Prema by Fujii Kaze - A love that aligns with the Divine

August and September of 2025 were the best possible time for any music lover with the amount of wonderful new music that was released! As luck would have it, all my favourite artists released new music and/or albums every week from August until mid-September – being able to absorb so much amazing new art ensured that these were probably the best few weeks of my life! It made it a little difficult to decide which of these albums or songs to write about on this blog since I had so many options – but to me, ‘Prema’ by Fujii Kaze stood out and also challenged me to listen deeply and analyse something unlike what I usually do on this blog.

‘Prema’ as a title itself stood out to me as soon as Kaze announced he would be releasing this album. It felt so special to me as an Indian – ‘prema,’ in Sanskrit, signifies an all-encompassing, unconditional love, often expressed towards the Divine or God. The innate positivity, spirituality and warmth that is so characteristic of Kaze’s music made me feel as though he would be the best person to write an album focused around ‘prema.’ Kaze has also consistently shown a deep respect for Indian culture, religion and ideologies, referencing them frequently in his music. From his music video for the song ‘grace,’ filmed in India in a beautifully touching portrayal of my country; to using the ‘Om’ sound in the song ‘Nan-Nan,’ and to now titling an album in Sanskrit, I am always moved by how wonderfully he paints and respects Indian culture in his music! ‘Prema’ is a beautiful, energising listen that fills you with warmth and comfort. In addition to its uplifting sound, Kaze experimented with writing the entire album in English. He has put together lyrics that are as beautifully touching in English as his usual Japanese, creating a truly unique experience with this album! Kaze describes all forms of prema through the album – beginning with how prema has saved him and helped him reconnect with himself, then describing the prema that he puts out into the world and shares with those around him, and then urges listeners to direct prema inwards and join him in the eternal ecstasy that this love creates for all who experience it. 

The album opens with ‘Casket Girl,’ introducing us to essentially the opposite of ‘Prema.’ Kaze sings, “I just wanted to be free/And be happy endlessly/Something always drags me down/Wanna run away but I can’t.” He describes a love that is characterised by sin and temptation, drawing him away from his spirituality and his higher purpose. He likens this sinful, addictive love to death – hence the title, ‘Casket Girl.’ He suggests that this girl is bringing him a ‘casket,’ making him die before his time, fuelling addiction, sin and greed and pulling him away from his higher awakening. Towards the end of the song, he pivots towards reclaiming his freedom and trying to escape the casket and achieve a higher good, a higher love. “Casket girl, we got some kind of freedom/How about we both come outta casket, girl?” He considers escaping the casket that traps him, exercising his freedom and willpower to connect with his spirituality rather than chase material pleasures or sinful pursuits. 

The song transitions beautifully into the second track, ‘I Need U Back.’ Although the title seems to convey yearning or sadness, Kaze uses it to describe reconnecting with himself and accepting his past. He infuses a romanticism into the time of hardship that he experienced. Many people tend to look back at times filled with lots of hardship focused only on nostalgia and romance, forgetting the struggles they faced completely. However, Kaze approaches this differently in this song. He finds romance in the experience of struggling itself. In looking back on his mistakes and learnings, he recognises the wisdom he gained as well as the passion and energy inherent within his past self. He feels he has gained so much more wisdom and peace that he wants to re-live this hardship, re-examine it and handle it with his newfound knowledge – “It wasn’t nice, I know, but I learned a lot, baby/Let me handle this again.” Thus, he romanticises experiencing the struggle of a life-changing hardship and how it shapes him into who he is. Kaze also explores coming back into himself through this song – as he escapes sin and temptation dragging him away from his purpose in ‘Casket Girl,’ he now feels more connected with his inner self. In emerging from the hardships of ‘Casket Girl,’ he realises the lessons it taught him and the purpose it served. He wishes his true self back, such that he can imbibe this newfound wisdom that will allow him to tackle anything life throws his way from now on. He feels charged and alive despite his struggles, ready to take on the world – “Now is not the time to die, I’m alive.” He thus rejects the ‘casket’ of death given to him in ‘Casket Girl.’ Thus, when Kaze sings “I need you back,” he sings not to a lover he has lost, but to his past self and energy that he is willing back into his life. He recalls his own strength to motivate him and help him carry on through his life. His newfound sense of hope and energy conveyed in these lyrics is complemented by the punchy guitar tones and upbeat sounds of this song. 

