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This page is about the Gen Hoshino EP. For other uses, see Lighthouse (disambiguation) § Albums.
Lighthouse
Cover artwork.
EP by
Gen Hoshino
ReleasedSeptember 8, 2023 (2023-09-08)
Length14:24
LanguageJapanese
Label
ProducerGen Hoshino
Gen Hoshino chronology
Gen Hoshino Singles Box: Gratitude
(2020) 		Lighthouse
(2023) 		Gen
(2025)

Lighthouse (stylized in all caps; Japanese pronunciation: [ɾaitohaꜜɯsɯ]) is the second extended play (EP) by Japanese singer-songwriter and musician Gen Hoshino. A J-pop and soul ballad with simplistic progression, "Eureka" is about romance and city life. Hoshino sings about his lack of hope despite his despair, before he concludes that uncertainty should be used as a foothold to move forward.

Commercially, "Eureka" reached number 11 on the weekly Billboard Japan Hot 100 and number 33 on the Oricon Combined Singles Chart. The song's music video is composed of scenes of Hoshino that were filmed over a one-week period. It was directed by cover art photographer Kotori Kawashima [ja] and features a cameo from actor Taiga Nakano.

Background and writing

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Singer-songwriter Gen Hoshino and owarai comedian Masayasu Wakabayashi of Audrey first collaborated in 2011, when they appeared at the same ōgiri  [ja] event in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. In July 2021, Hoshino guest starred on Audrey's television program, Achikochi Audrey, where he and Wakabayashi discussed what pop culture journalist Louie Takeshima described as "ugly, swirling" emotions.[1][2] The episode inspired producer Nobuyuki Sakuma [ja], who was head of the program's production at the time, to create a talk show co-starring Wakabayashi and Hoshino. He brought the idea to Netflix,[2] who released all six episodes for streaming as Lighthouse on August 22, 2023. The talk show sees Hoshino and Wakabayashi discussing worries based upon a "one-line diary" that they would write each month before episodes.[3]

According to Sakuma, Hoshino responded favorably when presented with the premise for the show. During a briefing session, he suddenly proposed writing a song for each episode of the series, to which Sakuma responded: "If you say so, please do."[4] Based upon his conversations with Wakabayashi in the respective episodes, Hoshino wrote six songs for the show: five ending themes and an opening, "Mad Hope".[3][a] Writing of the tracks was simultaneous with several other projects, including the single "Life" (2023); Hoshino reflected in a Wired Japan interview that the Lighthouse tracks were the most relaxing to write in this period.[6]

Production and music

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The extended play (EP), also titled Lighthouse, runs for 14 minutes and 12 seconds, and contains the six songs from the talk show.[7] Though Hoshino originally intended to peform all songs in a one-man acoustic style, he quickly found this approach boring, and instead employed varying production styles across the tracks, including solo acoustic, a band sound, and programming.[8] Writing for Rockin'On Japan, Amano Fumiaki considered a live band sound to be at "the core" of the EP.[9] Hoshino programmed demos that he would then record live with a small set of musicians, a method they used due to its time efficiency compared to standard studio recording and arrangement.[10]

The production of the EP was compared by Hoshino to the writing of soundtrack, as he would consider what feelings the songs should invoke in viewers after episodes.[6] With the pretense of the talk show, he felt able to turn his style in a harsher direction than his previous works; since they would follow and represent his conversations with Wakabayashi, Hoshino used sharper and more direct words that he believed would appear narcissistic on his other works. The same applied to Lighthouse's sound, where he included more warped vocals and drums.[6][10]

Songs

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"Outcast"
Track three, "Outcast", features a style harsher than Hoshino's previous works.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The opener and title track, "Lighthouse", is an acoustic guitar-led number where Hoshino recounts his early career as a musician in the Asagaya neighborhood of Suginami, Tokyo, where Wakabayashi was at the same time practicing his manzai act.[6][8] In the final line, Hoshino accounts his perspective on the talk show as a place for him and Wakabayashi to discuss worries, but not solve them: "Lighthouse/Don't think about saving people/Just keep shining light".[8][9] It is followed by the album-oriented rock and blue-eyed soul-reminiscent "Responder".[9]

"Outcast", which features a sound harsher than previous works in Hoshino's catalogue, is about shining light in areas never before visited.[8] Wakabayashi, under the stage name MC. Waka, peforms rap vocals on the fourth track, "Orange". Wakabayashi wrote the first verse after the recording of the talk show's first episode. He revealed this to Hoshino in the fourth episode, where Hoshino responds by offering to write a matching composition; it is used as the same episode's ending theme. Wakabayashi raps about his frustrations during his and Hoshino's time in Asagaya and Kōenji, and how these irritations still effect them in their present positions within the entertainment industry.[8][11]

