On April 24. iQIYI, China’s leading online entertainment platform, launched “Voices of Youth”, a brand-new variety show bringing together 25 young artists spanning vocalists, idol artists, crossover actors, and emerging musicians to form China’s first pop performance choral show. Before its premiere, the show topped the Most Anticipated Variety Shows chart on Weibo, China’s leading social media platform, multiple times and debuted simultaneously on iQIYI International across markets to strong reception.
“Voices of Youth” introduces a first-of-its-kind “pop performance choral” format, moving beyond both traditional choral conventions and domestic idol competition shows. Integrating SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) four-part professional choral arrangements with dance and theatrical staging, the show uses mixed-voice ensembles to enrich the musical texture and elevate the visual impact, delivering an immersive audiovisual experience that bridges choral artistry and popular culture. Grounded in the creative energy of today’s Chinese youth, the format speaks a musical language familiar to international audiences.
The show follows 25 young artists through intensive training, competitive stage performance, and international cultural exchange, chronicling their journey from strangers into a unified ensemble and capturing the passion and camaraderie that define the experience of youth.
In its song selection and arrangements, the show is closely attuned to the aesthetic preferences of younger audiences, bringing choral music out of the concert hall and into the mainstream. The production team applies a world-class choral training framework across varieties of full-scale stage productions this season, holding every performance to rigorous artistic standards. Beyond the stage, the show serves as a platform for international cultural exchange, bringing together leading choral ensembles from China and abroad to showcase the musical talent and spirit of today’s Chinese youth, and to build genuine connections between young artists across cultures.
“Voices of Youth” is the latest example of iQIYI’s investment in original variety show, developing new formats that go beyond existing IP. By pairing a universally accessible art form, the series is part of iQIYI’s broader effort to bring Chinese creative talent to a global audience.