The next song, ‘Hachiko,’ is based on the famed story of a loyal dog who waited every day for his owner to return from work at Shibuya Station. Even when the owner died suddenly, Hachiko continued to go to the station and wait for his owner’s return for 10 more years until his death. While Kaze has written the entire album in English, this is the only song to feature a single line in Japanese, which translates to “Where shall we go, Hachiko?” Kaze seems to use Hachiko to refer to his fans, who diligently wait for him to release new music and connect with them once again. In a way, he could be suggesting a happy ending to Hachiko’s story, one where the owner does not die, but rather, returns to the dog, meets him, and asks, “where shall we go, Hachiko?” He returns to his patient and loyal fans with his new art and love, asking them to accompany him further in his journey as an artist. He twists the story of Hachiko by giving the dog (his fans) the lead, asking them where he should go in the future, showing their importance to his life and his artistic direction. This aligns with the story Kaze tells in the first two songs. He could be suggesting that he returns from almost dying in ‘Casket Girl,’ regaining his strength in ‘I Need U Back’ and finally finding it in him to present himself before those who look up to him and support him in ‘Hachiko,’ ready to progress further on his journey. An alternate interpretation I had for this song, though, is that Kaze could also be referring to himself as Hachiko – loyal to his art and audience. He waited patiently for his creativity and essence (his ‘owner,’ in that they form a key purpose in his life) to return to him despite losing touch with them due to a period of turmoil in his life. He thus reunites with himself and becomes whole, being able to create and share himself with the world once again. In choosing to release this as the first single from this album, Kaze introduced this new era of his music by showcasing his gratitude to his fans first and foremost. He really has fun with this catchy, upbeat number, dancing in a dog costume in the music video and thus presenting the brightest and warmest side of himself to welcome us into this new era. 

‘Love Like This,’ the next song, is a truly addictive track – I simply cannot get it out of my head and find myself singing it over and over again! What I love most about this song is its dreamy, romantic quality that resembles the golden-hour lighting of a beautiful sunset that paints the sky in stunning colours. ‘Love Like This’ starts to show the colours of prema, the theme of this album. Kaze describes finding a love so beautiful and all-transforming that it becomes the “purest form of reality, divinity.” He could be referring to the love for his art and his fans that he discovers in ‘Hachiko.’ As he grows back into himself, he finds himself consumed by this ecstatic, unconditional love for his life, for the people who support him, so much so that it feels divine. As prema saves him and colours his life in these first three tracks, Kaze now realises that it begs to be spread around and shared. He thus asks, “Can I give it to you? Just like you do/Then we share it too.” Kaze views prema rather like a gift. A gift comes supported by gratitude and appreciation, and the idea that one day, the same gratitude and appreciation will be repaid as an equally meaningful gift. Kaze sees receiving prema from those around him as a gift that he must return, and he thus wants to spread and share the divine love he feels to all those around him. He carries this sentiment into the second verse of the song, where he feels that prema gives him a duty to heal and help others in much the same way that their love has healed him. 

Throughout the song, Kaze contrasts the suffering and struggle he has been through with the transformative impact of prema. In the first pre-chorus of this song, Kaze was “drowning” and thought there was “no way to escape” the “crazy world.” In the second, though, he finds himself “falling softly, colliding.” Instead of running away from struggles, he now enjoys the newfound unknown, thrill and uncertainty of prema. Although he doesn’t know what comes next, he is at peace as he knows that prema is a “sweet silver lining” for every experience. Kaze transitioned from not being able to escape the “crazy world” to not being able to escape “heaven” – prema has assured that he can experience paradise forever. As Kaze experiences paradise, he asks, “who does paradise belong to?” The answer is, probably, everyone – and thus, this ties back into why Kaze feels compelled to share prema with all those around him, such that they can experience their own version of divinity and paradise too. So far, we have interpreted ‘Love Like This’ as Kaze expressing prema to the people in his life whom he cherishes. However, he could also be expressing prema to God – as inherently, prema refers to a divine love that is usually felt in connection to God. Kaze could suggest that he finds himself in heaven, unable to escape, because he has been enlightened by prema that has connected him deeply with God. He is comfortable with uncertainty and the unknown – he says, “thank you, wherever I go I feel you” – he feels God all around him, knowing this will protect him and help him brave any experience, no matter how difficult. Songs like ‘Love Like This’ really highlight the spirituality that pervades all of Kaze’s work. Especially towards the last chorus, the harmonies join with Kaze’s voice and create a truly divine and harmonious sound, representing the heavenly nature of prema with a true gentleness and beauty!

