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HELP EVER HURT NEVER

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Template:Infobox Album

HELP EVER HURT NEVER is the debut studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Fujii Kaze. It was released on May 20, 2020, through HEHN RECORDS and Universal Sigma.[1] The album was produced by Yaffle, and all eleven original songs were written by Fujii Kaze.[2] It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Japan HOT Albums chart[2] and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).[2]

Background

Fujii Kaze began his career posting piano-cover videos of Western pop songs on YouTube, and made his major-label debut in 2019.[1] HELP EVER HURT NEVER is his first original album, consolidating the four digital singles he released in the seven months following his debut — "Nan-Nan", "Mo-Eh-Wa", "Yasashisa" and "Kiri Ga Naikara" — together with seven new tracks into an 11-track sequence.[2]

In a MUSICA magazine interview, Fujii described the creative direction of the album:[3]

I think it's a work where I faced my inner self — a work born from digging deep and looking inward. Musically, it's a work that tries to show, as evenly as possible, everything I have cultivated so far.

The album title "HELP EVER HURT NEVER" is drawn from the maxim "Help Ever, Hurt Never" attributed to the Indian spiritual teacher Sathya Sai Baba, whom Fujii has cited as an influence (see HELP EVER HURT NEVER (meaning)).

Track listing

The standard edition contains 11 tracks:[1]

  1. Nan-Nan
  2. Mo-Eh-Wa
  3. Yasashisa
  4. Kiri Ga Naikara
  5. Tsumi No Kaori
  6. Cho Si Noccha Te
  7. Tokuninai
  8. Shinunoga E-Wa
  9. Kazeyo
  10. SAYONARA Baby
  11. Kaerō

Singles

Four digital singles preceded the album:[1]

First-press edition

The first-press limited edition included a bonus disc titled HELP EVER HURT COVER, featuring piano-arranged cover versions by Fujii Kaze of eleven English-language songs.[2] The covers disc was later released as a standalone digital EP.

Commercial performance

The album peaked at #2 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart, with first-week sales of approximately 21,000 copies,[4] and topped the Billboard Japan HOT Albums chart.[2]

In January 2021, the album was certified Gold (100,000-units equivalent) by the RIAJ,[5] and has since surpassed Platinum (250,000-units).[2]

Internationally, the album has been certified Double Platinum by Universal Music Thailand and Platinum by Universal Music Taiwan.[2]

Chart positions
Chart Peak
Oricon Weekly Albums 2
Billboard Japan HOT Albums 1

Streaming success

"Shinunoga E-Wa" (死ぬのがいいわ), a track on the album, went viral internationally starting in 2022 after being used heavily on TikTok. It reached #1 on the Spotify Daily Viral charts in more than 23 countries and territories and charted in a total of 73 countries; cumulative worldwide streams exceed 1.4 billion.[2]

Critical reception

The album received generally positive user response, with a user score of 79 from 342 ratings on Album of the Year and 4.02/5 from 235 ratings on Musicboard.[6] The music blog randomjpop highlighted the album's stylistic breadth, describing it as a cohesive work that blends jazz, traditional Japanese influences, J-pop and rock elements.[7]

Tour

Fujii Kaze embarked on his first nationwide tour, Help Ever Hall Tour, running from December 25, 2020 through January 31, 2021 in support of the album.[2] Venues operated at 50% capacity with checkerboard seating in compliance with COVID-19 prevention protocols.[2]

Personnel

  • Fujii Kaze – lead vocals, songwriting, composition, piano
  • Yaffle – producer, arranger
  • Leon Yuuki – drums
  • Osami Kobayashi – bass

(Full detailed credits are in the first-press edition booklet and on digital metadata platforms.)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "HELP EVER HURT NEVER". Fujii Kaze OFFICIAL SITE. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 "Help Ever Hurt Never". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  3. ↑ "MUSICA, May 2022". FACT. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  4. ↑ "HELP EVER HURT NEVER – Fujii Kaze". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  5. ↑ "RIAJ Gold Disc Certifications, January 2021". RIAJ. 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  6. ↑ "Fujii Kaze - HELP EVER HURT NEVER Reviews". Album of the Year. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  7. ↑ "Album review: Fujii Kaze - Help Ever Hurt Never". randomjpop. 2021-05. Retrieved 2026-04-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

See also

External links

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