The Guardian (album)

Of the ten tracks on the album, Xue composed music for six tracks and wrote lyrics for six tracks. The album title is a reference to the folklore of the village guardian, with the title track including lyrics such as "Real name must be hidden" (真名必须要隐藏) and "I will endure until the next me arrives" (我会撑到下一个我赶来).^[4] In the folklore, a village guardian is someone who has committed wrongs in their previous life and makes amends through defending the village, enduring mockery, and learning from the kindness shown by others in this life.^[5] The concept is similar to the village idiot but without the stereotypical comic relief aspects. In his Weibo announcing the release of the physical album, Xue stated that being the guardian means to "not bully the weak nor flatter the strong" (不欺弱 不媚强) and called for his fans to be guardians to themselves and others.^[6]

"Youth of Galaxy" is a collaboration with Essay Wang, who was a regular guest of and performed the song with Xue on Xue's Extraterrestrial World Tour. "Relieve Boredom" is the theme song of and created specifically for QQ Speed after Xue was named the brand ambassador; it was released via an in-game virtual concert then on streaming platforms the following day.^[7]

"Rent or Purchase" and "That Day On the Road of No Return" were submitted by songwriters Dong Jiahong and Mooney, respectively, and selected by Xue on the music variety show Melody Journey. Both songs had a live stage on the show and the live versions were released prior to the studio version. The live version of "Rent or Purchase", in particular, was extremely well-received and has the highest QQ Music heatscore of all songs performed on the show.^[8]

The first track, "The Guardian", and the final track, "Conviction", were released on July 17, Xue's birthday, in 2024 and 2023, respectively.^[9][10]

On Tencent Music's 2023 year-end chart, "Adoration" and "Conviction" were among the Top 10 Songs of the Year, "Conviction" and "Youth of Galaxy" was among songs preferred by listeners aged 19–22, and "Adoration" was among Top Radio Songs of the Year.^[11]

On Tencent Music's 2024 year-end chart, Xue was named among the Top 10 Artist of the Year and Singer-Songwriter of the Year; The Guardian was named among the Top 10 Albums of the Year (overall) and ranked 6th on UNI Chart's Albums of the Year list; "AI" was named among Top 10 Songs of the Year, "The Guardian" was among the Top 5 Songs Preferred by Listeners between the ages 19–22, and "Relieve Boredom" ranked 6th on Video Game Song of the Year and ranked 10th in culminative views for the year despite being released in August.^[12]

All songs on the album peaked within the top fifteen spots on Tencent Music UNI chart, with the exception of "Rent or Purchase" at 19.^[13] In December 2024, China Music Group released the 2024 Music Industry Report; in it, "Rent or Purchase" was named Global Nostalgic Single of the Year.^[14]

"Relieve Boredom", notably, debuted at the top of the QQ Music rap chart, marking Xue's first appearance on that chart^[15]

After "The Guardian" was released online at midnight on 17 July, Tianyancha Intellectual Property Information shows many parties have successfully applied to register "The Guardian" as a trademark, including technology, wine, and catering companies with international classifications including convenience foods, wine, clothing, and more.^[16]

On 17 April, presale for the physical album began across multiple platforms. Within 7 hours, the album sold more than 128,000 copies and exceeded ¥15 million (approximately $2 million) on QQ Music alone, earning the Palace Diamond certification.^[17] On TME Physical Album Annual Sales Chart, The Guardian ranked first on the weekly and monthly charts, and second on the annual chart.^[18][19] Due to the high order volume and some components of the album were made by hand, production and shipping of the album were done in batches. Batches were determined based on the time, split down to the second, when customer placed the order.^[20]