Next, we come to ‘Prema,’ the song I was most excited to analyse given the imagery and Hindu motifs Kaze uses! ‘Prema,’ referenced by Kaze in this track, describes a spiritual and divine love that signifies the highest dedication to God. Prema is pure and ecstatic in its nature, the same emotion Kaze portrays in ‘Love Like This.’ What is truly beautiful about Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit is that although there are many different words that translate broadly to ‘love,’ none of them inherently describe the same kind of love. Thus, I love the intentionality with which Kaze chose to sing of prema in this album! Although prema can refer to this divine love, Kaze’s pronunciation of the word could also suggest that he is referencing his ‘beloved,’ someone for whom he experiences prema. This could be God, his fans, or another person, as we have explored through the album so far. In the chorus, he could be calling out to God, telling God that to him, God represents all the love and the divinity in the world. He even clearly states, “Can’t you see that you are God itself?” Alternatively, if Kaze refers to a specific person, the connection of his lyrics to Buddhist and Advaita Vedanta ideologies is clear here. In Hinduism, the belief is that God resides within every single person. Thus, Kaze could be indicating that he loves this person so dearly that he sees the divinity and god within them, and they bring him closer to his spirituality. Kaze continues to explore how prema connects him to his spirituality and higher purpose in the first pre-chorus – “With all your blessings I’ll arise/Open up my third eye.” Kaze explains that this love not only helps him conquer his hard times, as described in the previous songs, it also brings him closer to enlightenment. The opening of the third eye in Hinduism activates the chakra in this part of the body, which is associated with enlightenment and divine knowledge. Prema, thus, brings Kaze closer to his spiritual purpose and knowledge. This enlightenment and divinity permeate Kaze’s life – “every day I meditate/And make every action a prayer.” 

He then says, “Filling my heart with your affection/Being your best friend is my devotion/Calling your name is my surrender/Babe I got your number.” The more he experiences prema, the closer he grows closer to God and divinity. He probably even feels that he can communicate with God through his devotion and love (“best friend,” “babe I got your number”). As Kaze connects with prema and grows more enlightened, he recognises the divinity not just in his spiritual connection to god, but also within himself. In the beautiful and transformative last verse, thus, he recognises that “I am love itself,” “I am God itself.” It is not simply that God has given Kaze this divine love, but rather that Kaze’s devotion and dedication to his art and his higher purpose mean that prema and divinity were already an inherent part of him. He emphasises the Hindu belief that God resides within everyone, and thus, that divine love and spiritual power reside within every single person. Besides being a perfect title track summing up the theme of the album, I feel this song also truly represents Kaze as a person. It expresses the spirituality and love that is quintessential to all of Kaze’s music, while the heavy focus on a jazzy piano highlights his talents as a pianist – he is most frequently seen playing the piano and his career began singing piano covers on YouTube. Additionally, the lyrics and the music video blend evocative storytelling and emotion with a lightheartedness and silliness that is a trademark of Kaze’s personality. Including lyrics like “Brighter than my ceiling lights and/sweeter than my mother’s cream pie” in this song, and his pure love and joy for the location and people he films the music video with are a beautiful example of this. I really love the depth, beauty and intentionality that Kaze blends with warmth, light and comfort in this song!  

The next song, ‘It Ain’t Over,’ is my favourite track on this album! Once again, Kaze chooses a title that alludes to heartbreak and then subverts this expectation with the song’s lyrics. Kaze instead explores how his consistent faith and spirituality help him accept the transitionary nature of love and relationships. The beautiful line, “No one will ever be gone” from the first verse reminded me of the Internet-famous quote – “no love, however brief, is wasted.” Kaze states that even if a relationship ends, no one he loved is ever lost to him – that love continues to exist within him, and by having put it out into the world, he knows it will come back to him some day. He sings – “The deeper I dive/The more I’m sure/You’re still by my side/Wherever I go.”  As Kaze continues to connect with his higher purpose, he finds consistency in his spirituality, in his divine love, and in the presence of the Higher Power he respects. Thus, in the bridge too, he says, “nothing ever stays the same/But with faith, we find something that never changes.” Thus, faith, to Kaze, is the only constant as opposed to change. With his consistent faith and love, he feels he can brave any separation or change. To him, no relationship, experience or time period is ever “over” – he knows that his faith will carry him to his next new experience and learnings, and any love he puts out that passes him by will come right back to him so long as he keeps faith in its return. I particularly love the last line of the chorus of this song – “we’ll all go back to the same home.” Kaze recognises that we, as humans, are all made of the same dust. We come from and go back to the same place – possibly to God, or possibly back to dust. He suggests that we will all meet in a common place before God during death, which is the final closure. So, until this time,“‘it ain’t over,” – there’s more to learn, see and feel until you meet God. My favourite part of this song is, of course, the saxophone that creates a cosy, comforting and uplifting feel, adding to the beautiful jazzy feel of this number. I found it so cool that Kaze played it himself – I just love the groove that it adds to this song!

