Today we're doing a dive into one of my favorite Cpop sub-genres--minyao! This style of music blends folk, rock, and singer-songwriter genres, and it's well known for its guitar riffs, accessible melodies, and heartfelt lyrics. Starting in the 80s and into the 90s, a whole new generation of young Chinese flocked into the cities to go to college or take on a white collar job (both had previously been available only for the well educated and wealthy). These youth had been exposed to music from all around the world after the end of the Cultural Revolution, and this genre gave them to explore themes of freedom, self-actualization, loneliness, and other topics that hadn't been represented much in Cpop thus far. This genre includes realistic looks into the city 9-5 life, idealistic youthful dreams for the future, and nostalgia for a simpler past. Here's the tracklist from today. As always, anything with a * is an unofficial translation for your understanding.
"Greenhouse Girl" by Cui Jian, Rock n' Roll on the New Long March
"Salaryman"* by Ding Wei, Campus Minyao 1*
"The Age of Fluttering White Clothes"* by Lao Lang and Ye Pei, Youth Without Regrets*
"Dust in the Wind"* by Lao Lang, Dust in the Wind*
"After Rain in B Minor"* by Ye Pei, Pure Era*
"Sing My Heart to You” by Lao Lang, Beijing's Winter
"Bloom"* by Li Jian, Years Flow Like Water*
"Jasmine Flowers Open"* by He Jiong, Be Worth Loving*
"Spinning Top" by Wan Xiaoli, Everything's Not As Bad As It Seems*
"Chengdu" by Zhao Lei, Unable to Grow Up
"Father's Prose Poetry" by Xu Fei
《花房姑娘》崔健，《新长征路上的摇滚》专辑中
《上班族》丁薇，《校园民谣1》专辑中
《白衣飘飘的年代》老狼、叶蓓，《青春无悔》专辑中
《恋恋风尘》老狼，《恋恋风尘》专辑中
《B小调雨后》叶蓓，《纯真年代》专辑中
《想把我唱给你听》老狼，《北京的冬天》专辑中
《绽放》李健，《似水流年》专辑中
《栀子花开》何炅，《可以爱》专辑中
《陀螺》万晓利，《这一切没有想象的那么糟》专辑中
《成都》赵雷，《无法长大》专辑中
《父亲写的散文诗》许飞