Xu Weis sentimental and sensitive nature is reflected in his songs.

When Xu Wei first came to Beijing to pursue his rock dream 20 years ago， he felt the pressure of becoming as famous as rock star Cui Jian. For the 25-year-old man， it was a tall order. So he immersed himself in his lonely， dark corner， pouring out his heart through songwriting.

Life was tough.

Just when he was about to give up， suddenly he was sweeping up nearly all the music awards in the mainland and becoming one of the countrys most popular rock singer-song writers.

Fans say Xus songs have blurred the lines of genres and age groups—something everyone can relate to and appreciate， both lyrically and musically.

But， at the height of his fame， Xu suddenly slowed down and withdrew from the public.

He emerged again in late 2012 when he released his new album， The Moment， and announced a national tour， which was scheduled to kick off from Beijing on May 17.

“I dont want to repeat myself. I want to move on and keep on finding possibilities in music，” says 45-year-old Xu.

Most of his new songs were written during his trip to Yunnan Province from 2008 to 2012. He also shot a documentary when he recorded his new album in Xishuangbanna.

Xu says he was influenced by one of his idols， Sting， who made documentaries to record his life with music.

“For some， music is entertainment， such as karaoke. But for some， they listen to music to seek sparkles in life. I belong to the latter.”

“Ive been documenting my life through music， good or bad. My songs present myself to the outside world. They reflect how I feel inside，” he says.

Xu first visited Yunnan in 1998 and fell in love with the place. He says he finds inner peace and feels comfortable in the province. The place inspires him to write light and easy songs like The Moment and Orchid in Empty Valley.

“One of my friends told me that when he compared Two Days with my new songs， he couldnt believe I wrote it，” he giggles.

Two Days was one of Xus earliest songs， which was released in 1994. In the music video of the song， Xu covered his face with his waist-length hair and murmured： “I have only two days， one day for hope and the other day for hopelessness.”

Xu was singing out the struggles he was experiencing then. He was torn between his ambition and his disappointment in life.

The song was written following his bands separation， which made Xu distressed and hopeless.

Armed with the song， he came to Beijing， and won a contract with indie label， Red Star. After releasing his debut album Elsewhere， Xus lonely and painful lyrics， and moody voice helped him stand out from the crowd then.

He was hopeful of a break. But， the music market， which was dominated by Canto-pop and pretty faces then， categorized Xu as a minority taste.

He was so poor then that he had to sleep in parks. To survive， he performed on streets and wrote songs for other singers. He went into depression while producing his second album That Day.

“People often asked me， ‘how did you write those songs， which sounded in despair？” says Xu in neat short hair. He shares that his songs were a result of solitude， sleepless nights and even starvation. “I am a very sentimental and emotional person.”

Perhaps thanks to his sensitive nature， he has managed to last this long in the cruel music industry.

His music career has now spanned nearly 30 years since he picked up guitar at 16. He has released five albums， obtained numerous rock music awards， and written some of the most memorable songs in Chinas music scene since the 1990s.

Ever since his award-winning album in 2003， Walking in Time， his fans noticed a change in his music. Replacing the desperate lyrics and impetuous rock beats are warmth， peace and contentment.

In 2005， Xu held his first concert in Beijing. Facing more than 10，000 fans， Xu says it felt like a dream.

“Its been such a long wait for this moment. When it really happened， I just had no time to react，” he says.

Now， as one of the best-known rock musicians in the country， Xu has a strong fan base. His music and his life situation have also changed.

Nowadays， a typical day for Xu starts with reading books of Chinese calligraphy， followed by a simple lunch， working out in the gym， rehearsing with his band in the studio in the afternoon and ending with watching talk shows by songwriter Gao Xiaosong or having dinner with friends.

“I also quit smoking eight months ago and put on some weight，” Xu laughs.

He says the age of 40 marked a new starting point for his life. He used to listen to rock music only， but has since started listening to various genres， such as jazz and traditional Chinese music.

He also likes Chinese painting and calligraphy， from which he gains inspiration.

“I never suffered from middle-age crisis. I am curious about everything and I believe life in the future will be interesting.”