The next song, ‘You,’ has to be one of the most beautifully written tracks on this album! It is so full of gentleness, care and love for the listener. In this song, Kaze urges the listener to direct prema inwards. He conveys that connecting with one’s spiritual power and inner self can help one conquer anything and become everything one wishes to be. He says that all our capabilities and everything we need to achieve our dreams is within us already – “All you need is right there in your soul,” “Everything that you want is in you/ and everything that you’ve been waiting for, it’s in you”. With this song, Kaze clearly recognises the glimpse of God that exists within each person – “Just take a look inside, you’ll find/You’re perfectly divine.” He even explicitly states, “I can see the God in you, how beautiful it is.” This is why he believes it is possible to feel prema in the form of self-love, when one connects to their divinity and harnesses their full power and purpose as a human being. Kaze touchingly and evocatively describes this divine power within humans in the song’s chorus – “You are the infinite sun and the moon/I can see all the stars honour you/Shining brighter than all of the lights.” Thus, Kaze emphasises the importance of unconditional and pure love towards oneself and belief in oneself. The same prema that is shown to God, unconditional and ecstatic, should be directed at the God and divinity within oneself too to help one connect to their full potential, allowing one to reach their goals and dreams in life. Kaze sings this song with such genuineness that you really feel his devotion and sincerity. The song is so uplifting, calming and beautiful in every way and it’s definitely another favourite from this album!

‘You’ transitions smoothly into ‘Okay, Goodbye,’ wherein Kaze takes on the lessons from ‘You.’ He recognises, “Baby, I realised that I am all I need.” He accepts wholeheartedly his detachment from someone who was special to him – he accepts that they won’t come back, but remains thankful for the good experiences he was blessed with through knowing them. He accepts, in ‘You,’ that he and his faith form the centre of his world – and thus, reconnects with his inner self to experience life in its fullness. Kaze feels prema towards both God and his former companion in this song too – “God lights our way/He’s gonna take care of us anyway.” Despite his relationship with the subject of the song ending, he sings of the experience jauntily and happily with this bouncy song. He thanks them for “blessing his life” and looks eagerly to the future, hoping to become “the best man I could ever be” and make a better life for himself. All the while, he wishes this person the best and calmly says goodbye to them, recognising his centrality and importance in his own life through the song. 

Kaze ends this album with ‘Forever Young,’ which is beautiful given how he began this album referring to death and sin overtaking him in ‘Casket Girl.’ We see that his journey with prema drives him to finally embrace an eternal, endless youth that exists in many forms. This manifests, first, in that Kaze feels this divine ecstasy and love pervading his life and making it as vibrant as childhood and youth feel (“I’m just a boy who strives for eternity/And we’re just kids with infinite energy”). This eternal youth also inspires in Kaze a curiosity and eagerness to experience whatever life throws at him, giving him an endless hunger for learning, much like that of young children (“You let me know that I know nothing at all”). Kaze leaves us with the message that being human, in its purest form, is an endless process of learning that is characteristic of our condition. It’s an endless rebirth, an endless cycle of learning, growing and changing. Since he sees this learning and growing continuing throughout his life, he believes he can face every experience as though he is a child discovering something new for the first time. That’s why he says he is forever young no matter his age, and that “We can be born again and again.” Kaze also seems to suggest, with this line, that it’s never too late to change and reinvent yourself into the person you want to be. You can rebirth yourself by learning new things about yourself every day – you can thus be a ‘child’ every day by being reborn, making you forever young. A perfect track to conclude the album, Kaze uses the message of ‘Forever Young’ and the progression of this album to emphasise the cyclicality of life itself as is common in Eastern ideologies, including Hinduism. ‘Prema,’ thus, could explore the journey of the human soul from death to enlightenment through the lens of divine love. The Hindu belief is that the soul is eternal, it simply takes on different bodies as it progresses through the world, aiming to finally reunite with God. In this album, Kaze’s soul begins from the ‘casket,’ a soul regaining life in a new body. The soul then grows closer to divine love and God, discovering the meaning of various forms of prema throughout the album and accepting life and its changes and transitions as they come, welcoming them by keeping faith in God’s protection and presence. As the soul has been born so many times, it realises in this last track that it still doesn’t know everything despite having learned so much. So, it accepts that it is ‘forever young,’ and will forever be a child in God’s eyes.

I really love Kaze’s music because in every sound and word, you can hear the divinity and spirituality he infuses into it. His songs radiate an unparalleled sincerity and positivity that spreads into the listener and the world around. I love that his songs, especially on this album, are so open to interpretation and liken the experience of love to spirituality, divinity, self-discovery and self-actualisation. Thus, it can mean different things to different listeners – some might feel this sort of prema for a specific person in their life, some might connect it to their religious beliefs. Either way, Kaze’s message of eternal, unconditional love and acceptance for life and its experiences as they come is pervasive throughout – this album truly radiates a warmth and comfort unlike any other!