List of songs by Gen Hoshino

For a list of releases by Hoshino, see Gen Hoshino discography.
Hoshino at the 2017 Space Shower Music Awards, wearing a suit and holding the award for Best Video of the Year for "Koi"
Hoshino at the 2017 Space Shower Music Awards

The Japanese singer-songwriter and musician Gen Hoshino has written or co-written most songs in his discography, spanning material for five studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), and 22 singles.

Hoshino made his debut as the frontman of the instrumental band Sakerock (2000–2015), playing guitar and marimba.[1][2] Hoshino released the self-produced CD-R disc Baka no Uta in 2005, containing six original tracks and a cover of Crazy Cats.[3] Baka no Uta was adapted into his first solo album under the same title, released through Speedstar Records and Daisyworld on June 16, 2010.[4] In addition to four previously released songs and two vocal covers of Sakerock, Hoshino wrote nine new tracks for the album solo and co-composed one with Haruomi Hosono.[5] Hoshino wrote all 12 tracks on his second album Episode, released September 28, 2011.[6] It was supported by his first single, "Kudaranai no Naka ni".

Moving solely to Speedstar Records, Hoshino released Stranger on May 1, 2013,[7] with 13 songs (one a hidden track).[8] The album was supported by three singles, all released throughout 2012: "Film", "Yume no Soto e", and "Shiranai". After Stranger, Hoshino released his first non-album single "Gag",[9] featuring arrangement from Seiji Kameda–it remains his only single to not be self or co-arranged. Hoshino's fourth album, Yellow Dancer, was released on December 2, 2015. The track listing of 15 songs focused on blending Western genres such as jazz, soul, and R&B, into Hoshino's J-pop style, for a result he described as "yellow music".[10] It was supported by three singles: "Why Don't You Play in Hell?", the double A-side "Crazy Crazy" / "Sakura no Mori", and "Sun". His fifth and most recent album, Pop Virus, was released on December 19, 2018, with 14 tracks.[11] It became his most commercially successful album release,[12] certified 2× Platinum[13] and listed at No. 4 on Oricon's year-end chart for 2019.[14] Three songs from Pop Virus were released as singles: "Koi", "Family Song", and "Idea".

In 2019, Hoshino released his first extended play (EP), titled Same Thing, collaborating with British indie pop band Superorganism, Japanese rapper Punpee, English musician Tom Misch, and performing one track alone.[15] As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Hoshino began wanting to update his musical style. In lockdown, he found time to practice on digital audio workstations and keyboard. He released the single "Create" in 2021, which he noted was his first song to be completed with the stronger focus on keyboard.[16] In 2023, Hoshino released his second EP Lighthouse, comprising six songs he had written for the Netflix talk show of the same name.[17]

In addition to his solo and Sakerock work, Hoshino has appeared as a featured artist on Ren Takada's "Rose and Beast" (from 12 Notes, 2006), Yuri Miyauchi's "Dokusho" (from Working Holiday, 2011), Superorganism's "Into the Sun" (from World Wide Pop, 2022), and has covered George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" (with Yoshie Nakano) and Raymond Scott's "Lucky Strike" for compilation albums. Hoshino remixed "Good in Bed" for Dua Lipa's remix album Club Future Nostalgia (2020), and with Korean singer Zion.T performed "Nomad" for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: The Album (2021). Hoshino has been credited as a non-performing writer on songs for Asa-Chang & Junray, Haruomi Hosono, Kanjani Eight, Noritake Kinashi, and Tom Miyazaki, among others. Hoshino has written and performed three songs under the name of his alter ego character Akira Nise, and has five unreleased titles registered with the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC).

  1. ^ "星野源" [Gen Hoshino]. Kakubarhythm. Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  2. ^ "SAKEROCKの歴代メンバーが全員集合して完成した、ドラマティックなラスト作にして〈ファースト・アルバム〉『SAYONARA』" [Sayonara is the dramatic last and first album by all members of Sakerock]. Mikiki (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. April 16, 2015. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  3. ^ Hoshino, Gen (2005). Baka no Uta (CD-R).
  4. ^ "星野 源 / ばかのうた" [Gen Hoshino / Baka no Uta]. CDJournal [ja] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  5. ^ "星野源ソロ「ばかのうた」に細野コラボ、SAKEROCKカバー" [Gen Hoshino collaborates with Hosono and covers Sakerock on first solo album Baka no Uta]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). April 27, 2010. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  6. ^ "星野 源 / エピソード" [Gen Hoshino / Episode]. CDJournal [ja] (in Japanese). Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  7. ^ "星野 源 / Stranger" [Gen Hoshino / Stranger]. CDJournal [ja] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  8. ^ Hoshino, Gen (May 1, 2013). Stranger (album). Speedstar Records.
  9. ^ "星野源「聖☆おにいさん」主題歌を2曲入りシングルで発売" [Gen Hoshino will release 2-song single featuring Saint Young Men theme song]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). March 22, 2013. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  10. ^ "星野源、2年7カ月ぶり新アルバム「YELLOW DANCER」リリース決定" [Gen Hoshino to release Yellow Dancer, first new album in 2 years and 7 months]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). October 14, 2015. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  11. ^ "星野源、『POP VIRUS』全14曲の収録楽曲を発表。特設サイトもオープン" [All 14 tracks on Gen Hoshino's Pop Virus announced. Special site also opened]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). November 21, 2018. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "星野源の合算アルバム売上TOP11作品" [Gen Hoshino's Top 11 Albums by Combined Sales] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  13. ^ "Japanese album certifications – 星野 源 – POP VIRUS" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Archived from the original on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2024-02-19. Select 2018年12月 on the drop-down menu
  14. ^ "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service "You Taiju"] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  15. ^ "星野源『Same Thing』〈日本のスーパースター〉が燃え尽きた先でスーパーオーガニズム、PUNPEE、トム・ミッシュと作り上げた感動的なEP". Mikiki (in Japanese). Tower Records Japan. October 17, 2019. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  16. ^ Hoshino, Gen (September 8, 2023). Takimoto, Daisuke (ed.). "星野源が語る"対話からの創造"と、Netflix「LIGHTHOUSE」で挑んだ新たな曲づくりのかたち" [Gen Hoshino talks about "constructing from dialogue" and his new creation style attempted on Netlix's Lighthouse]. Wired Japan (in Japanese). Interviewed by Hasegawa, Tomoko. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  17. ^ "星野源、オードリー若林とのトーク番組「LIGHTHOUSE」書き下ろし6曲を配信リリース" [Gen Hoshino's six songs for talk show Lighthouse with Audrey Wakabayashi to receive digital release]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2024.