许巍的多情敏感都体现在他的歌里。

20年前许巍初到北京追求他的摇滚梦想时，就意识到要想成为崔健那样的摇滚巨星，需要承受巨大的压力。对于当时25岁的许巍来说，那是一个太过艰巨的任务。因此他把自己隐藏在孤独黑暗的角落里，通过写歌来抒发内心的苦闷。

生活多艰。

就在许巍打算放弃时，突然之间他几乎横扫了中国大陆的所有音乐奖项，成为中国最知名的创作型摇滚歌手之一。

歌迷们说许巍的歌模糊了体裁和年龄的界限，每个人都能够从中找到共鸣，每个人都可以欣赏，不论是歌词还是旋律。

然而就在身负盛誉之时，许巍的脚步却突然慢了下来，并淡出了公众的视线。

2012年末，许巍带着他的新专辑《此时此刻》复出，并宣布从5月17日起开始举办全国巡回演唱会，北京成为第一站。

“我不想重复自己做过的事情。我想继续前进，坚持发现音乐中的可能性。”45岁的许巍说。

他的大部分新歌都是在2008年到2012年在云南旅行期间创作的，在西双版纳录制新专辑时他还拍摄了一部纪录片。

许巍说这是受到他的偶像之一——英国歌手Sting的影响，Sting就通过纪录片来记录自己的音乐生活。

“对于一些人来说，音乐就是一种娱乐，就像卡拉OK；但对于有些人来说，他们通过倾听音乐来寻找生活中的闪光点。我属于后者。”

“我一直通过音乐来记录生活，不管是好事还是坏事。我的歌将我自己呈现给外界，它们体现了我的内心。”许巍说。

许巍第一次去云南是在1998年，他一下子就爱上了那个地方。他说在那里他觉得很舒服，能够找到内心的平静。这也给予了他灵感，去创作一些放松自如的音乐，比如《此时此刻》和《空谷幽兰》。

“一个朋友告诉我他把《两天》和我的新歌相比时，都不敢相信那是我写的。”许巍笑着说。

《两天》是许巍最早的歌曲之一，发行于1994年。在这首歌的MV里，许巍齐腰的长发遮住了脸庞，喃喃自语着：“我只有两天，一天用来希望，一天用来绝望。”

那唱出了许巍当时内心经受的折磨，他在自己的梦想与对生活的失望之间苦苦挣扎。

带着这首歌，他来到了北京，签约红星生产社。首张专辑《在别处》发行后，许巍弥漫着孤独痛苦的歌词和忧郁的嗓音使他从众多歌手中脱颖而出。

许巍本有希望实现突破的。但当时崇尚粤语歌曲和靓丽外表的音乐市场决定了他只能是一个小众歌手。

他沦落到只能在公园里睡觉的境况。为了生存，他必须到街头表演、为别的歌手写歌。在制作第二张专辑《那一天》时，他变得十分抑郁。

“人们经常问我怎么写出这些歌的，它们听起来那么绝望。”许巍说，此时的他留着整洁的短发。他说他的歌都是经历了孤独和无数失眠的夜晚甚至食不果腹的日子才创作出来的，“我是一个非常多愁善感和情绪化的人。”

也许正是由于敏感的个性，许巍才得以在残酷的音乐产业中长青。

从16岁学习吉他开始，许巍的音乐生涯跨越了将近30年。他一共发行了5张专辑，赢得了无数摇滚乐奖项，创作了多首华语乐坛自20世纪90年代以来最脍炙人口的歌曲。

2003年，许巍发行了荣获多个奖项的专辑《时光·漫步》，歌迷们注意到了许巍音乐中的一些变化。歌曲中不再满是充满绝望的歌词和强烈的摇滚节奏，取而代之的是温暖、平和与满足。

2005年，许巍在北京举办了他的第一场个人演唱会，面对一万多名歌迷，许巍说这就像是一个梦。

“这一刻，我等了太久。当它真的来临时，我都来不及做出反应。”他说。

如今，作为中国最知名的摇滚歌手之一，许巍拥有着众多粉丝，他的音乐和生活状况也发生了改变。

现在，许巍的一天通常由研究书法书开始，然后吃一顿简单的午餐，接着到体育馆锻炼，下午和乐队在工作室排练，晚上睡觉前看高晓松主持的脱口秀节目或者和朋友一起吃晚饭。

“8个月前我还戒了烟，增加了些体重。”许巍笑着说。

他说40岁标志着他生命中的一个新起点。以前他只听摇滚乐，现在开始欣赏各种体裁的音乐，比如爵士和中国传统音乐。

另外，他还喜欢中国国画和书法，他能从中获得灵感。

“我从来没有遭遇过中年危机，我对于一切都很好奇，我相信未来的生活一定会充满乐趣。”