Rising star Son Tung M-TP has become the first Vietnamese singer to be awarded the YouTube Gold Play Button, a prize which certifies channels with at least one million subscribers.

As of Thursday, the 23-year-old singer’s channel on the video-sharing site had reached 1,023,521 subscribers and more than 294 million views.

Son Tung M-TP, born Nguyen Thanh Tung from the northern province of Thai Binh, began songwriting in high school and soon convinced his family to allow him to follow his dreams at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, where he was enrolled with top scores.

Tung’s 2012 debut, Con Mua Ngang Qua (Passing Rain), was an instant hit, winning numerous awards and launching his career into the spotlight.

The singer’s most popular hit song to date Chung Ta Khong Thuoc Ve Nhau (We Don’t Belong To Each Other) has over 92 million views on YouTube and his latest production, Lac Troi (Lost), has racked up 37 million views since its release just two weeks ago.

Tung’s success has often been overshadowed by accusations of plagiarism and lack of originality, with a number of his songs featuring striking similarities to South Korean and U.S.-UK pop songs and a style denounced as a mimic of South Korean star G-Dragon.

“I was thrilled to learn that I have been awarded the YouTube Gold Play Button,” Tung said, adding that the success would be a great confidence boost for his future song releases.

A screenshot of Son Tung M-TP’s YouTube channel taken on January 12, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre News

The music video of Son Tung M-TP’s 'Lac Troi'. Clip: YouTube

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