Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, and actor Gen Hoshino has written or co-written most songs from his solo discography, which consists of six studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), and twenty-five singles. Within his broader catalogue, he has written songs for other artists and guest performed on singles, cover albums, a remix, and studio albums.
Hoshino began his musical career as the guitarist and marimba player for Sakerock (2000–2015), an instrumental band that he formed with high school classmates. Besides the band, he worked as an actor and wrote music for stage plays. Select レビューを読む As a solo artist, Hoshino released a CD-R titled Baka no Uta in 2005 and the CD Barabara in 2007, the latter as a bundle to a booklet by photographer Taro Hirano. They included original tracks and Sakerock covers with added lyrics; a cover of Crazy Cats' "" (1961) was included on both. His debut studio album, also titled Baka no Uta (2010), featured two Sakerock covers ("Rōfūfu" and "Ana o Horu") and "Tadaima", co-written by Haruomi Hosono. Hoshino wrote all songs on his following four albums—Episode (2011), Stranger (2013), Yellow Dancer (2015), and Pop Virus (2018)—solely by himself. Same Thing (2019), his first EP, featured British indie band Superorganism, English producer Tom Misch, and Japanese rapper ; his second EP, Lighthouse (2023), featured comedian Masayasu Wakabayashi and American instrumentalists Louis Cole, Sam Gendel, and Sam Wilkes. Hoshino's sixth studio album, eponymously titled Gen, was released in May 2025. It includes a lengthened version of the Lighthouse song with Cole, Gendel, and Wilkes, and new features from Lee Young-ji, Cordae, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Umi, and Camilo.
Aside material for his albums, Hoshino has recorded B-sides exclusives to singles and guest appeared on others' work. He covered Haruomi Hosono's "Rose and Beast" (1973) with Ren Takada for the latter's album 12 Notes (2006), performed the song "Taiyaki" (2006) with Hisashi Yoshino, played acoustic guitar on the Saho Terao songs "Kakurete Nai de" (2007) and "Otenkiame" (2009), and lent vocals to Yuri Miyauchi's "Dokusho" (2011). Hoshino covered Raymond Scott's "Lucky Strike" on the tribute album Raymond Scott Songbook (2013) and songs by former members of the Beatles for the compilation Ringo no Komori-uta: Apple of the Best Eye (2014). He remixed Dua Lipa's "Good in Bed" for her Club Future Nostalgia (2020), performed the song "Nomad" with Korean rapper Zion.T for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: The Album (2021), and featured alongside other artists on Superorganism's single "Into the Sun" from World Wide Pop (2022).
Hoshino has written songs for other artists as a non-performer, including "Chingiri-dera" (2004) and "Tingue Bossa Bosa Bossa Nova" (2006) for Tom Miyazaki, "Wuhan no Hito" (2009) for Asa-Chang & Junray, "Banana Oiwake" (2011) for Hosono, "Otona" (2019) for Noritake Kinashi and Toshinobu Kubota, and "Kawaii" (2025) for Le Sserafim. With screenwriter Kankurō Kudō, he wrote four songs from 2010 to 2016 for the NHK series Mītsuketa!, which were released on soundtrack albums. As the alter ego character Akira Nise, Hoshino has performed numerous live covers of singer Akira Fuse's "Kimi wa Bara yori Utsukushī" (1979); he has received original writing credits under the name of the character, such as on Kanjani Eight's "Ima" (2017). Hoshino's discography also consists of annual birthday songs for the comedian Yūki Himura, radio jingles, and various unreleased tracks registered with the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers.
