The Rise of Fujii Kaze | Why Shinunoga E-Wa was just the beginning
The passionate yearning and the hypnotic trap beats of Fujii Kaze’s “Shinunoga E-Wa” took over the internet around the summer of 2022. It became the background score for TikToks and reels featuring everything from anime characters to K-pop idols. Two years down the line, the track continues to be the most streamed Japanese song worldwide on Spotify, recently crossing over 500M streams. While the viral hit opened the doors to his music for many listeners like myself, it is Fujii Kaze’s genuine peculiarity that makes you stick around. Whether it’s the joy of falling down the rabbit hole and discovering his other musical masterpieces such as “Matsuri” or watching his unserious demeanor on social media, like his high-pitched Mickey Mouse version of Shinunoga E-Wa — once you let Fujii Kaze into your playlists, becoming a Kazetarian is only a matter of time.
“Fresh yet familiar” is a phrase often used to describe Kaze’s sound. It’s as simple as it is true. His melodies, all self-written, evoke the nostalgia of the greatest 80s hits and simultaneously hold the promise of a futuristic soundscape. From the smooth melancholy of “Lonely Rhapsody’’ to the upbeat tempo of “Kiri Ga Naikara,” his musical range is a fine balance of homage and disruption. Listening to his albums is like taking a journey on a train through unvisited terrains — the tactile familiarity of the vehicle’s rhythm contrasting with the newness of breathtaking vistas.
Kaze’s love affair with music has strong roots. His father would play different kinds of music in their family-owned coffee shop in Satoshō, Okayama. At the age of 12, his family started uploading videos of Kaze playing the piano. He soon took the reins, covering songs by a myriad of Japanese and western artists, and playfully finding his own sound. From a sweet rendition of “How Deep Is Your Love” to a cover of “Queen Of Kabuki-cho” with him dressed in drag, the making of Kaze as an artist is evident in hundreds of charming, low-resolution videos. Browsing through his channel makes it apparent that “Shinunoga E-Wa,” though a testament to the power of social media virality, was only an introduction to his vast talent, honed over many years.
His father’s influence can also help decode the unique sensibility of Kaze’s creative style. His sound ranges from the classical lushness of R&B and jazz in “YABA” and “Garden,” to a signature Japanese coolness in “Nan Nan” and “Tsumi No Kaori.” He shows a sincere respect for the roots of a genre, but also knows how to break the rules to assert his individuality. Both his albums, “Help Ever Hurt Never” and “Love All Serve All” house an eclectic mix of songs that somehow manage to comfortably convey the full range of his emotions.
Responding to a fan’s question on Instagram, Kaze said that he writes melodies first. It’s evident when he plays his songs on the piano, with an effortlessness that looks as natural as muscle memory. Even with experimental and complicated arrangements, there’s a pleasing harmony in his sound that feels like it was just waiting to come to life. His lyrics, on the other hand, are steeped in complex poetic flair. Through commentary about life and death, love and loneliness, clever wordplay, and the use of his native Okayama dialect — each verse proves Kaze’s seasoned skills as a lyricist.
Using his melodies as the canvas, Kaze masterfully paints his nuanced philosophy. A beautiful example of this is the song “Seishun Sick,” which laments the ephemerality of youth. With the contrasting sounds of a summery funk and a poignant restraint in his vocals, the song captures the sneaking suspicion gnawing at us in moments of adolescent abandon — that this dream can’t last forever.
“When the surface of the transient water ripples
The morning glow comes out with sighs
The mortal body is gradually dying
Then why do I have to be attached to it so bad, damn.”
“Please, do not see the eternal light
In the sparkling moment of Seishun (teenage dream)
One day, we’ll turn to dust and just realize
How fragile our Seishun could be…”
Kaze’s songs can also be seen as an extension of his spiritual leanings, in tracks like “Grace” and MISIA’s “Higher Love,” written and composed by him. His reflections on matters of faith, ego and liberation make his art more earnest and personal for his listeners, without being preachy. One of the ways he manages to do this is through compelling storytelling. A gospel-like meditation in his recent single “Hana” depicts the beauty of life’s transience. In the music video, Kaze pulls himself in an open casket with flowers, dancing at a funeral before turning into dust, celebrating the beauty of discovery and demise. He wrote the song on a plane, using the clicking sound of a ballpoint pen to count the rhythm. He seems to have a natural tendency to dwell on uncomfortable ideas and turn them into art.
A staff diary entry on Kaze’s official website noted how he asserted that he would never write anything that’s not meaningful. He sees to it that the philosophy behind his songs is conveyed to all his listeners, whether through album listening live streams or explainer videos for his singles. He writes the English closed captions on his music videos himself, and has made contributions on practically all English translations of his songs on Genius — a mark of a particularly careful artist. No wonder that during his recent live piano session, he stopped mid-song to explain how he struggles with translating the “itadaki monday” part of “Shinunoga E-Wa,” since it’s a wordplay based on a distinct Osakan dialect. He seems to be personally invested and serious about each detail of his craft. While music today gets interpreted and re-interpreted by audiences on platforms like TikTok and Instagram reels, Kaze ensures that in his case, the author is certainly not dead.
It’s this sense of seriousness and excellence that gives Kaze an atypical appeal. His maestro-like piano skills, paired with his overall goofy persona, makes him a rare, curious artist. Despite his unmissable authenticity, there’s a wonderful sense of mystery around him — you won’t know the motive or the direction of his next move, unless revealed by Kaze himself.
The trajectory of his career resembles that of many gen z pop stars who build internet communities around their art and personalities. However, he seems to have the enigma of an old soul, proudly embracing his spirituality and maintaining an honest and unassuming character in the face of burgeoning success. His scintillating live performances always exceed expectation, skilfully striking the balance between a prodigy and an entertainer. At the same time, he continues to enchant his fans in whimsical ways, like shoving an entire tangerine in his mouth during a livestream. He is a natural fan-maker, inviting listeners to vibe with his magnetic yet tender persona and become a Kazetarian.
Matsuo Kiyoshi, a Japanese R&B producer stated “I hope he [Kaze] will go on to become the kind of performer who creates a before-and-after line in Japanese musical history, that makes people say: After him, everything was different.” I think no other sentiment captures the aspirations of Kazetarians around the world. They know they’re watching a global megastar in the making, and revel in the excitement of being here first, all while his music becomes the soundtrack to their lives. Check out Fujii Kaze here.
