Elephant News reporter Li Chang, special contributor Hao Xiao
"Who steals my heart secretly? I can't tell the difference between night and daylight. Who steals my heart secretly? My eyes can't see myself... .." "Song God" Jacky Cheung stood on the stage dressed in fancy clothes and sang "Stealing Hearts". This is a song that was born 30 years ago. On January 19, 2024, Jacky Cheung held a solo concert in Quanzhou, Fujian Province. He said that since 1994, this old song has only been sung live three times.
Recently, "Flowers" has become a hit, and old songs such as "Stealing Heart" have soared to the homepages of major audio-visual software. Abao's delicate emotions accompanied the singing, and the audience also followed "Flowers" into the 1990s when golden songs were frequently released. In fact, in addition to "Flowers", recent popular dramas such as "The Long Season" and "Moses of the Plains" also instantly take the audience back to the 1990s.
The yellowed photos pressed under the glass, the enamel bowls used for eating, the 28 big-bar bicycles in the alley... Even the pictures reveal the old-fashioned texture of the 90s film and television dramas. What kind of movies and TV dramas are there? magic? Why are voices and stories from 30 years ago becoming popular again?
Well-made art
Luo Dayou, Liu Wenzheng, Leslie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, one after another popular golden songs came out from the car player, and soon occupied the entire car, blocking out the cold wind along with the car glass. In the twelfth lunar month of winter in the south, it was unbearably wet and cold, and the distance from home to work was not that close. Gao Haili spent every day in the company of this music.
Gao Haili was born in the 1960s. Thirty years ago, even with a monthly salary of 100 yuan, he would spare 20 yuan to buy tapes. The lingering sound that came from the radio back then was now replaced by mobile phones, car stereos and other players, and Gao Haili was still listening. Decades have passed, and it’s not that Gao Haili has never listened to popular new songs, but the music of the 1990s has always been the pinnacle of art in his heart.
"The music scene at that time can be said to be a 'fight between gods'." Gao Haili remembers that at that time there were the four kings of Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Aaron Kwok, and Lai Ming, as well as Beyong Band, Zheng Zhihua, Li Zongsheng, etc., and even the new rising star Nicholas Tse The first solo album was released and received an enthusiastic response, and he was widely rumored to be the successor of the Four Heavenly Kings. Almost every once in a while, a new pop music hits the streets.
The Hong Kong music scene is "fighting with gods", and mainland pop music is also booming. Radio stations around the country have begun to add "song request" and other programs. The hotline phone is ringing non-stop. Gao Haili sometimes wants to request songs, but he can't get through. Go sing "karaoke" with your friends and these songs will be at the top of the charts and almost everyone will sing them.
Time flies, and the microphone with the long cord in "karaoke" has long disappeared. Gao Haili finally knows nothing about the songs on the list, but this does not prevent him and his friends from continuing to indulge in old songs.
"Children who have left home have trouble sleeping at night, thinking of their parents far away and bursting into tears." The songs of the 1990s have not been dusted by the years. At a party at the end of January 2024, Gan Shirong, born in the 1980s, and Mu Hongju, born in the 90s When they sang this song a cappella, Mu Hongju said it was the first song he learned when he was a child, and Gan Shirong heard it now. Gan Shirong loved the lyrics of these songs the most. He even copied the lyrics on paper and accumulated them into a thick book. He has not forgotten them to this day. His friends jokingly call him the "Living Chinese Music Library".
Chen Shize, a girl born in 2000, began to listen to "old songs" extensively when she was in college. At that time, short video platforms had become popular, and "saliva songs" with repetitive rhythms, single tunes, and simple lyrics began to become popular. Even if Chen Shize didn't listen, he would sing a few lines. However, what really entered her heart were these songs born in the 1990s.
was under a lot of pressure when preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination. Everyone was working hard. She sometimes felt bored, but as long as she turned on the music player and played the songs of Eason Chan and Leslie Cheung, Chen Shize's heart would gradually calm down. She loves Leslie Cheung, and the voice of "brother" is gentle and powerful, as if a hand is gently holding someone who wants to fall. She also loves the lyrics of old songs. Eason Chan's song "When the Grapes Are Ripe" always teaches her to continue to persevere, "When the grapes are ripe first, you have to wait patiently, and then wait patiently. Even if the harvest is lost, you must always persevere." .In the future, try not to let today’s tears flow in vain."
In 2023, Li Ke went to listen to Eason Chan's concert. Picture provided by the interviewee
Returning to the 1990s
Nowadays, "Golden Songs of the 90s" has become a grouping. Whether on major music apps or on KTV lists, It is indispensable. With more exposure, Chen Shize sometimes wonders, what was it like in the 1990s? Why do people forget to leave?
Old songs connect her to the past, "It seemed to be a completely different world." The bustling foreign market is full of opportunities, and the people walking on the road are full of vitality. Some people leave the small town to make a career, and some people take root in the hometown and change the appearance of their hometown. Everyone is equal and the family is happy.
