A poster for the song So far, the sofa is so far (Photo/Weibo)
A group of singers wearing solemn black suits as well as cat-ear hairpins look at the camera seriously.
Are they about to perform some serious classical music?
Not exactly!
If you listen carefully, you may be surprised not only by the lyrics to the song and but the animal noises made for fun throughout the performance.
This is a song called So far, the sofa is so far, meaning "I am worn out because of too much work" in Chinese, which has become a new internet hit overnight.
Since it was released on the social network Sina Weibo on July 27, it has received a high click-through rate of 3 million within 7 hours.
The song has daily Beijing life as a backdrop with a focus on complaints about overtime work among office workers.
The song is performed by Shanghai Rainbow Indoor Chorus, a band established by students from the conducting department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 2010.
With an average age of 24, the band consists of young people from all walks of life ranging from programmers, designers, accountants to graduate students of anthropology, chemistry and gourmet food.
Jin Chengzhi, the composer and writer of the lyrics of the song, said, "This is a musical work that touches a raw nerve with workers. Through exposing young people's exhaustion to ridicule, we aim to reduce their pressure in an interesting manner."
Meanwhile, many netizens have expressed their attitudes towards the popular song.
Some say the self-deprecating sentiments contained in the tune struck a chord with them while others said they have been brainwashed by the melody and felt a sudden impulse to quit their job and relax.
"The series of songs from the band changed my impression of the chorus. High art can also be combined with mass culture. A successful artwork can always reflect the happiness and sorrow of the general public," Sina Weibo user Purple-sagittarius said.
From internet buzzwords "living a more than desultory life, seeking for future and sceneries" to a marketing event named "fleeing from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou" and to the latest earworms, young people in China expressed their attitudes towards life and the future though a variety of appealing ways.
"Young Chinese seem to enjoy finding happiness in suffering. However, after throwing crazy and entertaining parties and backing into reality for a better life is the universal truth that never changes," an English teacher working in Beijing said.
