Biography
When Tuimi, a Vietnamese singer-songwriter based in Ho Chi Minh City and Berlin, was three years old, she sang karaoke at family gatherings. Some time after, while being raised in Dresden, Germany, she was classically trained for piano. But it wasn't until Alicia Keys came out with "Fallin'" that music really clicked for her. "She was a confident, beautiful woman who made piano look and sound cool," she says. "I knew I wanted to be like her."
Fast forward to age 19, and the singer got a lucky break after posting a video of herself singing on Facebook. An A&R rep from Universal reached out and she entered the world of songwriting camps. That boot-camp industry training only further informed her artistic vision, and helped her make international connections that would strengthen her music.
Now, at 25, Tuimi is ready for her closeup. Her debut single, "Purpose," has received over a half-million streams and a Brazilian fanbase — not bad for an independent artist on her own label who manages her image, sound, and marketing. The rising singer premieres the "Menina" video today on PAPER, a coming-out statement of sorts that places her in a canon of global queer pop musicians from Hayley Kiyoko to Troye Sivan, who have built wildly engaged fanbases on their truth and identities.
Tuimi, a trilingual woman who speaks Vietnamese, German, and English, decided to use "menina," a Portuguese word referring to a mysterious "girl" or "woman" in a romantic context, as the hook and title for her new song, because, as she says: "Why not?" Given her eclectic background as a woman and as a songwriter, Tuimi understands that language is global, and when used inclusively, it is a powerful tool for connection.
Everything about "Menina" blends Tuimi's vast, international influences. The song was produced by Parisian music production duo, Trackstorm x Ren Hook, and co-written in Berlin with Moli and Vivien. It has flavors of R&B and trap with a seductive pop sensibility. "Can I be that drink that you been sippin' on?" she teases. "Out of all these girls you are the only one." The video was produced by young creatives in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and features local Saigon Drag Queens Gia Ky and Tien Ngoc.
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