The band members are lead vocalist-guitarist Along, trumpeter-vocalist Amai, drummer Chuimi, and bassist Wanli. [Photo by Zhou Chen/For China Daily] |
A song, titled Nightwalkers, opens the album. It portrays Amin as a teenager, who feels directionless and becomes rebellious, trying to transform, or redefine, himself in adolescence. The second song, Teen Spirit, expresses his ambition to launch a successful career by finding a job in a bigger city to make his parents proud of him.
Teen Spirit is no stranger to fans. The band played the track during its debut performance-at the Big Band competition-last year which helped propel their growing fame.
On the album, they came up with a different version of the song. Some were wowed by its creativity while others said they still prefer the previous version which they first sang on the show.
"We won't repeat what we do," Ouyang explains of their motto. "Exploring different sounds excites us."
Another song from the album is titled Six Million Elites, which is also the name of their nationwide tour. Ouyang wrote the song based on his own experience upon graduation from college in 2014, when he was one of China's "over 6 million fresh college graduates".
"I looked for jobs and was full of hope. A fresh new chapter opened in my life. The song is dedicated to young people who shared a similar experience," he says.
Trumpeter-vocalist Mai, 28, also notes that the band's songs are narrative, which distinguishes it from other groups. The sound of the trumpet adds a deeper touch, which "conjures up a different musical picture". In some songs, Mai narrates the lyrics either as a monologue or as a response to Ouyang's singing, which dramatizes the vibe of the songs.