Fujii Kaze gets churched up in India, with his song “Grace”

Fujii Kaze released a single mere weeks ago, and already he has released another. The difference with this single however, it that it is not on his 2022 album Love All Serve All. I guess this was to be expected, with him touring. When Kaze did his lil’ “Free” Live 2021 gig, we got “Mo-Eh-Yo”. And now he is on his Love All Serve All stadium tour, we’ve got “Grace”.

Now. I have liked all of the singles that Kaze has released. But this one? I’m not really feeling it. I like the B-section, especially the version around the 3 minute mark. But the verses and the chorus don’t do anything for me. 

I can’t exactly put my finger on what it is I don’t like about the song. Maybe it’s just that it isn’t strong enough to be a single, especially coming so soon after “Damn”, which had ‘single’ written all over it. “Grace” is a song that I feel would work better as an album track, sequenced between the right songs. Or performed live with audience participation. But on its own, “Grace” is neither here nor there.

“Grace” also falls victim, the way that singles in Japan released soon after an album always do, in that it sounds like a leftover from the recently released album. It’s always the case. Hikaru Utada releases “Forevermore” a year after Fantôme, and it sounds like it shoulda been on that album. Perfume release “Tokyo Girl” 10 months after Cosmic Explorer, and it sounds like it shoulda been on that album.

If Kaze decides to leave this off of his next album, I would be VERY okay with that. I would not miss the song worth a damn. I wish more Japanese acts would be nonchalant about leaving singles off of albums. Especially those which were released so far ahead of the album. 

The music video is beautifully shot though. And it’s nice to see a music video shot on location. The pandemic of course fucked up on location shooting for a minute, but these were becoming far less prominent in music videos long before; due to record labels slashing budgets, and green screen shoots and VFX becoming far more cost effective.

Y’all remember when Avex used to have Ayumi Hamasaki globe trotting for her shit? They had that bitch in New York, Hawaii, Paris, London. Everywhere but Japan. Now she’s shooting videos in her back yard.

Fujii Kaze - Grace | © 2022 HEHN Records / Universal Music

I really do admire how open Kaze is about his belief in faith. It’s a reoccurring theme in a lot of his music and also his music videos. Both of his album titles are pulled from quotes from Sathya Sai Baba, a famed Indian guru who practised Hinduism. Hence why the video for “Grace” is set in India. Flagrant displays of faith and religion are hardly the most marketable of things for a pop star, much less a Japanese one. But Kaze has never been one to conform or play by the rules. Faith and a belief in it has long been viewed as something that’s no particularly cool. But I find somebody being so steadfast in their belief in it and not giving a fuck to be really cool in itself.

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🎤 Performances: “Me-Eh-Yo” on the Help Ever Arena Tour | “Free” Live 2021
💿 Album Reviews: Love All Serve All | Help Ever Hurt Cover | Help Ever Hurt Never