
Kirsty Lius Unexpected Journey to Going Viral on Chinese TikTok The first-semester student from Chengdu, China, has racked up over 80 million views on social media, and will perform the song for a New Years Eve special on Chinese television.
By
Bryan Parys
November 18, 2022
Image courtesy of Kirsty Liu
Has this ever happened to you? You're studying for midterm exams and you get a text from a friend saying that a song you wrote at age 15 has gone viral.
No? That's not universal? In the case of first-semester student Kirsty Liu, that's exactly what happened this fall when her song (Ru b n ) started racking up millions of views on Chinese TikTok after it was used as the backing track to a dance video. The popularity led to Liu being invited to film a performance of the song on Chinese television that will air on New Year's Eve.
Listen to Ru b n by Kirsty Liu:
Liu says that the song's title means Metaphor (though literal translations also define it as If You ), and that she wrote it in 2015 when she was 15 years old as a tribute to her best friend and musical collaborator. She recorded it at a nearby studio in her hometown of Chengdu, China, using allowance money she'd been saving up, a trend that she continued until she left to finish middle and high school in Michigan, Illinois. She eventually released the song in 2017, and that, she thought, was that.
After high school, music remained a passion, but took a backseat to what she thought would be a more suitable career in international law. She completed a year of studies at Lehigh University in 2019, but ended up going back to China for two gap years during the height of the pandemic. It was during this period that she was invited to compete on the reality show -which literally translates to Do you listen to my music? but the show is more commonly known as The Next Banger. Unlike similar music competition shows such as American Idol, The Next Banger focuses on discovering artists that write original music.
Watch Liu perform her song (tr. White Van) on The Next Banger:
Despite performing Ru b n live on the show-and ultimately placing second in the competition-the song still hadn't caught on. However, one of Liu's fellow contestants and roommate during the show's run, Runyu (Georgina) Qian '21, a singer and p p player who had attended Berklee, noticed Liu's potential. She saw me sing; she's like, Kirsty, why are you not doing music? You should put yourself more out there musically,' Liu said. I just really started thinking what my true passion was. I thought I had a different focus. So after the competition, I dropped out of Lehigh and I started my application to Berklee.
While Liu is only in her first semester at Berklee, being grafted into a musical environment has already helped provide a foundation for her passion. Now, I still write songs. I draw inspirations from life as always, she said. But now I can play around with the chords differently, instead of just, like, the basic standard chords. I can apply what I learn in class.
And that brings us back to the moment where Liu's studying for midterms only to discover that Ru b n , this song that was inspired by her first musical connection, had blown up on Chinese TikTok. At the time, she didn't even have a TikTok account, and promoting the song just wasn't her concern. Ever since I released the song, I just kind of, you know, put it aside. I continued writing, and then that song was just online for people to listen to, she said. Cause you know how, Im sure in like Western industry as well, youre trying to make [a] song go viral, but sometimes your intention doesnt necessarily match your outcome.
It's almost as if the world knew that Liu's journey from a school music club in Chengdu to Berklee was complete, that she'd finally found a place where she could accept her identity as a musician.
For Liu, it all goes back to community. Every time theres a community, I hold onto it, and my music ability improves exponentially every time Im immersed in a musical community. And then it [would] stop because I'd have to do school academics. And now I'm at Berklee. I just get to take advantage of this community, infinitely so.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Image courtesy of Lena Glikson
Stranger Things Music Editor Lena Glikson on Creating Iconic Moments The 2015 alum reflects on her recent Emmy win, scoring for TV versus film, and her journey from performing to music editing.
Latest
Sting and the Police
Courtesy of Getty Images
Singers Showcase Presents Synchronicity-The Music of Sting and the Police Berklees Signature Series will close out its fall lineup with a tribute to Stings prolific career.
Left to right: Tonya Butler, chair of the Music Business/Management Department; James G. Zafris, founding member of Berklees Board of Trustees; and David Israelite, president and CEO, National Music Publishers Association (NMPA)
Image by Dave Green
Zafris Lecture Brings David Israelite to Berklee The longtime president and CEO of the National Music Publishers Association discussed the history of music publishing and how current laws impact artists.
Image courtesty of Alexis Bragga
Student Spotlight: Alexis Bragga The screen scoring major talks about being the president of the Berklee Film Scoring Network, building up her technical skills, and being inspired by Coldplay.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
More from Berklee
12/05/2025
Building a Home Recording Studio? Here's What You Need. Experts break down the home studio setup and share tips to create a pro-level recording space on a...
11/05/2025
Berklee Honors Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles at 2025 Commencement This years honorary doctorate recipients were recognized for their profound influence as art...
10/05/2025
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2025 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
09/05/2025
Berklee Online Signs Transfer Articulation with Conservatorio Nacional de M sica The new agreement allows CNM students in the Dominican Republic to transfer i...
09/05/2025
Berklee Popular Music Institute Announces UK Festival Debut and Tour Dates For the first time, BPMI will bring Berklee-affiliated artists and students to the ...
08/05/2025
Student Spotlight: Grigori Balasanyan The Armenian composer, who was named Boston Conservatory at Berklees 2025 student commencement speaker, talks about his ...
02/05/2025
Students, Alumni, and Faculty Represent Berklee at International Computer Music ...
02/05/2025
Four Boston Conservatory Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards Fifteen alumni from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music contributed to nomin...
30/04/2025
Tania Le n and Kelli O'Hara to be Honored at Boston Conservatory at Berklee&...
30/04/2025
Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee College ...
