Before he became Japan’s beloved jazz-fusion popstar, Fujii Kaze was just a small-town kid uploading quirky piano covers to YouTube. Now, his voice fills stadiums and music festivals worldwide.
His two studio albums, HURT EVER HURT NEVER (2020) and LOVE ALL SERVE ALL (2022), are certified Gold and Platinum, respectively.
Kaze blends jazz, blues, and pop with soulful lyrics about life, death, and spirituality. He makes big ideas feel intimate, and is loved by many – regardless of age or gender – in Japan.
How did he capture the nation’s heart? And why blues and jazz?
Here is everything you need to know to get started with Fujii Kaze.
- Who is Fujii Kaze?
- What Makes Him So Unique?
- The Youtube Cover Era
- Debut Album and COVID
- Recommendations for First Time Listeners
- The Journey Abroad
Who is Fujii Kaze?
Kaze, his given name meaning “Wind”, is the youngest in his family of six.
He was born in Okayama, a small prefecture in the countryside of Japan.
Kaze was constantly exposed to music, often hanging out at the jazz cafe his father owned.
Here, little Kaze listened to vinyl records and found his dream in life.
He wanted to create an amazing album just like the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, when he grew up.
The Fujii family’s love for music inspired both Kaze and his brother Sola’s music mastery. Older brother Sola is currently a professional jazz musician, skilled at both the trumpet and piano. Kaze himself can play many instruments – from the piano, electone, and saxophone to self producing his own songs.
Even in Kaze’s little hometown tucked away in the countryside of Japan, his obsession with foreign music inspired him to learn English.
He taught himself English until he could sing, and later speak, fluently. He often incorporates English phrases into his songs.
What Makes Him So Unique?
Kaze still speaks and sings with a very thick accent from his hometown, called Okayama-ben.
Imagine an American artist with a friendly small town Texas accent – but they make refined Jazz-pop with themes of Indian spiritualism. And, they still use slang like “y’all” and “ain’t” in their songs.
This never before seen blend of cultures, sounds, and influences is what captured the nation’s heart in 2020 with his debut song Nan-nan, and Kaze has been on the rise ever since.
Kaze’s One of a Kind Vision
From imagery to spiritual texts — Kaze incorporates themes originating from Indian spiritualism into his music and message.
His lyrics range from accepting death, not worrying about making mistakes, being one with each other, to the beauty in all things.
We’re still in the middle of the long journey
We will love something, then forget something
Life is full of ups and downs
- tabiji (the traveler)
Actually – until last year – Kaze hadn’t created a single (romantic) love song throughout his entire discography of 20+ tracks. Rather, he writes about loving yourself in order to love others.
His first romantic love song, Michi Teyu Ku, is also about accepting old age and death.
Before Kaze was shooting music videos this one in New York, he had more humble beginnings on Youtube.
The Youtube Cover Era
Kaze’s start as an entertainer began on Youtube 15 years ago when he was 12 years old. He uploaded various jazz, jpop, and foreign music covers with him playing piano and singing.
While the videos show off his incredible playing skill, they also show his comedic side.
He has tons of covers, some with him wearing costumes or with props, and some with him clacking away on a barely functioning electric keyboard.
Fake cigarettes are a running gag in his cover videos.
Incense, Lollipop, Sushi… Even as a major artist, he still keeps up with the joke.
Kaze is well known for his sense of humor and generally not caring too much about what others think.
Debut Album and COVID
After receiving some attention from his YouTube videos, he signed with Universal Music. His first studio album, HELP EVER HURT NEVER, was met with great reception and became a defining album of the 2020s.
Nan-Nan (meaning, “what the heck?!”) was his first hit singles, a bluesy pop song that surprised listeners with his unique accent, playful visuals, and catchy melodies.
His other hit single, Kirari, took him to popstar status in Japan.
This song was a chart topper, one of the defining songs of that year, and is a popular choice at karaoke.
The album was released when COVID was at its peak, but that didn’t stop Kaze from gaining traction.
He performed in one of Japan’s largest stadiums, to a crowd of zero.
For free!
Recommendations for First Time Listeners
With just two albums, Kaze has already cemented his place as one of Japan’s most beloved musicians.
Start here to get familiar with Kaze’s discography!
Matsuri (Party)
A wonderful melody that captures the Japanese festival spirit.
Shinunoga E-wa (I’d Rather Die)
The song that took Kaze global, thanks to fans sharing the audio on TikTok.
A song about it being better to not exist than to live hating yourself.
And the live version that is known for being better than the studio version.
Tiny Desk
Kaze was the first artist to represent Japan on NPR’s Tiny Desk. A wonderful performance of his top songs!
The Journey Abroad
Kaze has spent the last two years traveling between Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo for recording and filming for his next album, Prema, set to be completely in English.
Kaze is attempting to go where no other Japanese artist has gone before.
He will be one of the few artists from Japan to perform at American music festivals, like Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza.
I hope his wonderful songs are able to reach listeners, like you, all over the world!
If you have any questions about his story or if you found your favorite song, let me know down below.
Until next time. ❤
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