The fifth and final ending theme, "Dancing Reluctantly", is about living reluctantly and how Hoshino and Wakabayashi will continue to worry even after the show's conclusion.[12] The EP's closer and the talk show's opening theme, "Mad Hope", is a 35-second collaboration with American instrumentalists Louis Cole (drums), Sam Gendel (electric bass), and Sam Wilkes (alto saxophone),[7][13] who Hoshino met during the 2023 Summer Sonic Festival.[6] A full-length version was recorded for Hoshino's sixth full-length album, Gen (2025).[14]

Release and reception

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The Lighthouse EP was announced on September 4, 2023,[15] and was released four days later by Hoshino's label, Speedstar Records, and Netflix Music for download and streaming.[7][16] Upon release, the EP received 5,474 paid downloads, which was the second-highest of that week behind only Layover, the debut album by BTS member V.[17][18] Lighthouse debuted at number 6 on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums dated September 13, 2023,[19] and at number 18 on the Oricon Combined Albums Chart dated September 18.[20] Billboard placed it at number 21 on their year-end Japanese download albums chart.[21] Music critics primarily covered Lighthouse on the subject of specific songs. Tomoyuki Mori for Real Sound reviewed "Orange", where he thought Wakabayashi's rhymes and rhythm displayed a respect for Japanese hip hop.[11] Rockin'On Japan's Amano praised the "somber, warm, and shining" sound of "Responder", and expressed excitement towards a full-length version of "Mad Hope", as was later released on the Gen album.[9]

Songs from the EP have been performed during events. "Orange" was performed by Wakabayashi with Hoshino as a special guest during Audrey's radio festival at the Tokyo Dome in February 2024. Hoshino included "Outcast" on his setlists for the Viva la Rock and Rock in Japan Festivals throughout 2024. The headlining tour for the Gen album is named after "Mad Hope".

Personnel

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Credits adapted from Lighthouse on Hoshino's official website[13]

  • Gen Hoshino – lead vocals, production, songwriting, arrangement; background vocals (3–6); acoustic guitar (1); analog synthesizer (4–6); software synthesizer (4–5); digital synthesizer (6);[b] electric piano (4); programming (6)
  • Ryosuke Nagaoka – arrangement of background vocals; background vocals (2–6); electric guitar (2–3, 5–6)
  • Tom Tamada – drums (2–3, 5)
  • Louis Cole – drums (6)
  • Jungo Miura – electric bass (2–3, 5)
  • Sam Wilkes – electric bass (6)
  • Hirotaka Sakurada – digital synthesizer/Roland JD-800 (2); analog synthesizer/Prophet-10 (3, 5)
  • Masayasu Wakabayashi (MC. Waka) – rap vocals, lyrics (4)
  • Sam Gendel – alto saxophone (6)
  • Shu Saida – recording
  • Shojiro Watanabe – mixing
  • Takahiro Uchida – mastering

Track listing

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Lighthouse
No.TitleLength
1."Lighthouse" (Live Session; 灯台, Tōdai)3:07
2."Responder" (Live Session; 解答者, Kaitō-sha)3:37
3."Outcast" (Live Session; 仲間はずれ, Nakama Hazure)1:56
4."Orange" (featuring MC. Waka)2:46
5."Dancing Reluctantly" (Live Session; しかたなく踊る, Shikatanaku Odoru)2:23
6."Mad Hope" (Short; featuring Louis Cole and Sam Gendel)0:35
Total length:14:24
Notes
  • All tracks are written, produced, arranged solely by Gen Hoshino, except for track four ("Orange"), which features lyrics co-written with Masayasu Wakabayashi (MC. Waka).
  • On the extended version of track six ("Mad Hope") included on the Gen album, alto saxophonist Sam Wilkes is credited as featuring artist. Though he performs on Lighthouse's short version, he is not named as an artist.[13][22]

Charts

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Each episode of Lighthouse uses a different ending theme, except for episode five, which does not feature an ending.[5]
  2. ^ Types of analog synthesizers played by Hoshino: Minimoog (3–4); Casio CZ-1 (4, 6); Roland Jupiter-8 (5); Roland Jupiter-6, Prophet-5 (6). The software synthesizer refers to a Blazio SA-10, a plugin for Ableton Live, and the digital synth is a Yamaha DX7.

