The six-minute video titled “The Sound of April” was posted on April 22 and soon got censored as it went viral. Chinese Wechat users then uploaded the film from different accounts and in various forms including upside-down and mirrored versions until late night, as newly-uploaded clips were also removed.
“Get well soon, Shanghai,” it said at the end, closing with text that it was shot and edited by someone named Cary.from the musical, which was first censored during pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019 and briefly resurfaced in the disarray following the initial outbreak in Wuhan.
Shanghai reported higher Covid-19 cases and deaths on April 22, following five consecutive days of declines. The city is entering its fourth week of strict lockdown, while many people have been confined to their apartments for even longer.