"They felt very energetic at that time. "Li Ke, who was born in 1998, became interested in the 1990s after being attracted by period dramas. These days she is obsessed with "Flowers". She has always liked Shanghai and learned that the Yellow River Road at that time still had such past events. "Some people are living a life of extravagance and extravagance, which is not the life that most ordinary people live, but it does not prevent us from experiencing the life that others live. "
Poster for the TV series "Flowers"
htmlThe 1990s was a time of rapid development in China, and most TV series portrayed it in a simple way. Li Ke watched the people in the TV series acting out their parents' shortcomings and youthful ambitions at that time, but found that there was something in everyone's eyes. There is light, and everything seems to be full of hope. Looking through the photos taken by his parents at that time, Li Ke also feels that he is very different from the current generation of young people. "Although there is no money and material life is not as rich as now, there is less pressure than today's young people." A lot. "Even though she doesn't have many memories of the 1990s, Zhu Dong, a post-90s girl, still resonates with this type of TV series. The protagonist in "Dajiang Dahe" went to college from a small mountain village and changed her life's destiny, which reminded her of her own childhood. The experience of being admitted to 985 University in the village; the sensible little girl in "The Glory of Our Fathers" always has a larger size of shoes or clothes that she can still wear when she grows up, which reminds her that she grew up like this when she was a child.
Gan Shirong was born in rural Hubei. The songs he listened to during his adolescence became the force that inspired him to move forward. “Only when you have traveled many rugged roads and keep going can you know that you have reached a higher state.” “Beauty along the road is always created with blood and sweat.” "...Accompanied by songs one after another, Gan Shirong left the countryside, was admitted to a top university, changed his identity from a policeman to a lawyer, and took root in Beijing. Nowadays, the lyrics have long been lost, but these lyrics are It was firmly imprinted in his mind and encouraged him to move forward.
Gao Haili listened to the tape playing "Childhood" in the 1990s. Now when he listens to the old songs again, he not only misses "On the banyan tree by the pond, cicadas are singing" "Calling Summer", I still miss myself listening to music at that time. Not long after I started working, I was working with my lover to start a small family, full of hope and confidence for the future.
A vinyl record player in the home of music lover Li Ke. Inspired by Photo provided by the visitor
"Memories with filters"
But what moved Zhu Dong the most was the feeling of "home" in period dramas.
"Golden Wedding", "Parental Love", "Children of the Qiao Family" "This kind of TV series spans several decades once it is performed, and the youth and aging of a generation are presented on the screen one by one. Zhu Dong especially likes this feeling. The family struggles together, and the days go from bitter to sweet, and life becomes more and more beautiful. She has become more and more prosperous, and her family love has always been with her. She joked that this was the "awakening of Chinese blood" and she fell in love with "Chinese-style happy reunions".
Some characters are too devoted to themselves. Zhu Dong sometimes feels that " "It's quite speechless", but sometimes she also wonders whether it is only in that simple era that people really keep burning themselves and lighting up their family, lovers or friends. The current era is fast-paced and high-anxiety. People care about everything, and those who pay for love will always be criticized as "love brains." But in that era, even if the carriage and mail were slow, there was always a relationship worth entrusting.
Li Ke sometimes envied the people of the 1990s. Life.She watched TV series such as "Days of Our Lives" and "In the World" and felt that life at that time was interesting. Whether it was a civil servant, a businessman, a person who sang in a dance hall, or someone who washed and massaged the feet of others, all Everyone can live well by their own labor, and everyone feels that their career is meaningful. If you want stability, live a stable life; if you want to work hard, go out and make a living.
Moreover, the relationship between neighbors was also very close at that time. Everyone worked in the same factory, and the next generation were all of similar age. They all went to kindergarten, elementary school, and junior high school together, and played together in the yard after class. Even if you don't live a wealthy life, you can still find your own happiness in the ordinary. Li Ke said, "This is a simple happiness."
"The post-90s and post-00s generations are happy to accept the 90s film and television dramas and golden songs. It is a recognition of the youthful years when their elders struggled hard. In addition, they will also look for 'psychological compensation' from it. For example, many young people will find it wonderful when they notice that the 1990s were not as busy as they are now." National Psychological Consultant Zhang Du said: "Those born in the 1970s and 1980s are willing to travel back to the 1990s in movies, TV shows and songs, because those scenes and sounds evoke memories of their youth or youth - everyone will have a 'ps software' in their hearts , add filters and modifications to the past to make it perfect, and then keep it in the memory. Therefore, the memories with filters are always more exciting than the unmodified reality, and the 1990s in movies, TV shows, and songs have further sublimated memories. ."
(pseudonyms of Chen Shize, Gao Haili, Zhu Dong, and Li Kewei)
"In 2023, Li Ke went to listen to Eason Chan's concert. Picture provided by the interviewee
Returning to the 1990s
Nowadays, "Golden Songs of the 90s" has become a grouping. Whether on major music apps or on KTV lists, It is indispensable. With more exposure, Chen Shize sometimes wonders, what was it like in the 1990s? Why do people forget to leave?
Old songs connect her to the past, "It seemed to be a completely different world." The bustling foreign market is full of opportunities, and the people walking on the road are full of vitality. Some people leave the small town to make a career, and some people take root in the hometown and change the appearance of their hometown. Everyone is equal and the family is happy.
"They felt very energetic at that time. "Li Ke, who was born in 1998, became interested in the 1990s after being attracted by period dramas. These days she is obsessed with "Flowers". She has always liked Shanghai and learned that the Yellow River Road at that time still had such past events. "Some people are living a life of extravagance and extravagance, which is not the life that most ordinary people live, but it does not prevent us from experiencing the life that others live. "
Poster for the TV series "Flowers"
htmlThe 1990s was a time of rapid development in China, and most TV series portrayed it in a simple way. Li Ke watched the people in the TV series acting out their parents' shortcomings and youthful ambitions at that time, but found that there was something in everyone's eyes. There is light, and everything seems to be full of hope. Looking through the photos taken by his parents at that time, Li Ke also feels that he is very different from the current generation of young people. "Although there is no money and material life is not as rich as now, there is less pressure than today's young people." A lot. "Even though she doesn't have many memories of the 1990s, Zhu Dong, a post-90s girl, still resonates with this type of TV series. The protagonist in "Dajiang Dahe" went to college from a small mountain village and changed her life's destiny, which reminded her of her own childhood. The experience of being admitted to 985 University in the village; the sensible little girl in "The Glory of Our Fathers" always has a larger size of shoes or clothes that she can still wear when she grows up, which reminds her that she grew up like this when she was a child.
Gan Shirong was born in rural Hubei. The songs he listened to during his adolescence became the force that inspired him to move forward. “Only when you have traveled many rugged roads and keep going can you know that you have reached a higher state.” “Beauty along the road is always created with blood and sweat.” "...Accompanied by songs one after another, Gan Shirong left the countryside, was admitted to a top university, changed his identity from a policeman to a lawyer, and took root in Beijing. Nowadays, the lyrics have long been lost, but these lyrics are It was firmly imprinted in his mind and encouraged him to move forward.
Gao Haili listened to the tape playing "Childhood" in the 1990s. Now when he listens to the old songs again, he not only misses "On the banyan tree by the pond, cicadas are singing" "Calling Summer", I still miss myself listening to music at that time. Not long after I started working, I was working with my lover to start a small family, full of hope and confidence for the future.
A vinyl record player in the home of music lover Li Ke. Inspired by Photo provided by the visitor
"Memories with filters"
But what moved Zhu Dong the most was the feeling of "home" in period dramas.
"Golden Wedding", "Parental Love", "Children of the Qiao Family" "This kind of TV series spans several decades once it is performed, and the youth and aging of a generation are presented on the screen one by one. Zhu Dong especially likes this feeling. The family struggles together, and the days go from bitter to sweet, and life becomes more and more beautiful. She has become more and more prosperous, and her family love has always been with her. She joked that this was the "awakening of Chinese blood" and she fell in love with "Chinese-style happy reunions".
Some characters are too devoted to themselves. Zhu Dong sometimes feels that " "It's quite speechless", but sometimes she also wonders whether it is only in that simple era that people really keep burning themselves and lighting up their family, lovers or friends. The current era is fast-paced and high-anxiety. People care about everything, and those who pay for love will always be criticized as "love brains." But in that era, even if the carriage and mail were slow, there was always a relationship worth entrusting.
Li Ke sometimes envied the people of the 1990s. Life.She watched TV series such as "Days of Our Lives" and "In the World" and felt that life at that time was interesting. Whether it was a civil servant, a businessman, a person who sang in a dance hall, or someone who washed and massaged the feet of others, all Everyone can live well by their own labor, and everyone feels that their career is meaningful. If you want stability, live a stable life; if you want to work hard, go out and make a living.
Moreover, the relationship between neighbors was also very close at that time. Everyone worked in the same factory, and the next generation were all of similar age. They all went to kindergarten, elementary school, and junior high school together, and played together in the yard after class. Even if you don't live a wealthy life, you can still find your own happiness in the ordinary. Li Ke said, "This is a simple happiness."
"The post-90s and post-00s generations are happy to accept the 90s film and television dramas and golden songs. It is a recognition of the youthful years when their elders struggled hard. In addition, they will also look for 'psychological compensation' from it. For example, many young people will find it wonderful when they notice that the 1990s were not as busy as they are now." National Psychological Consultant Zhang Du said: "Those born in the 1970s and 1980s are willing to travel back to the 1990s in movies, TV shows and songs, because those scenes and sounds evoke memories of their youth or youth - everyone will have a 'ps software' in their hearts , add filters and modifications to the past to make it perfect, and then keep it in the memory. Therefore, the memories with filters are always more exciting than the unmodified reality, and the 1990s in movies, TV shows, and songs have further sublimated memories. ."
(pseudonyms of Chen Shize, Gao Haili, Zhu Dong, and Li Kewei)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-