People shocked after finding out real age of man who went viral singing Chocolate Rain

People have been left stunned after finding out the real age of the man who became famous for his performance of Chocolate Rain.

Tay Zonday released the song back in 2007 in the early days of going viral online, and the song immediately became a sensation.

Since it was first released, it has racked up some 138 million views, and made a series of pointed observations about racism in the US.

These include references to many aspects of how racism permeates through US society, from institutional bias all the way down to everyday instances.

The song also makes allusions to the prison industrial complex - effectively being a reinvention of slavery in the US - with the lines 'the school books say it can't be here again' followed by 'the prisons make you wonder where it went'.

This alludes to how when the US abolished slavery it still permitted the practice as punishment for a crime, and how prisoners in the US are used as unpaid - aka slave - labour.

Now, 17 years after the song was first posted online, its lyrics are as relevant as ever.

Zonday in the 2007 video. (YouTube / Tay Zonday)

Chocolate Rain went viral after Zonday posted it, with a number of aspects of it capturing people's attention.

The video shows Zonday in his apartment recording the song, occasionally turning his head away from the mic 'to breathe in'.

Zonday was 24 when he released the song, and many at the time also thought his voice sounded like the voice of someone older.

21 May has previously been marked by Zonday taking to Twitter to share a picture online for his birthday, and this year was no different.

And many people online were left stunned by Zonday's age when he posted it online this year in a simple tweet.

This was comprised of a picture of himself and his age, along with a birthday cake emoji.

People were stunned by how Zonday appeared to not have aged at all. (X / Tay Zonday)

And while some people might age well, Zonday barely seems to have aged at all.

The latest birthday tweet saw him posing in a wooded area wearing a short-sleeve shirt and shorts.

And his age this year? 42 years. Sorry, millennials.

People took to the comments to share their thoughts.

One wrote: "This man was 24 years old when Chocolate Rain came out, and he has found the fountain of youth since then."

Another posted: "He still looks 24 its insane"

A third observed that one thing has changed, writing: "Tbh the only different thing about him now is that he has a different haircut. He literally hasn’t age a day."

Someone else suggested how he had aged so well, writing: "The man drinks his water and takes his vitamins. Goddamn."

Topics: News, US News, YouTube, Music, Social Media