It’s 12:03am in Saigon. You've just finished a movie at the last screening of the day. The asphalt in the parking lot is coated in a layer of golden light from the streetlight. You walk gingerly to your vehicle. A surprisingly cool breeze meets your skin, and you nearly shiver. It’s time to head home. What music do you put on?
To be honest, you can probably enjoy a ride with any type of music that makes your heart sing, but there’s just something about a night trip that yearns for tunes that are introspective, atmospheric, and a little solitary. Saigon has the reputation of a city that never sleeps, so one is never completely alone at any moment while careening on local streets, but the late hours of the day often peel back the layers of the chaotic metropolis that can be hard to love: bumper-to-bumper congestions, rampant noise and air pollution, and just so many people. A late evening drive, to me, is the ideal time to take a step back, slow down, and appreciate the urban textures of Saigon, those that are usually obscured by clutter during daytime: rows of heritage dipterocarp trees, shophouse architecture, or just the way streets contour along canals and rivers.
Some genres seem tailor-made to be the soundtracks of night drives, like synthwave, lo-fi, R&B, and dream pop as they tend to feature rhythmic beats with understated instrumentation that often aims to evoke a relaxing mood rather than showcasing bombastic vocals. City-pop, in addition, was born in the 1980s from a desire to capture that “urban” feeling of living in Japan’s megalopolises. While these music categories are all foreign-born, in the past half a decade or so, Vietnamese artists have been frequently experimenting with global musical influences, coming up with many records that pair incredibly well with those nights alone on Saigon streets.
CITOPIA (Album) | Phùng Khánh Linh
Phùng Khánh Linh showed that she’s immune to the sophomore slump with the release of CITOPIA in 2022 after a strong debut album, which was even part of Saigoneer’s picks of best music in 2020. Dubbed by fans as “Vietnam’s first city-pop album,” CITOPIA isn’t just a nod to the Japanese genre, it completely leans into the musical style and aesthetics. It’s a gimmick, to be sure, but a fun one that makes for an immersive multimedia experience. The tracks all come with lyric videos showcasing 1980s-inspired anime visuals — think Sailormoon and Ranma, but lo-fi. CITOPIA’s sparkling ambiance and wistful lyrics lend well to any type of night ride, from angsty to jubilant. Hell, even the visuals for ‘năm ngoái giờ này’ already feature a driving protagonist.
Shimmer (Album) | Tuimi
Tuimi’s debut album “softcore | hardshell” was one of my most-played records in 2020, presenting a stylish, self-aware, and observant creative work that demonstrates Tuimi’s talent at writing music. In “Shimmer,” she continues flexing creative muscles in the playground where she’s best at: R&B, trap and soul — all of which are very conducive for an evening ride. ‘Smile,’ for example, is a stripped-back ballad featuring only vocals and tender piano melodies. The many facets (and categories) of relationships are the main subjects for the album’s lyrics, a thematic shift from her previous works, making this the one album to put on if you need some introspective musings.
Read our interview with Tuimi here.
32 (Album) | Thành Luke
Following the disbandment of Cá Hồi Hoang, it’s been a particularly productive year for the band’s former main vocalist Thành Luke: “32” is his second album coming out this year alone. This record has neither the strong aesthetic nor genre tribute of the prior two in this list, as Thành Luke opted to use acoustic and classic rock instrumentations as the base for his storytelling. Thành Luke’s passion for story writing has always been ever-present in his music, be it as part of Cá Hồi Hoang or in solo projects, so much so that it even resulted in a Thành Luke-authored novel, For The Beginning. In “32,” as nightriders, we discover tunes that are soft and healing, encouraging us to slow down and reflect rather than speed home.
After Party (EP) | Vũ Thanh Vân
For anyone in search of the perfect soundtrack to a late-night drive, Vũ Thanh Vân’s “After Party” is an apt addition — the last track is already named ‘Driving Music.’ Known for her ambient pop style, Vân’s music has always leaned into mood over forcefulness, setting a calm atmosphere with narrative-driven lyrics. This EP shifts gears slightly, bringing a touch more tempo without losing her signature introspective sound. Tracks like ‘Hmm..’ blend her hypnotic vocals with producer itsnk’s knack for pacing — each pause and beat feels calculated to pull listeners in just a little deeper, perfect for when the empty road stretches ahead. While previous releases might feel almost too relaxed for cruising "After Party" finds a balance that’s both danceable and immersive, a vibe that hits just right when the city lights blur by.
Read our interview with Vũ Thanh Vân here.
Nghe Tiếng Đêm (Album) | KoQuet
Admittedly, KoQuet’s debut album might be a lesser-known record than the previous selections, but it is the most thematically in-sync with this list — the title literally translates to “listen to the sounds of the night.” In the intro track, the narration murmurs: “Let’s sit down to listen to the sounds of the night and the sounds of our hearts.” These soft-spoken snippets appear across the album in the intro, interludes, and outro, reminding me of the evenings of my childhood listening to the radio. For 45 minutes of the album, KoQuet is often reflective, occasionally passionate, and always earnest. The songs never stray too far from the central nocturnal theme, creating a seamless listening — and evening driving — experience.
