Gen Hoshino

Pop performer Gen Hoshino isn’t afraid to tinker with the DNA of J-pop, creating catchy songs that expand upon the familiar style by sneaking in sonic elements from hip-hop and disco. Born in 1981 and raised in a sleepy corner of Saitama, Hoshino formed an instrumental band called SAKEROCK with high school classmates in 2000. Over the next decade, he experimented with rock and jazz with the group while also pursuing an acting career. In 2010, he took the lessons learned from SAKEROCK and started his own solo project, adding vocals to the bright and bouncy sound he had already cultivated with his former band. Songs such as “SUN” and “Koi” merged breezy ‘60s bubblegum pop melodies and tempos with the singer’s upbeat lyrics. Hoshino didn’t settle there, though. He worked with fledgling Japanese electronic artists, domestic rappers, and quirky international bands like Superorganism to create numbers that mashed together disparate sonic ideas rarely seen in mainstream Japanese music. Hoshino is an artist using his spotlight—his acting profile has risen alongside his pop singer presence—to share his love of myriad musical styles with a larger audience. Whatever form Hoshino’s songs take, they always exude a playful energy and optimistic vibe.