Fujii Kaze
| Photo Credit: X/ @fujiikazestaff
As J-pop singer and songwriter, Fujii Kaze prepares to perform in India for the first time, the artist’s career has already moved through several distinct phases. Over the last five years, Kaze has gone from uploading piano covers on YouTube to becoming one of Japan’s most commercially successful and internationally visible solo artists, selling out stadiums at home while gradually expanding his reach abroad. His upcoming concert at Lollapalooza India 2026 this weekend marks another step in that outward movement, even as his connection to the country predates his public profile.
“This is actually the fourth time visiting India,” Kaze says in a brief exchange with The Hindu. “The first was when I was still in my mother’s womb, to receive some blessings. India is my spiritual hometown.” The remark aligns with the spiritual vocabulary that has long informed his work, from the mystic titles to his songs to the allusive themes he tends to explore. While this will be his first concert in the country, India entered his artistic orbit earlier through the music video for “Grace,” which was filmed in Uttarakhand in 2022 as part of a commercial collaboration in Japan.
The shoot placed him in a setting far removed from arenas and festival stages, and the experience unfolded in unexpected ways. “People there thought I was a celebrity from another country or something,” he recalls. “Countless people gathered around, asking for photos and such, to the point where I couldn’t walk.” At the time, his international recognition was still uneven, making the reaction surprising. “I thought I was in The Beatles or something!” he adds.
By then, Kaze had already established a strong domestic track record. His debut album Help Ever Hurt Never (2020) reached number one on Billboard Japan’s Hot Albums chart, followed by Love All Serve All (2022), which also topped national charts and achieved platinum certification. His music began circulating more widely outside Japan after the older album track “Shinunoga E-Wa” gained traction as an internet trend in 2022, eventually charting globally on Spotify and introducing his work to audiences unfamiliar with J-pop.
Despite that wider exposure, the foundations of his sound remain rooted in early training and routine. “Jazz is one of my biggest roots,” Kaze says. “My father taught me jazz piano and played old jazz songs to me since I was little.” Alongside formal instruction, music functioned as a daily spiritual practice at home. “I used to sing bhajans and mantras with my family every night, for more than 20 years.” Those parallel influences continue to surface in his work, which often blends funk, gospel, R&B, and pop without settling into a single genre framework.
That approach carries into Prema, his first full English-language album. Released after touring across Asia, Europe, and the United States, the record represents a shift in language rather than a departure in intent. “I was thinking about a global listener of course,” Kaze explains. “But at the same time, I need to be my own biggest fan.” Writing in English expanded the potential audience, but the guiding principle remained internal consistency. “I had no choice but to create the kind of album that I wanted to hear from him, Kaze.” He frames the project around global connection. “I believe we are all connected, and that someday you might appreciate this album too.”
Kaze’s public statements often return to the idea of personal development as a continuous process. Asked whether the pursuit of being a better person ever clashes with the demands of being an artist, he sees no contradiction. “No, for now they go hand in hand,” he says. The distinction only becomes relevant beyond the stage. “When I’m no longer an artist, I should continue to be a better man. That’s our purpose in life.”
Live performance has been central to his rise, from intimate piano tours to stadium shows in Japan, including two nights at Nissan Stadium that drew over 140,000 people. His concerts are known for minimal production and direct engagement, relying solely on musicianship. For Indian audiences seeing him live for the first time, his expectations are framed in philosophical musings. “That we can manifest God within ourselves,” he says. “God is love (Prema). We are all love itself.”
Fuji Kaze will be performing at the upcoming Lollpalooza India 2026, produced and promoted by BookMyShow Live, taking place on January 24 and 25, 2026 at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai.
Published – January 23, 2026 02:11 pm IST
