小皮皮爱习题 - "UP UP U" (2022 Self-released)
w 牧云 (Mù Yún), 袁景 (Yuán Jǐng); from 时光与火焰 (Shíguāng yǔ huǒyàn - "Time and Flames")
Today we have a song from Chinese TikTok, AKA Douyin (which those in the Western world may recall from being mispronounced a few times at this March's TikTok Congressional hearing). "UP UP U" is a song Chinese singer-songwriter Yuán Jǐng wrote for his imagined future children, subsequently made famous by child-singer/Douyin user 小皮皮爱习题 (Xiǎo pí pí ài xítí - "Little Pi Pi Likes to Exercise") in 2022.
It's a song of encouragement, affirmation, and assurance. Whether or not you understand the words I think it's quite soothing...and the title and refrain I think are nonsense, unless that's supposed to be English...
This recording originally comes from a compilation called in English "Time and Flames" (purportedly of folk songs, but you wouldn't guess from the contemporary pop sound of it), which I know only from writing this post...but which on a cursory listen has got some other good stuff that I will note below. I also quite like the original (presumably) version of "UP UP U", performed by the writer, although it’s got a more melancholy feel knowing the background:
And this is the first version of the song I heard, incidentally, if the kid voice isn't your thing...
Also Check Out:
By 米唐 (Mǐ Táng ):
"绚烂" (Xuànlàn - "Gorgeous") - YouTube | Spotify
By 刘奕曼 (Liú Yìmàn ):
