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VOL. 2, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Self-proclaimed divas and performative authority in contemporary Vietnamese popular music
Authors
Do Tuan Anh, Nguyen Van Hoan
Abstract
This article examines the phenomenon of self-proclaimed Divas in
contemporary Vietnamese popular music as a site for rethinking how artistic
authority operates under conditions of institutional instability. Drawing on a
mixed-methods study combining survey data and in-depth interviews with artists,
cultural administrators, media professionals, and audiences, the analysis shows
that Diva status is widely understood not as a settled title but as a
provisional position that must be continually enacted and sustained in public
view. Self-proclamation does not automatically undermine authority; rather, it
initiates a prolonged process of exposure in which claims are tested through
performance, scrutiny, and response. Controversy emerges not as a force of
erosion but as a condition that keeps authority evaluatively open and socially
consequential. Evaluations of Diva status prioritise presence, bearing, and
relational dominance over technical competence or formal recognition, while
gender intensifies both visibility and vulnerability. The article advances the
concept of performative authority to capture this mode of power, arguing that
authority in contemporary popular culture can function effectively without
institutional conferral. By treating Vietnam as a theoretical vantage point
rather than a cultural exception, the study contributes to broader debates on
celebrity, performativity, and cultural hierarchy in contexts where mechanisms
of consecration are fragmented or absent.
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Pages:7-13
How to cite this article:
Do Tuan Anh, Nguyen Van Hoan "Self-proclaimed divas and performative authority in contemporary Vietnamese popular music". World Journal of Academic Research
, Vol 2, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 7-13
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