Self-Made R&B Artist Thuy Captures Global Audience
By James Moreau | 27 Jul, 2025

From viral TikToks to a world tour Thuy is redefining success for indie artists.

Thuy is a fast-rising singer and songwriter with a unique sound characterized by nostalgic R&B melodies and dreamlike soundscapes.

Her debut at Coachella in April 2024 made her the first Vietnamese American female artist to perform at the celebrated festival.  The independent artist further solidified her global reach the following year with the Wings World Tour consisting of 40 dates across Asia, Australia, North America and Europe.

Thuy’s discography includes three self-released albums 2021’s I Hope U See This, 2022’s Girls Like Me Don’t Cry, and 2024’s Wings, each containing a single of the same name.

A global hit peaking at number 9 on Vietnam’s Billboard Hot 100 “Girls Like Me Don’t Cry” has been Thuy’s most successful song with over 100 million streams on Spotify and 43 million YouTube views.  She’s leaned into the TikTokification of the single, publishing a slowed and reverbed version and a sped-up edit in addition to two fan video compilations – one with dancing and one with crying.

The 33-year-old’s breakthrough moment on TikTok came in 2020 when a slowed-down version of her 2017 song “All Night Long” went viral on the platform.  This organic traction continued in 2023 with “Girls Like Me Don’t Cry”, accumulating use on over 10 million TikTok videos.

Thuy’s popularity on Spotify has attracted 2.7 million monthly listeners and more than 578 million total plays.  In addition to “Girls Like Me Don’t Cry” and “All Night Long,” “Universe” has been a big hit with over 84 million streams. Before the Newark, California native pursued music full-time Thuy graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in biopsychology.  She worked in various medical settings, including dental clinics, dermatology offices, and as an optometric technician, while simultaneously developing her musical talents and releasing covers on social media.