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Fujii Kaze is one of the most prominent musicians to come out of the contemporary Japanese music industry. The R&B artist’s music is reminiscent of kayokuoku pop music that is easy for the listeners to follow along.
Having been born into a musical family where almost every member is pursuing music, Kaze’s dreams of becoming a musician were pretty much solidified at an early age. He started uploading covers of songs on his YouTube channel at the age of 12 and moved from provincial Okayama to Tokyo in 2019 to officially debut as a singer.
Fujii Kaze found instant success with the release of his singles Nan-Nan and Mo-Eh-Wa. However, he saw a meteoric rise in fame when his song Shinunoga E-Wa went viral on TikTok. The song has amassed more than 120 million streams on Spotify alone.
Despite having recently debuted, Fujii Kaze was invited to perform at the prestigious year-end music show called NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen in 2021. Let’s take a look at some of the best live performances by the R&B singer.
From Nan-Nan to Shinunoga E-Wa: Ranking Fujii Kaze's top 5 live performances
5) Nan-Nan at the Nippon Budokan
In fifth place is Kaze’s soulful rendition of Nan-Nan, which he performed during his Nan-Nan show 2020 at Nippon Budokan. Kaze casually entered the crowd-packed arena while effortlessly singing the song and managing to add in a few ad-libs to interact with the audience.
He had the entire arena up on their feet, clapping along to Nan-Nan, a feat many veteran singers aren’t able to achieve. His command over the audience swaying to the beat along with him was incredible to watch.
4) Mo-Eh-Yo at the Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium
Mo-Eh-Yo's live performance at the Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium as part of Fujii Kaze’s Help Ever Arena Tour in 2022 ranks fourth on the list of his best live performances.
The song starts slow and, just like its name Mo-Eh-Yo that means “to ignite,” the tempo of the song gradually picks up, pumping the audience up. Kaze, rocking out on the keytar accompanied by his equally fired-up backup dancers, elevated the entire performance to the next level.
3) Grace at the Panasonic Stadium
Kaze’s latest single, titled Grace, is a song about faith and belief in one’s talents and that everyone has something they can do. The song has spiritual undertones, and its soulful performance at the Panasonic Stadium in 2022 during Kaze’s Love All Serve All Stadium Tour left the audience in a trance.
The live performance of a dreamy song like Grace, sung at a sold-out stadium with the audience singing the words back to Kaze, made the experience grander than it ever could be.
2) Kirari at the Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium
Kirari is one of the best songs in Fujii Kaze’s discography. It is also his first song that went viral and got him international acclaim. Kaze performed the song live at the Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium as part of his Help Ever Arena Tour in 2022.
The cheerful energy with which the singer performed the song lifted the mood of everyone in the audience. He had a constant smile on his face while performing, which the viewers mimicked as well. Kaze also busted out some of the song's choreography, and for that alone, Kirari's live performance deserves to rank second on the list of his best live performances.
1) Shinunoga E-Wa at the Nippon Budokan
Shinunoga E-Wa is Fujii Kaze’s most famous song that earned him instant success. The YouTube video of his live performance of the song at his Nan-Nan show 2020 at the Nippon Budokan has over 17 million views. Kaze played an elaborate piano sequence as the intro to the song, showing off his masterful skills that left the audience in awe of his talents.
Kaze’s mellifluous and raspy vocals, combined with an equally skilled live band, were a treat to the ears. The singer was completely absorbed in the music, and the intensity of the lyrics could be felt in his voice, making the performance his best to date.
Both of Fujii Kaze’s albums, Help Ever Hurt Never and Love All Serve All, have been receiving incredibly well both in Japan and globally. Moreover, he has been named one of the most exciting musicians in the world by GQ. Given his increasing popularity, bigger world tours can be expected from the artist in the near future.
