Omnipotent Youth Society () (OYS), is a Chinese alternative rock band that was formed in 1996 in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, an industrial city in northern China. They have been noted as a keystone of the Chinese rock scene. 

Currently it has four members: Dong Yaqian - also known as Er Qian - on lead vocals and guitar; Ji Geng on bass; Yang Yougeng, also known as Xiao Geng, on drums, and Shi Li on trumpet. Most of their songs were written by Dong Yaqian on the melody and Ji Geng writing lyrics.

Career

OYS started performing in Shijiazhuang in 1996. The band was first named "The Nico", after the daughter of Shannon Hoon, the late singer of Blind Melon. The name was changed to Omnipotent Youth Society in 2002. The name is an ironic reference to the idealism of the members' parents' generation. In 2018, Ji commented: "we stopped feeling that [sense of omnipotence] a long time ago.”

OYS released their first single "Not Omnipotent Comedy" in 2006.

OYS's self-titled first album Omnipotent Youth Society was released in 2010, sixteen years after the band's founding, and was voted Top Record of 2010 on Douban. The band won Band of the Year at that year's Chinese Music Media Awards. 

On January 12, 2013, Han Han, a famous Chinese writer, advocated for OYS by writing lyrics for the song "Killing the One From Shijiazhuang".

In October 2014, OYS performed in Central Park in New York City in the Modern Sky Festival by the Beijing-based organization Modern Sky.

In October 2015, OYS toured Taiwan.

In December of 2020, the band released their sophomore album, Inside the Cable Temple. Like their first album, album was voted Top Album of 2020 on Douban. They headlined Chengdu's Genki Forest Music Festival that year. The Paper connected the band, and their newest release, with the recent revival in interest in Dongbei culture. 

In 2021, the city of Shijiazhuang awarded Ji Geng a grant in recognition of his contributions to the culture of Shijiazhuang.

Musical style and influences
OYS's music is noted in particular for its lyricism. In their first album, Omnipotent Youth Society, their music evokes the urban decay and hopelessness of the city of Shijiazhuang, which has significantly declined since its heyday as a manufacturing hub in the 1950s and 60s. The album's lead single, 杀死那个石家庄人 () evokes the image of a stagnant, hopeless family trapped in the monotony of daily life. The band's music has been associated with the tang ping or "lying flat" movement in China, and evokes the concept of 内卷 "involution" - a skepticism towards the idea that working hard will pay off. Musically, the album is a blend of genres, including alternative rock, folk rock, progressive rock, blues rock, and free jazz.

OYS's second album, Inside the Cable Temple, represents a change of theme from the band's first album. The album, inspired by a train ride the band mates took through the Taihang Mountains in 2013, explores the theme of the relationship between humans and nature. The album's title literally translates to "Journeying Through the Forest Roads of Southwestern Hebei." Musically, the album is more mellow than their previous release, with strong folk music and blues influences. The lyrics have themes about environmental degradation, the effects of technology on humans and the environment, and traditional Chinese mythology.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles 
 2006 <不万能的喜剧> (Not Omnipotent Comedy)
 2013 <乌云典当记> (A Tale of the Stormy Pawn Shop)
 2015 <冀西南林路行> (A Walk in the Woods of Southwestern Hebei)

References

External links
Interview: Omnipotent Youth Society Talking to one of China's best bands at home in Shijiazhuang
Chinese New Rock:Omnipotent Youth Society
Omnipotent Youth Society Douban page

Chinese rock music groups
People from Shijiazhuang
Chinese alternative rock groups