Xu Song's new song released its latest single "Illegal Animal" yesterday, and its musical style is full of Xu Song's personal characteristics. The steady and powerful drum rhythm, the cold and mysterious instrumental tones, the lazy and casual singing style without any chiseling, silently unfold a story about 'illegal animals.' In his arrangement, he incorporates elements of world music, such as the raw vocal samples at the beginning and end and folk instruments of ethnic minorities. These ethnic elements clashing with Western drum loops create a strange, time-displaced atmosphere. Correspondingly, the lyrics use words and phrases that traverse past and present, completing a Xu Song-style expression in this time-displaced manner. The way of performing by mixing speaking and singing is perfectly balanced in its playful teasing: a bit more would lean towards cynicism, a bit less would seem overly serious and rigid.
The meaning of 'Illegal Animal' may be tacitly understood by the listener and the author, or each might have their own interpretation. In his works, he consistently demonstrates this attitude: to create music that is substantial and full of life. Events of all sizes in social life can become the subject of his musical creation at any time. However, in terms of specific creative methods, Xu Song never confines himself to merely reacting to events, expressing sympathy, or issuing criticism. Instead, he explores more possibilities for expression: he articulates his concern for social life from an empathetic perspective and conceptualizes it in poetic language, thus avoiding the preachy tone of self-righteous pity or the hollow anger of youth rebellion, showcasing the charm of art.
To a certain extent, Xu Song can also be considered a thorough 'illegal animal': in his music, he has never played by the rules or followed the usual paths of popular music. This song 'Illegal Animal' can also be seen as a heartfelt tribute on behalf of all kinds of 'rule-breaking' illegal animals.
