Thirteen-year-old Liu Jiazhuo has become an overnight internet sensation after his face-melting performance of AC/DC’s classic “Thunderstruck.”
The teenager from Bayin city in northeastern Gansu province learned how to play the keyboard when he was just 4 years old, according to Shanghaiist.
He picked up the guitar at age 7 and his uncle, a guitarist, began to teach him how to play.
Liu was performing Italian guitarist Luca Stricagnoli’s rendition of the AC/DC hit.
The teenager’s videos on streaming platforms such as YouTube and Bilibili has racked up thousands of views, but his cover of “Thunderstruck” went viral after Gao Xiaosong, a popular composer and folk musician, and Li Yanliang, a famous music producer, shared Liu’s video on Weibo.
YouTube user S Soapie uploaded another version of Liu playing the classic rock song on her channel, where it has received more than 71,000 views.
“I stumbled across this video online and it soon went viral on Chinese social networks,” she wrote. “I thought the internet deserves to see his skills, so I asked him for permission to repost it on English websites.”
Liu has his own YouTube channel where he has done covers of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” and Erik Mongrain’s “Airtap,” among many others.
Viewers were in awe of Liu’s talents.
“Amazing! Anyone who says ‘meh, this isn’t that impressive’ has lost their grip on reality. This isn’t a talent show and you’re not a judge. This young man has heart, talent, and this song kicks arse! Rock on, kid!” one user wrote.
“This looks easy at first, but requires a ton of speed and coordination. He probably spent several hours every day for over a month learning this song,” another commented.
You can check out Stricagnoli’s version below via YouTube as well:
