Japanese singer and songwriter Fujii Kaze releases concert Blu-ray and CD “Feelin’ Good” live at Fujii Kaze Stadium The eponymous solo concert, held at Nissan Stadium in Kanagawa, Japan on August 24 and 25, is his biggest headline performance to date.
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Over two days, some 140,000 fans flocked to watch the show, which vividly conveyed Fujii’s charm as an artist – outstanding musicianship, outstanding artist spirit, and a laid-back, natural demeanor that made you forget you were in a stadium. He is seen in the environment, and with a loving heart that cares for everyone in the audience. The author also participated in one of the performances, and the two-hour performance left me with a lingering sense of pleasure.
The package delves into the concert experience from every angle. Those who saw the show will be able to relive the excitement, and those unfamiliar with Fujii Kaze will also be able to understand why he is loved by so many people.
The Blu-ray consists of two discs, with Disc 1 containing live footage primarily from the August 25 performance. Disc 2 contains approx. 70 minutes Feel Good (Documentary) The video gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the show. The documentary, directed by filmmaker Elizabeth Miyaji, features new interviews with the 27-year-old musician, who talks candidly about the show’s concept and his thoughts on the project. This CD contains 16 tracks personally selected by the singer. Here are some highlights from the visual and audio discs.
Concerts are filled with gimmicks and stage effects, and capturing them on video makes them easier to understand and appreciate. The show started and Fujii suddenly appeared in the stands. As cheers rang out, he slowly walked down the stairs near the auditorium and walked towards the grand piano on the grass in the center of the stage. The footage also highlights the genuine expressions of surprise and joy on the audience’s faces.
The impressive stage set resembles a theme park, with stairs, bridges and a garage covered in vegetation. Based on Fujii’s desire to create something that evokes a sense of nature, Yamada crafted the set down to the smallest detail, including the texture of the soil and small objects within the garage. A huge LED screen behind the stage displays images of cities and skies, designed to create the impression of a single world when integrated with the stage layout.
The dancers’ performances were also eye-catching. In particular, the versatile artist and his dancers performed perfectly synchronized dances to “Kirari” and “Kiri Ga Naikara” during the show. Fujii is known for his virtuoso accompaniment on the piano, and his dance performances also showcase his star power.
The anchor of “Nan Nan” said in the documentary that the key word of this drama is “youth” (youth). They performed “Youth Disease” with the dancers swaying shoulder to shoulder, and an 8-beat punk rock version of “Hotel”, sharing the fresh vitality of youth with the 70,000 spectators in the stadium.
While every visual item on the Blu-ray is very close to perfection, the recording on CD allows fans to enjoy the atmosphere of a live performance. The band members include Yaffle as keyboardist (who also serves as bandleader), TAIKING of Suchmos on guitar, Naoki Kobayashi on bass, Norihide Saji on drums, Takashi Fukuoka on percussion, ARIWA on ASOUND and Emoh Les on backing vocals. The funky, danceable beat of “MO-EH-YO (Ignite)” and the rich harmonies of “Shinunoga E-Wa” are just some of the highlights of the live arrangement.
Looking back on the past year, Fujii accepted many challenges and overcame them all. From May to June, he traveled to North America for his first major solo tour, titled “Fujii Wind” and “Piano USA Tour,” with two sold-out shows in Los Angeles and New York. From October to December, he visited 10 cities in Asia and performed the Best of Fujii Kaze 2020-2024 ASIA TOUR on stage, which also ended on a high note.
Fujii released only two new songs in 2024 – “Michi Teyu Ku (Overflow),” the theme song for Tomokazu Yamada’s first feature film She will when April comes It became his fifth song to reach 100 million streams in Japan, with the AG Cook-produced “Feelin’ Go(o)d” released in July, but he appears to be actively working on other songs. The stadium concerts and arena tours feel like the pinnacle of Fujii’s career to date, and fans are looking forward to experiencing his new expressions in the year ahead.
This article by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan. Fujii Kaze is listed in Japanese order, with last name first.