25/04/2025
Listen to Kim Perlak and Francisco Mela's New Album, Recorded in a Single Af...
24/04/2025
Berklee in Puerto Rico Program to Host 30th Anniversary Concert The event will feature Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winning artist Miguel Zen n BM '98, cuatro...
24/04/2025
Detach Yourself from the Herd': Fito P ez Inspires at Berklee In a session hosted by the Mediterranean Music Institute, the influential Argentine musician...
23/04/2025
Berklee Abu Dhabi's Jazz Night Kicks off Global Celebration of Music and Cul...
19/04/2025
Berklee NYC and NYC Media Launch Season 3 of Inside Power Station @BerkleeNYC This season features faculty member Arun Pandian as the new host and interviews ...
18/04/2025
Berklee Student Yukai Yang Named 2025 Yamaha Young Performing Artist The drummer secured a spot among the elite winners in this years competition.
By
Maddie...
18/04/2025
Boston Conservatory Alums Bring Real Women Have Curves to Broadway The Latin American immigrant community takes center stage in a new musical featuring Tatian...
17/04/2025
In Return to Berklee, Lucius Looks Back and Moves Forward From mood boards to live demos, the alumni band gave students an exclusive look at the process behin...
17/04/2025
Edward J. Lewis III Named Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement Lewis has more than 20 years of industry experience, leading fundraising initiati...
16/04/2025
Charlie Puths Homecoming Was Also a Victory Lap The pop star, songwriter, and producer talked about his career and shared stories behind his biggest hits, inc...
12/04/2025
Career Jam 2025: Insights, Images, and Inspiration Charlie Puth, Tiny Desk, top A&Rs, and more came together for a day of professional development and energet...
11/04/2025
Electronic Music Genres: A Guide to the Most Influential Styles Discover some of the many types of electronic music and how they've shaped contemporary mu...
05/04/2025
Students to Perform with Earl Slick in David Bowie Tribute Concert Known for his work with Bowie and John Lennon, the influential guitarist will also visit cl...
04/04/2025
Boston Conservatory at Berklee to Present Beloved Works and World Premieres at S...
03/04/2025
Berklee's Ty-Juana L. Flores Appointed Board Chair of the Boston Cultural Co...
03/04/2025
Berklee's South Asian Scholar Association to Host All-Ages Concert The student-led event, Mehfil, will feature songs in eight different languages and blen...
03/04/2025
Berklee Announces Paul Dworkis as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial O...
02/04/2025
Music Therapy Students Awarded First Internship Stipend from Children's Musi...
28/03/2025
Student Spotlight: Ava Della Pietra The singer-songwriter enrolled in the Harvard-Berklee Joint Studies Program talks about her love of medicine and music, ov...
28/03/2025
Berklee's Africana Studies to Host Gospel Extravaganza 2025 The Signature Series event will celebrate over 40 years of gospel music at Berklee.
By
Colet...
28/03/2025
Berklee Online CEO Debbie Cavalier Recognized for Extraordinary Leadership Cavalier receives the rare Julius M. Nolte Award from UPCEA.
By
Colette Greenstein
...
26/03/2025
New Music USA and Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Announce 2025 Nex...
22/03/2025
Antonio S nchez, B la Fleck, and Edmar Casta eda Push Boundaries on BEATrio The trio's debut album drops May 16, but you can hear the first single, Archi...
21/03/2025
Neil Leonard's Matanzas Sound Map Turns Sound into Place at Tate Modern The Berklee professor's immersive installation transports visitors to Matanzas...
21/03/2025
Berklee to Host Annual Jazz Composition Festival Performances will feature modern jazz masters Sean Jones, Ayn Inserto, Miguel Zen n BM '98, and Christine...
21/03/2025
PARADEs National Tour Is a Procession of Boston Conservatory Talent Michael Tacconi BFA '12 and fifth-semester musical theater major Olivia Goosman talk a...
21/03/2025
Neil Leonard's Matanzas Sound Map Brings Immersive Sonic Cartography to Tate...
21/03/2025
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Presents the Tony Award-Winning Musical Natasha, ...
20/03/2025
Berklee's Trailblazing Music Inclusion Ensemble Debuts at Berklee Performanc...
19/03/2025
Music Marketing: 5 Proven Strategies to Engage and Grow Your Fanbase Find out how you can get your work in front of more people with these music marketing str...
19/03/2025
Watch Berklee Valencia Alum Wow the American Idol Judges with an Otis Redding So...
17/03/2025
BPMI Presents 2025 Festival Artists at 23rd Annual Showcase The Berklee Popular Music Institute will showcase eight artists performing at this summer's ho...
15/03/2025
Student Spotlight: Rachel McFarlane The Canadian composer talks about being drawn to the storytelling power of scoring for film and video games, working with ...
14/03/2025
Singaporean Singer-Songwriter JJ Lin on Craft, Courage, and Creativity The artist shared candid insights into his musical evolution, personal challenges, and ...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
11/03/2025
New Book Explores How the Quiet Storm Shaped Modern R&B In The Quiet Storm, Berklee Online alumnus Amani Roberts explores how the radio format defined America...
11/03/2025
The Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Presents the Grand Gathering The Signature Series concert will feature performances by all nine of the instit...
10/03/2025
Berklee and FIFA World Cup 26 Debut Official Boston Host City Theme Boston is the only host city to work with an educational institution to create its unique,...
06/03/2025
Boston Calling and Berklee Partner to Showcase Student Talent When Boston Calling comes to Allston this May, student performers will light up the festival'...