The nostalgia behind Guo Youcai

When reality is not satisfactory, people like to reminisce. Let's take a look at the nostalgic emotions behind the recent popularity of Guo Youcai.

Recently, Shandong boy Guo Youcai quickly became an internet celebrity with the song "Promise". His singing not only increased the number of fans on his Douyin account by 2 million in three days, but also made his name frequently appear on the hot search list, and even boosted the passenger flow of Heze South Railway Station, becoming a phenomenal event.

Why are Guo Youcai and his "Promise" so popular? Of course, this is inseparable from his unique expression of the song. His simple and heart-wrenching singing style, full of emotional catharsis, touched the hearts of countless people.

Some people say that Haila Amu sang the white-collar version, Li Yijun sang the rich girl version, Jacky Cheung sang the tycoon version, and Guo Youcai sang the common people version.

Some people also said that he sang out the helplessness of the five-guarantee households.

Guo Youcai’s singing is certainly the main reason for the popularity, but the core behind it still hits the current social sentiment.

01 Retro design, retro struggle story

When many people talk about Guo Youcai’s "Promise", they all say that the current situation is too difficult and they can hear the sadness of a generation from the music.

The problem is that this song, released in 1995, is just an ordinary love song. It does not sing about the hardships of life. There were too many love songs like this in the 1990s.

The key lies in Guo Youcai's careful setting.

He was wearing a retro suit, a slicked-back hair style popular in the 1990s, a mobile phone on his waist, and a shabby BMW parked next to him. All of this was full of strong historical background. At first glance, Guo Youcai looked like a middle-aged uncle in his 40s (in fact, he was born in 1999).

The most important thing is that Guo Youcai chose the Heze South Railway Station as the singing venue. This railway station was built in 1978, the year when the reform and opening up began. It is believed that countless Heze people embarked on their journey to Beijing from here with hope.

Today, the train station has ceased operations, leaving behind only abandoned facilities and memories of the times, just like the pharmaceutical factory that is about to be abandoned in "Killing the Shijiazhuang Man".

The story of Guo Youcai's hard work is also retro.

The so-called retro struggle means that through the efforts of your own hands, you will achieve success one day.

Guo Youcai was born in a rural family in Heze in 1999. When he was 10 years old, his life changed drastically - his mother passed away, his father remarried, and his relationship with his new family gradually became alienated.

Three years later, 13-year-old Guo Youcai dropped out of school and entered society, starting his road to struggle. Due to his young age, he could only be an apprentice in a tram repair shop at first. At the age of 15, he became a front desk attendant at a bath center.

Guo Youcai's musical dream began with self-study. He spent 6 yuan to buy a singing tutorial online and taught himself. For his dream, he saved money and bought his favorite guitar, starting his musical journey.

At the low point of his career, Guo Youcai met Su Chang, a girl who did not despise his family background and always gave him support and encouragement. The two started their second business together and opened a barbecue stall. Later, Guo Youcai began to enter the field of short videos and live broadcasts.

In November 2023, Guo Youcai started live singing. At first, there were few viewers in the live broadcast room, but he did not give up. Until the end of April this year, he finally ushered in an explosion with nostalgic memories, classic songs and inspirational stories.

Guo Youcai's retro designs and his personal retro inspirational story bring those born in the 70s and 80s back to the golden age of the 90s.

02 What’s good about the 90s?

In that era, reform and opening up entered a period of deepening, the economy was booming, and people were full of hope for the future. Walking on the streets, it seemed that everyone was full of optimism. The pace of life was slow, there were no smartphones or iPads, people communicated face to face, everyone was real and friendly, there was no 996, and no PUA.

In that era, social mobility brought endless possibilities, and the gap between people was not as wide as it is today. There were not so many myths of getting rich overnight, nor so much jealousy and comparison. People's goals were simple and clear - to live a good life down to earth, and believe that through hard work, they can create a better future.

In that era, culture and entertainment were also flourishing, and the Four Heavenly Kings, the Double Weeks and Yi Cheng brought countless excellent works. Whenever people see these works, they will miss that charming era.

In contrast, today's people born in the 1970s and 1980s have their faces full of traces of time. The midlife crisis at the age of 35 makes them full of uncertainty about the future.

I once left my hometown full of hope to bring back achievements. Today, I return home exhausted, full of anxiety about the future.

"I was full of ambition, but I came back with an empty bag."

There are no more hit songs to listen to nowadays, only the Douyin divine songs, and the movies to watch have lost their former vitality.

Today, it is no longer possible to see the scene of "a son from a poor family becoming a noble" and achieving class transition through hard work. The retro-style struggle stories have long been replaced by the struggle stories of relying on one's father.

"Why should the efforts of three generations of us be defeated by your ten years of hard study?"

Faced with this current situation, and looking back at the prosperity of the past, they started crying as they listened.

Guo Youcai became famous with "Promise" because of his unique singing style and expression, and more importantly, it hit the nostalgic mood of people today. Guo Youcai's retro style and affectionate singing evoked the collective memory and emotional resonance of the post-70s and 80s generation.

However, in this Internet era that seems full of opportunities, it is not easy to replicate Guo Youcai's success.

The platform's algorithms and recommendation mechanisms require a constant stream of new topics and characters to attract users, creating the illusion that everyone can become famous overnight.

Author: Xunkong

Source public account: Xunkong’s Marketing Revelation (ID: 846631)