A 9-5 workweek encased in a corporate cubicle was a “taxing, vortex of emotional abuse” to 28-year-old Duy Nguyen-Amigo. Now, he has stepped away from answering phones and emails to pursue the one constant love within his life, which is music.
“I no longer let these people, these situations define me,” Nguyen-Amigo said. “I will continue turning my adversities and life experiences into art, into something beautiful.”
Since his shift into full-time artistry, Nguyen-Amigo has spent his time performing gigs, creating social media content, editing and writing his upcoming EDM single, “Stop, just u wait.”
“You know, it was all a blessing in disguise,” Nguyen-Amigo said, the words flowing out of the raised corners of his mouth.
For two and a half years, Nguyen-Amigo worked a corporate logistics job where he aided shipping import processes and handled troubleshooting problems. His previous job financially supplemented his livelihood and musical passions, but he said that the mentally abusive environment caused him to develop writer’s block.
“I was so unmotivated, it was hard for me to come up with material that was organic,” Nguyen-Amigo said. “Since I left, all of my energy is going towards music.”
Since November 2023, Nguyen-Amigo has been devoting his energy to his mental health through recording content, creating promotional material, editing and performing.
The courage and support to take the leap away from his former corporate job is one that Nguyen-Amigo credits to his friends, like 28-year-old Yvonne Nguyen. Nguyen said that she has known Nguyen-Amigo since she was in middle school and has been following his music career since she has known him.
“When I first met him we were really young. I didn’t see anything that was going on through his life,” Nguyen said. “Just seeing and hearing all the thing’s he’s been through, and how it’s played through his music career, I just feel like he’s a strong person.”
Nguyen-Amigo’s lifestyle shift also influenced the creation and genre of his music. Unlike his previous eight songs, “Stop, just u wait” begins a shift into what Nguyen-Amigo calls “Viet-glish EDM” – an integrated blend between Western and Vietnamese culture in the style of electronic dance music.
His single takes inspiration from Vietnamese pop by utilizing traditional Vietnamese instruments and combining English and Vietnamese. The lyrics portray the turmoils that Nguyen-Amigo previously faced and mark a fresh, rejuvenated outlook in his music journey.
The single will be released on all major streaming platforms, such as Pandora, Spotify and Apple Music on April 11 at 9 p.m. Pacific Standard Time under the name theoneDNA.
This article was edited for accuracy on April 11, 2024.