“Tình ca thành phố vịnh,” the first album by Hanoian indie group Lope Dope, might come out at the end of summer in August, but its wealth of city pop exuberance and tropical cheer is enough to power any listener through the dreary rainy season and upcoming winter.
Lope Dope is a five-person band that initially connected via a large collective of like-minded creatives in Hanoi. Like most musical groups that formed during the pandemic, they struggled with finding a time and space to practice amid ever-shifting lockdown policies, but nonetheless, they persevered, and the first single ‘Vô vị’ (Bland) was officially released in 2021.
Their second release, the single ‘Đêm thành phố’ (City Night) came out in 2022 to enthusiastic reception by listeners and even went viral on TikTok. The momentum allowed them to perform on stage at a few music festivals and youth events to spread their characteristic funk and city pop passion.
In August 2026, Lope Dope dropped their debut record, “Tình ca thành phố vịnh’ (Love Songs From the Bay City), a full-length album featuring nine tracks and one bonus track, ‘Đêm thành phố.’ Albeit originating from Japan, city pop is now an internationally recognized and loved genre all over the world, Vietnam included. A full-fledged city pop album in Vietnam is not unheard of, as Phùng Khánh Linh has done so before with “Citopia,” but if Linh confined the genre to one album, Lope Dope is pursuing city pop and funk full-time, at least for the time being.
The music video for ‘Vịnh người cá.’
“Tình ca” is conceptualized around a fictional city, the titular Bay City, and every song contains narratives, characters, and places that expand on the fiction. Across the 10 songs, Lope Dope creates a tropical world filled with crashing waves, swaying coconut trees, and the ever-present incandescent sun. It reminds me a lot of “Timely!!”, the 1983 album by Anri, in both atmosphere and subject matter, so I am instantly endeared by “Tình ca.”
The album opens with ‘Vịnh người cá’ (Mermaid Bay), the music video for which is an adorable love story between a mermaid and a downtrodden pilot. It’s the song with the most mythological storytelling of the album, setting up both the backstory of the fictional world and the sonic tone for the album. The ending returns to ‘Đêm thành phố,’ the successful hit from 2022 that was arguably the first spark that jump-started this adventure.
The animation for ‘Chuyến du hành vũ trụ,’ a tribute to Georges Méliès.
“Tình ca” has a well-thought-out overarching theme and story that are executed decently. Lope Dope is assured in their vision and stays faithful to it across the tracks — the album’s biggest strength. I could imagine vibing to these sunny tunes while on the bus traveling along the coast in Phan Thiết, Nha Trang, or Đà Nẵng, staring deep into the ocean hoping to find mermaids. The listening experience is seamless, with the tracks blending in and out harmoniously, though this seamlessness is also its shortcoming. The songs don’t differ enough from one another, in lyric content, vocal performance, or melody, so I could doze off mid-trip and wake up not sure which song I’m on.
As a whole, the album is charming, indulgent, and infectiously cheerful, like a summer fling. But, unfortunately, like a summer fling, it also comes up short in depth and emotional weight. Nonetheless, as a debut record, “Tình ca thành phố vịnh” by Lope Dope is a strong showing that demonstrates the group’s personality, vision, and great potential. They not only paid tribute to city pop, but also embodied its aesthetics and spirit well.
To sum up:
- Type: Album
- Release date: August 2026
- Lyrics: Cheerful, story-driven, and earnest
- Danceable: Twerking-on-the-beach level
- Cryable: No, if anything, it will prevent crying
- Karaoke potential: Perhaps, if the lyrics are more available
