The music video has garnered more than 13 million views on streaming platforms, becoming a social phenomenon among job-market-weary listeners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song has also swept major awards at the 3rd Wave Music Awards, taking home top honours including Best Rap Song, Best Single Production, and Best Music Video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat song made me realise rapping can tell the truth about people like us. It gives me the courage to write about my own failures,\u201d Zhang says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of his most shared songs\u300a\u9003\u96e2<\/em>(Escape)<\/em>\u300b<\/em>was written shortly after he was turned down for a warehouse job in February 2025. He expresses his frustration through the song:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you aren\u2019t born with a key, you knock till your fists bleed. The song quickly drew 10,000 views, and comments began piling up, mostly from other young men who described themselves as \u201cfactory workers\u201d, \u201cdelivery boys\u201d, or \u201cvocational school students\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One comment under Zhang\u2019s TikTok post says, \u201cbro, you wrote what I didn\u2019t dare to say at home.\u201d Another says he cried on the bus reading the lyrics, \u201cit made me realise that I\u2019m not the only one who feels shut out before even getting to the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zhang now has over 7,200 fans on Bilibili, a commonly used video-sharing platform in China. Some listeners shared their own job-hunting experiences under the video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Citing a comment which says she has submitted 80 applications and only got one interview, Zhang feels like reading his own story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 21-year-old rapper earns around RMB \u00a54,000 (US $550) a month from his part-time delivery work and music streams, while the median salary of fresh university graduates in major cities is around RMB \u00a56,000 (US $820) in 2025, according to several provincial education bureaus. His parents are worried, but Zhang insists that rapping is the only thing that matters to him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I perform in bars and live houses, I feel like I am being heard, and comments saying that my lyrics sound like their life keep me motivated,\u201d Zhang says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China\u2019s job market remains gloomy for young people. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in late 2025, the urban unemployment rate of those aged 16-24 stayed above 14%, which is one of the highest unemployment rates since the mid-2010s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike Zhang, another rapper, Feng Zhiming is kindling his rap career while studying computer science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 23-year-old university student performs at bars two nights a week and creates music pieces in his dormitory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy parents believe a degree equals stability, but half my seniors with degrees can\u2019t get jobs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feng mentioned that one of his friends in his major who graduated this year spends months sending out more than 60 application letters, but no one replies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe said he feels like his four years of university are nothing to employers,\u201d Feng says, \u201cto be honest, watching him makes me panic. If someone with good grades couldn\u2019t even get a single job interview, how about the rest of us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, this anxiety fuels Feng\u2019s music. His latest song,\u300a\u522b\u64d4\u5fc3<\/em> (Don’t Worry)<\/em>\u300b<\/em>, resonates with many graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feng writes the song after comforting his mother on the phone, telling her that everything is fine, while hiding the fact that he has lost his internship opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMany of my peers only share good news and hide the bad news from our parents. We don\u2019t want them to be upset, but the reality bites,\u201d Feng says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He now earns around RMB \u00a51,500 (US $205) a month from live streaming on his TikTok account and performing in bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feng says many students send him messages saying the lyrics of his songs mirror hardship in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur generation faces too much pressure, and the biggest motivation is having people who understand me through my songs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Adjusted_Zhang-2-1024x768.jpg\")
Zhang Xianhui doing recording and mixing at his rented house. (Photo courtesy of Zhang Xianhui)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Bosses say work hard, but they want a family tree.
Diplomas weigh less than a father with power
I hustle alone, counting rejection by the hour.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Feng-1-1024x683.jpg\")