References

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  1. ^ Takeshima, Louie (August 26, 2023). Umemiya, Orichika (ed.). 仕事への飽き、家事の分担... 星野源&オードリー若林『LIGHTHOUSE』で明かす40代の呪いと解放 [Boredom Towards Work, Division of Housework... — Gen Hoshino and Audrey's Wakabayashi Reveal the Curses and Liberations of the 40s on Lighthouse]. Quick Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Sakuma, Nobuyuki (September 13, 2023). 佐久間宣行が語る若林正恭と星野源「2人が抱えている苦悩は、日本社会全体の問題です」—『LIGHTHOUSE』インタビュー前編 [Nobuyuki Sakuma Talks Masayasu Wakabayashi and Gen Hoshino: "The Problems They Face Are Problems with the Japanese Society At Large" — Lighthouse Interview, Former]. Tokion (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Ogura, Ryūichi. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  3. ^ a b 星野源、オードリー・若林とのトーク番組『「LIGHTHOUSE」〜悩める2人、6ヶ月の対話〜』のメインテーマ曲"Mad Hope"&各話ED曲を書き下ろし [Gen Hoshino Writes Main Theme "Mad Hope" and Several Ending Themes for Lighthouse, Talk Show with Audrey's Wakabayashi]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). August 9, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  4. ^ Sakuma, Nobuyuki (September 6, 2023). 佐久間宣行、星野源＆オードリー若林は「根っこの部分は誰よりもファイター」 [Nobuyuki Sakuma on Gen Hoshino and Audrey's Wakabayashi: "At Their Cores, They Are Greater Fighters Than Anyone Else"] (Interview) (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  5. ^ Hoshino, Gen; Wakabayashi, Masayasu (August 22, 2023). "Drive and Determination". Lighthouse (talk show). Season 1. Episode 5 (in Japanese). Netflix. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e 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 "Creating from Conversation" and New Writing Style Tackled on Netflix's Lighthouse]. Wired Japan (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Hasegawa, Tomoko. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "Lighthouse — EP by Gen Hoshino". Spotify (Japan). n.d. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Hoshino, Gen (September 8, 2023). 星野源"未開の闇"に舵を切り生まれた新たなサウンド「作っていて楽しかった」 『LIGHTHOUSE』インタビュー (前編) [Gen Hoshino Says It Was "Fun to Make" the New Sound That Heads Towards the Unexplored Darkness — Lighthouse Interview (Former)] (Interview) (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 9, 2025. Cite error: The named reference "Oricon" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b c d Amano, Fumiako (October 14, 2023). 捻くれていて優しい、灯台の光 [The Twisted, Kind Shine of the Lighthouse]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). No. 2023/11. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  10. ^ a b Hoshino, Gen (January 8, 2024). 星野源、曲作りの新たなスタイルが確立された2023年 — サマソニや『LIGHTHOUSE』も振り返る [Gen Hoshino Looks Back on Summer Sonic, Lighthouse, And His New Songwriting Style of 2023]. Real Sound (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Takahashi, Yoshiaki. p. 1. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Tomoyuki, Mori; Ishii, Eriko (September 15, 2023). 星野源、Official髭男dism、BE:FIRST、WANIMA、いきものがかり、PSYCHIC FEVER……注目新譜6作をレビュー [Gen Hoshino, Official Hige Dandism, Be:First, Wanima, Ikimonogakari, Psychic Fever... Six New Releases in Focus]. Real Sound (in Japanese). Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  12. ^ Hoshino, Gen (September 9, 2023). 「自分にとっての灯台は、過去の自分」 星野源が大切にする"くだらない"の楽しみ方 『LIGHTHOUSE』インタビュー(後編) ["My Personal Lighthouse Is My Past", Gen Hoshino Talks Finding Fun in the Dullness — Lighthouse Interview (Latter)] (Interview) (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c "Lighthouse". HoshinoGen.com. n.d. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  14. ^ 星野源「Gen」トラックリスト公開　カミーロ、イ・ヨンジ、コーデーら参加 [Tracklist to Gen Hoshino's Gen Includes Camila, Lee Young-ji, Cordae, and More]. Natalie.mu (in Japanese). April 23, 2025. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  15. ^ 星野源、Netflix『LIGHTHOUSE』に書き下ろした新曲6曲入りのEPを9/8リリース [Gen Hoshino to Release New EP with Six New Songs from Netflix's Lighthouse on September 8]. Rockin'On Japan (in Japanese). September 4, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  16. ^ 星野源 — LIGHTHOUSE (VEATP-41994) [Gen Hoshino — Lighthouse (VEATP-41994)] (in Japanese). Victor Entertainment. n.d. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  17. ^ V『Layover』がDLアルバム首位、星野源の最新EP『LIGHTHOUSE』は初登場2位 [V's Layover Tops Download Albums Chart, Gen Hoshino Opens at Number Two with New EP Lighthouse]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). September 13, 2025. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  18. ^ デジタルアルバム週間50 — 2023年09月18日付 [Weekly Digital Albums Top 50 — September 18, 2023] (in Japanese). Oricon. September 18, 2023. p. 1. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  19. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums — 2023/09/13". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). September 13, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  20. ^ 合算アルバム週間50 — 2023年09月18日付 [Weekly Combined Albums Top 50 — September 18, 2023] (in Japanese). Oricon. September 18, 2023. p. 2. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  21. ^ a b "Billboard Japan Top Download Albums Year-End — 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  22. ^ "Gen". HoshinoGen.com. n.d. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  23. ^ "Gen Hoshino Chart History (Hot Albums)". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). n.d. Retrieved May 8, 2025. Select Hot Albums on the dropdown menu under 週間チャート
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