.

“It was a dream I harbored for a long time and at some point in my life I just decided to go for it – making music based on genres I am into”.

With a background in automative and graphic design, which piqued her creative skills and passion, each track of music created by Minhy was treated like an art piece, carefully crafted to embody her experiences. This is how she explained the motivations behind creating her music.

“As a designer, I’m always drawn to how form and function could tell a
story. Songwriting became an extension of that – a way to express things I couldn’t put into words”, she said.

“I think with my song writing, I express my true love – it brings up my emotions and when that happens, I jump on the piano straight away and start to find a chord progression that feels really good at the time. I will play this chord progression over and over again until it sounds and feel right. I think my motivations and passion for songs comes from my love of art and self expression”.

The obligatory question about the representation and visibility of Asian Australians in the musical artist world. Everyone is familiar with big name Asian Australians such as Guy Sebastian, Sheldon Reilly and Jessica Mauboy, but really that is about it.

Globally, Asian music such as K-Pop has become major, and all this has created a rise in Asian Australians pursuing this career path. For Minhy, she feels confident that the future for Asian Australian musical artists is bright.

“I feel these days in general, there are more Asian Australian creatives and there are more Asian Australian stories coming out and being revealed to the world. Every time I hear about Asian Australians doing something in the creative space, I feel so connected and re-energised”.

“In Melbourne, I feel there are so many Asian Australian creatives doing their own things and making a difference. It is definitely motivating and inspiring – however, we definitely need more and we need to be more connected and united – supporting each other in our creative pursuits”, Minhy expressed.

So Minhy’s debut EP (Extended Play) “Mbody” was released back on October 22nd, 2024 – we at Being Asian Australian posted this on all our socials! We hope you all can check it out and support Minhy’s music!

Let’s end with Minhy passionately talking about how music allows her to express her feelings and allows her to be who she wants to be (wonderful words to reflect upon):

“Oftentimes I’d struggle to express my emotions with words, which is why I turn to art and music. There’s a lot of beauty and devastation happening in the world simultaneously, and it’s a lot to feel.”

Images provided by Minhy with header image credit: Maria Nguyen