Songs
Main songs 0–9ABCDEFGHIKLMNOPRSTUWYOther songsUnreleased songs
+KeyIndicates non-artist writing creditsIndicates songs not written by Hoshino
+ List of songs by Gen Hoshino, with songwriters, associated releases, and year ( entries) Song Writer(s) Core release(s) Year "2" Lee Young-ji Gen 2025 In Gratitude 2020 "Ain't Nobody Know" Tom Misch Same Thing 2019 "All Things Must Pass" Ringo no Komori-uta: Apple of the Best Eye 2014 2016 Baka no Uta (album) and Barabara 2007 Stranger 2013 Episode 2011 Baka no Uta (CD-R and album) and Barabara 2005 Stranger 2013 2011 Gen Hoshino HoSoNoVa 2011 Select 収録内容 and click the red plus sign next to バナナ追分 (track two on disc two) Baka no Uta (CD-R and album) and Barabara 2005 "Beyond the Sequence" 2023 Baka no Uta (album) 2010 Miyazaki Tom Kinen-kan 2004 Select 収録内容 and click the red plus sign next to チン斬り寺 (track six) Gen 2022 "Continues" Pop Virus and "Koi" (B-side) 2016 "Crazy Crazy" Yellow Dancer 2014 Gen 2021 "Cube" 2021 Baka no Uta (album) and Daisy Holiday 2008 2012 In Gratitude 2020 Lighthouse 2023 2025 "Dead Leaf" Pop Virus 2018 2012 Gen Hoshino Working Holiday 2011 Select 収録内容 and click the red plus sign next to 読書 (track nine) Shunsuke Kikuchi 2018 Babasusumu 2018 "Down Town" Yellow Dancer 2015 "Drinking Dance" 2016 2013 "Eden" Tierra Umi WilsonCordae Brooks Gen 2025 Episode 2011 "Eureka" Gen 2025 "Fake" (as Akira Nise) 2025 "Family Song" Pop Virus 2017 Stranger 2012 "Friend Ship" Yellow Dancer 2015 "Funk" In Gratitude 2020 Gen 2021 Episode 2011 2013 "Get a Feel" Pop Virus 2018 "Glitch" Gen 2025 Baka no Uta (album) 2010 "Good in Bed" Michel ShulzMelanie Joy FontanaTaylor UpsahlDavid BiralDenzel Baptiste Club Future Nostalgia (standard edition) and Future Nostalgia (Japanese bonus edition) 2020 Kankurō Kudō Mītsuketa! Utatte Fever 2016 Pop Virus and "Family Song" (B-side) 2017 In Gratitude 2020 "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" Yoko Ono Ringo no Komori-uta: Apple of the Best Eye 2014 "Hello Song" Pop Virus 2018 Baka no Uta (album) 2010 Barabara 2007 Enter 139-4086-4 under 作品コード and search. The blue button labelled 詳細 can then be selected for further details Barabara 2007 Enter 139-4087-2 under 作品コード and search. The blue button labelled 詳細 can then be selected for further details 2015 Pop Virus 2018 (as Akira Nise) 2017 Barabara 2007 "Into the Sun" SuperorganismAxel Concato World Wide Pop 2022 "Intro at Atlantic" Baka no Uta (CD-R) 2005 Gen 2022 Onmi 2007 2012 "Kawaii" () Score (13)Megatone (13)Huh YunjinJustin ReinsteinMorgan KubesLoarKanata OkajimaBB ElliottIkkiOkhan UenverJonna HallMalin ChristinNinos HannaMaya RoseCX Lucas (B-side) 2025 2011 Episode 2011 Episode 2011 "Kids" Pop Virus and "Family Song" (B-side) 2017 Hoshino Gen no All Night Nippon: Listener Dai-kansha Party 2022 Stranger and "Shiranai" (B-side) 2013 Baka no Uta (album) 2010 Baka no Uta (album) 2010 2018 Pop Virus 2016 Yellow Dancer 2015 Episode 2011 Baka no Uta (album) 2010 Gen 2025 Baka no Uta (album) 2010 Gen 2023 Lighthouse 2023 Raymond Scott Songbook 2013 "Mad Hope" Louis Cole Lighthouse and Gen 2023 2015 "Memories" Tierra Umi WilsonCamilo Correa Gen 2025 "Metal" In Gratitude 2020 "Mellow 1" In Gratitude 2020 "Mellow 2" In Gratitude 2020 "Melody" Gen 2020 Episode 2011 Yellow Dancer 2015 "Moon Sick" 2015 2012 Kankurō Kudō Mītsuketa! Parade 2010 Select 収録内容 and click the red plus sign next to なんかいっすー (フルバージョン) (ボーナストラック) (track fourteen) "Nerd Strut" Yellow Dancer 2015 Episode 2011 "Night Troop" 2014 "Nomad" Danny ChungJack LathamJoe Rhee (as Vince)Kim Hae-solKim Byeong-Hoon Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: The Album 2021 "Non Stop" In Gratitude 2020 "Nothing" Pop Virus 2018 2023 2012 "Orange" Masayasu Wakabayashi (as MC. Waka) Lighthouse 2023 Kankurō Kudō Mītsuketa! Paradise 2013 Select 収録内容 and click the red plus sign next to おっす!