Some people say that Xu Wei’s music is the spiritual coordinate of mainland pop music, but Xu Wei has always been faithfully expressing his own heart, from the decadence and despair in the early stage to the brightness and warmth now. Xu Wei said that I am just an ordinary person, and I am just writing about the emotional journey of an ordinary person.
In 2018, Xu Wei turned 50 years old. Time moved forward to 1994, when 26-year-old Xu Wei went to Beijing with a guitar and the dream of becoming a rock star. In 1994, the most glorious year of Chinese rock music, it was cut in half and fell apart. After arriving in Beijing, Xu Wei signed a contract with the Red Star Production Company, where fellow Xi'an rock singer Zheng Jun worked. Released two albums "Elsewhere" and "That Year" and two singles "Blue Bird" and "Two Days", of which "Two Days" and Cui Jian's "Nothing"*** were both selected into the "Chinese Local Poetry" anthology".
Although the two early albums now have a score of nine on Douban and are regarded as the gods of Chinese rock music, they were completely unsaleable back then. Xu Wei has always been living in poverty in Beijing. He has no money to eat, and his survival has become a huge rock weighing on Xu Wei's head. At the same time, Xu Wei had serious mental problems and suffered from severe depression. I suffer from insomnia and have countless suicidal thoughts every day, so I take Prozac (an antidepressant drug) to survive. Due to severe depression, Xu Wei had to terminate his contract with the company, returned to Xi'an from Beijing, and left in embarrassment.
After returning to his hometown, Xu Wei began to stay away from music and did not wash his face, brush his teeth or read every day. Xu Wei said in a program that one time he noticed that the sun was moving away from the room in the afternoon, and he wanted to chase it. That was the closest he came to death, and he almost jumped out of the balcony window. After that, the window of Xu Wei's house became It's closed.
Later, Xu Wei began to slowly open himself up to life with the tolerance and care of his family. He became obsessed with traditional Chinese culture, reading the "Book of Changes" and "The Book of Songs", and studying Buddhist classics. His most famous later work "Blue Lotus" was inspired by Master Xuanzang's many hardships after reading "Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty". It is written by the author who has endured all hardships but never lost his faith. Later, Xu Wei loved mountain climbing, drinking tea, practicing calligraphy, and lived an active life with a worldly attitude.
Xu Wei picked up the guitar and started singing again, but this time the singing no longer suppressed sadness but became clear and warm. Xu Wei's music style has also been accepted by most people, bringing warmth to people and healing those who are in frustrated life. Although some people began to question Xu Wei's betrayal of rock music and his singing voice became softer, art should never be trapped in a certain genre. It should first be authentic. The world is so big, what can we change? There is nothing better than taking good care of yourself and making yourself happy.
For Xu Wei, singing is a kind of self-expression and a way of life, and has nothing to do with fame and fortune. Xu Wei no longer participates in any award ceremonies. He has never participated in any reality shows or music variety shows. Xu Wei has never had any commercial endorsements. Xu Wei only focuses on music. Singing on stage and creating good musical works are Xu Wei's happiest and most self-sufficient things.
Message:
City life is nothing new day after day. It is a kind of comfort to listen to Xu Wei while walking in the concrete jungle where there are crowds of people and no birds.