Gen Hoshino Singles Box: Gratitude (Japanese pronunciation:[ɕiꜜŋgɯɾɯboꜜkkɯ̥sɯgɯɾatitɕɯꜜːdo]) is a box set by Japanese singer-songwriter and musician Gen Hoshino, released by Speedstar Records on October 21, 2020, to commemorate Hoshino's tenth anniversary as a solo artist. It compiles Hoshino's first eleven numbered singles, from "Kudaranai no Naka ni" (2011) to "Doraemon" (2018). The singles are unaltered from their original releases and include reissues of their first edition extra DVDs. The box features its own extra CD and DVD In Gratitude, comprising miscellaneous songs, audio commentary from Hoshino and director Santa Yamagishi [ja], and unreleased archive footage. Commercially, Gratitude was placed as the 78th best-selling album of 2020 by Oricon and as the 63rd by Billboard Japan. On the weekly charts, it peaked at number four on Oricon and number three on Billboard.
Gen Hoshino Singles Box: Gratitude compiles Hoshino's first eleven numbered singles, released from 2011 to 2018: "Kudaranai no Naka ni" (2011), "Film" (2012), "Yume no Soto e" (2012), "Shiranai" (2012), "Gag" (2013), "Why Don't You Play in Hell?" (2013), the double A-side "Crazy Crazy" / "Sakura no Mori" (2014), "Sun" (2015), "Koi" (2016), "Family Song" (2017), and "Doraemon" (2018). The singles are unaltered from their first editions, featuring the same track listings and DVD video extras. The box is bundled with the CD and DVD In Gratitude. The CD is comprised by miscellaneous songs, including "Halfway" and "Dancing on the Inside" (2020) – both written during and inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic – the theme song "Non Stop" (2016) to the Fuji Television program of the same name, the Suzuki Matsuo film 108: Kaiba Gorō no Fukushū to Bōken (2019) main theme "Yoru no Boat", jingles self-written by Hoshino for his segment on radio program All Night Nippon (2016–), and other unreleased songs and audio. The DVD includes video of Hoshino and director Santa Yamagishi [ja] looking back on highlights from the first edition DVDs, as well as unreleased archive footage.[1][2][3] The set was bundled with a twelve-pack of postcards based on the cover and those of the eleven singles.[4][5]
Hoshino announced the box set on June 23, 2020,[6] and unveiled its track listing and packaging on August 8.[5] A trailer was uploaded to Hoshino's YouTube channel on September 29, previewing the first edition DVDs and In Gratitude.[7]Gen Hoshino Singles Box: Gratitude was released by the Victor Entertainment label Speedstar Records on October 21, 2020,[8] in commemoration of Hoshino's tenth anniversary as a solo artist.[9] In July, Hoshino would also celebrate the anniversary by revisiting the Shibuya Club Quattro – where he had toured for his debut album Baka no Uta (2010) – to perform the online concert Gen Hoshino's 10th Anniversary Concert: Gratitude.[10]
Emi Sugiura of Rockin'On Japan wrote positively of the Gratitude box set, calling it a "must-have" for deeply understanding Hoshino and his musicality, and praised the work of director Yamagishi for providing crucial commentary and creating a "luxurious box with valuable live footage".[9] Commercially, Gratitude sold 44,378 copies in Japan around its week of release, debuting at number four on Oricon's Albums Chart and number three on Billboard Japan's Hot Albums.[11][12] By the end of October, sales had moved to 47,637, making it the eight best-selling album that month according to Oricon.[11] Oricon placed Gratitude as the 78th best-selling album of 2020,[11] whereas Billboard Japan named it at number 63.[13]Gratitude spent nine weeks total on Oricon's weekly chart, which accounted 51,905 total sales.[11] It made four total appearances on Billboard Japan's Hot Albums chart,[12] and performanced identically on their Top Albums Sales ranking.[14]
^"星野源の合算アルバム売上TOP5作品" [Gen Hoshino's Top 5 Combined Albums by Sales] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