イスのおうえんだん (1ばん) (track three) Ai no Himitsu 2009 Select 収録内容 and click the red plus sign next to お天気雨 (track one) "Otona" () Henrik SmithMusohNoritake Kinashi (as Cycle Kinashi)Gen Hoshino (as Seikaten Hoshino) 2019 Lighthouse 2023 "Outro at Pacific" Baka no Uta (CD-R) 2005 "Pair Dancer" Pop Virus 2018 Stranger and "Yume no Soto e" (B-side) 2012 "Pop Virus" Pop Virus 2018 "Present" Pop Virus 2018 2017 2012 2012 "Real" (as Akira Nise) In Gratitude 2020 Stranger 2013 Lighthouse 2023 Baka no Uta (album) 2010 12 Notes 2006 Yellow Dancer 2014 "Same Thing" Orono NoguchiMark David Turner Same Thing 2019 Enter 1N7-9462-8 under 作品コード and search. The blue button labelled 詳細 can then be selected for further details Pop Virus 2018 Tobias Breuer (as Rascal) Same Thing 2019 "Sayonara" Gen 2025 Baka no Uta (album) 2010 Barabara 2007 Stranger 2012 2018 Stranger 2013 "Slow" In Gratitude 2020 "Snow Men" Yellow Dancer 2015 "Soul" Yellow Dancer 2015 "Star" Gen 2025 Episode 2011 "Stranger" Stranger (hidden track) 2013 Episode 2011 Baka no Uta (CD-R) and Barabara 2005 2026 "Sun" Yellow Dancer 2015 Kankurō Kudō Mītsuketa! Party 2011 Select 収録内容 and click the arrow next to すわるぞう (1・2ばん) (track three) Haruomi Hosono Baka no Uta (album) 2010 4 Tracks Burning! 2006 "Tingue Bossa Bosa Bossa Nova" Kondo mo Mise Jimai, Konya de Mise Jimai 2nd Season 2006 Enter 131-2719-5 under 作品コード and search. The blue button labelled 詳細 can then be selected for further details Yellow Dancer 2015 2021 Stranger 2013 Baka no Uta (CD-R) 2005 Stranger 2013 2014 "Up Tempo" In Gratitude 2020 2011 Same Thing 2019 "Week End" Yellow Dancer 2015 Gen 2023 Yellow Dancer 2013 Stranger 2013 Gen Hoshino Kage no Nai Hito 2009 Baka no Uta (CD-R and album) 2005 Yellow Dancer 2015 Suzuki Matsuo In Gratitude 2020 Episode and "Kudaranai no Naka ni" (B-side) 2011 Episode 2011 Stranger 2012
Other songs + List of miscellaneous songs by Hoshino, with songwriters and other notes Song Writer(s) Notes Suzuki Matsuo A song written for a 2006 press event that celebrated film director Suzuki Matsuo's birthday. Hoshino continued to perform the song at select events since 2006, but it remained an "illusive" track in his catalogue. Prior to a performance of the song during a release event for Hoshino's debut single "Kudaranai no Naka ni" (2011), Fanplus Music writers estimated that it had only been heard by around thirty people. Since 2010, Hoshino has performed an annual birthday song for the comedian Yūki Himura on the TBS Radio program of his duo Bananaman. Birthday songs 38–47 (2010–19) were released on Yellow Disc: Birthday Songs for Yuki Himura — Bananaman and Gen Hoshino 2010–2019 (2020), a bonus CD included with the fourth issue of Hoshino's Yellow Magazine. "Halfway" and "Tomato", the birthday songs in 2020 and 2021, were released as a single and B-side, respectively, and are part of Hoshino's main catalogue. The 2025 birthday song, "Suki Suki Himura", was written by Hoshino and performed by Bananaman radio staffer . A song performed live by Bananaman and included on their DVD video album Bananaman Kessaku-sen Live: Banana Chop (2010). Hoshino is credited as its songwriter on the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers (JASRAC) database. Enter 500-5950-5 under 作品コード and search. The blue button labelled 詳細 can then be selected for further details (as Super Sukebe Time) Anonymously under the nickname Super Sukebe Time (), Hoshino submitted a jingle into a 2011 competition to be featured on the radio program Rhyme Master Utamaru no Week End Shuffle; it was accepted from a pool of 130 submissions. Neither the program's staff nor host, rapper Utamaru (formerly of Rhymester), knew the jingle was by Hoshino until years later when Hoshino told Utamaru in private. Hoshino has covered Akira Fuse's 1979 single "Kimi wa Bara yori Utsukushī" during various live shows as the alter ego character Akira Nise, a parody of Fuse. During the 2023 Reassembly tour, the character also performed covers of Junichi Inagaki's "" (1983) and Yashiki Takajin's "" (1990). "Stuts Show" A track created by MPC player and Hoshino's supporting band member by sampling songs from Hoshino's discography.