On May 11, singer Duy Manh confirmed that he has officially withdrawn his lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz Vietnam over the fire that destroyed his luxury car in an apartment basement. That same evening, he released a new satirical track titled Rat Dad on his personal YouTube channel.

The song’s lyrics mockingly go:
"Oh rat, I beg you, dad
Why did you bite my car?
My Merc I drive every day
My Mercedes-Benz, shiny and new
Why did you bite it?
Was it someone who pushed you to?
Oh rat, I beg you, dad
Oh rat, I beg you, dad"

Rat Dad shares a similar musical style to Kiep do den (Fate of the Gambler), one of Duy Manh’s early hits. Upon its release, the song sparked mixed reactions online.

"Money is important, but sometimes it's no longer the point. This track has the same melody as Kiep do den, well, let’s say I was unlucky, but if I’m down 1, the brand is down 100. After this, the truth is clear to everyone. I support you, Uncle Manh," commented user Hoanggg369.

“I laughed till I cried listening to this song,” added user vochongspa.

However, not all feedback was supportive. User Palm Sing wrote beneath Duy Manh’s post promoting the song: “He was once an artist with promise, but lacking the courage to reinvent himself, he chose to trade creative freedom for the safety of the familiar... Once a symbol in the VCD-starved era, now just a shadow wrestling with old fame.

Relying on generic pop music to survive while thinking he’s shaping a trend. In truth, he's merely echoing the hollow applause of others equally lost. If you no longer have anything meaningful to say through music, better stay silent than become background noise not worth turning on.”

As reported by VietNamNet, Duy Manh had sued Mercedes-Benz Vietnam, demanding compensation of 2.5 billion VND (about 100,000 USD), for a Mercedes-Benz S450 Luxury worth over 5 billion VND (around 200,000 USD) that caught fire on February 15, 2023. The insurance company had already reimbursed him 2.9 billion VND (about 116,000 USD).

Rat Dad was born from this legal battle, as during court proceedings and attempted mediation, the automaker repeatedly attributed the fire to… rats.

Hoai Anh