Son Tung M-TP's New MV Sparks 'Copycat' Debate with MONO's 'Open Your Eyes'

Son Tung M-TP's latest music video, "Come My Way," has ignited a debate among Vietnamese netizens and music forums, with many pointing to striking visual resemblances with MONO's "Open Your Eyes," released two years prior.

Comparisons circulating on TikTok, Facebook, and music forums juxtapose scenes from both "Come My Way" and "Open Your Eyes," highlighting similarities in shot composition, color palettes, camera work, and overall visual mood. Specific segments in Son Tung's video, directed by Phuong Vu and AntiantiArt, have been described as "eerily similar" to Tony Nhat Nguyen and Nguyen Viet Anh's "Open Your Eyes," particularly in the use of vast natural landscapes, symbolic wide shots, slow-motion sequences, and an ethereal, art-film atmosphere.

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Looking at some angles, I thought I was watching the sequel to Open Your Eyes.

While some viewers commented that certain angles made it feel like watching a sequel to "Open Your Eyes," other fans proposed that both productions might share a common visual "DNA" stemming from their creative teams rather than direct copying. "Come My Way" deviates from Son Tung M-TP's typical pop MVs, embracing a more experimental visual approach. It incorporates Vietnamese cultural symbols like the Lac bird, Ly dynasty dragon motifs, the An Giang buffalo racing festival, and the landscapes of Trang An, all presented within a visual structure reminiscent of international fashion films.

In contrast, MONO's "Open Your Eyes" previously garnered attention for its spiritual and meditative themes, exploring Vietnamese nature as an internal landscape. This shared thematic and visual resonance has led to the easy association between the two works. As of now, neither Son Tung M-TP, MONO, nor their production teams have officially responded to the controversy. The discussion around "Come My Way" underscores a new trend in V-pop, where audiences are increasingly scrutinizing the artistic and cinematic language of music videos, moving beyond just melody and lyrics. Despite the controversy, "Come My Way" has achieved significant viewership, surpassing 1 million views within 8 minutes of release and reaching over 13 million views in 24 hours.

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You can't just look at a few similar shots to conclude plagiarism. What's important is whether the storytelling structure, the message, and the use of symbols are truly overlapping.