Hoshikuma Minami: The Creative Force Uniting Music, Fashion, and Art
- Matheus Hooks/ Editor-In-Chief
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
‘JAPAN’ ‘日本’ COVER EDITION - GLOBAL ISSUE
The JAPAN edition of Hooks Magazine features on its cover an artist who defies boundaries and reinvents the dialogue between sound, style, and digital culture: Hoshikuma Minami.
Her journey began with the vocal dance group Wagamama Rakia, where she captivated audiences not only in Japan but also across China and Taiwan. That international energy laid the foundation for her solo career, where her distinctive voice took center stage—appearing in Fortnite lobby tracks and global rhythm games like Arcaea. For Minami, music and gaming are inseparable worlds that constantly elevate each other.
Beyond her solo path, she embraces chaos and dark humor in DEATHNYANN, her project with daidai of Paledusk, bringing a powerful mix of destruction and playfulness to the stage. Performing internationally, she recalls the intensity of Shanghai audiences, whose unrestrained emotions transformed concerts into immersive, theme-park-like experiences.
Yet Minami’s creativity isn’t confined to sound. Her fashion, rooted in the Japanese concept of yūgen, a subtle, mysterious beauty, pushes boundaries with surreal hairstyles and eccentric styling. For her, clothing is an extension of her vision: immediate, fearless, and timeless.
With authenticity and audacity, Hoshikuma Minami embodies the spirit of a new era where music, fashion, and art converge to form a universal language.
Check out the exclusive interview with the singer:
1. You started out with Wagamama Rakia and now have an established solo career. How was the transition from performing in a group to standing on your own as a solo artist?
As a solo artist, I wanted to dive into a world I had never imagined before. But at the same time, I truly loved my bandmates, so in the beginning it was really scary and lonely to leave them. When I sing a whole song and realize that the only voice I hear is my own, it really sinks in that I chose to express myself as a solo artist.
Now, I can freely create the music I love without bothering anyone else—maybe that’s actually a good thing. laughs.
2. Your voice has been featured in Fortnite songs, bringing the gaming community closer to your work. How do you see this intersection between music and digital culture?
Even before Fortnite, my music often crossed paths with games. For example, one of my songs was chosen for the hardest stage of the global rhythm game Arcaea. I believe good games always come with good music. Sometimes I even feel like, “Is the game good because of the music, or is the music good because of the game?” That’s how inseparable music and games are to me.
3. DEATHNYANN, your project with daidai from Paledusk, has such an intense and unique energy. What draws you most to this darker, more irreverent side of performance?
Creating music for DEATHNYANN is always pure fun. Rather than feeling “difficult,” the word “fun” fits it best. While the project often shows a poisonous and dark side, I think we also carry a strong sense of pop within it.
Daidai is truly an incredible creator. Recently, we’ve been meeting often even outside of music, and whenever we go out to eat, for some reason we’ve only ever had yakiniku together over the past few years. Maybe we’re a little unusual. laughs
Still, the most captivating moments for me are when my voice and his music collide in such an electrifying way.
4. You’ve performed across different countries, from Japan to China and Taiwan. What has been the most memorable experience of sharing your music with international audiences?
One of the biggest things I realized while performing overseas is how differently people express their emotions compared to audiences in Japan. I felt this especially strongly when we performed in Shanghai. When people are having fun, when they’re moved, when their hearts are touched—they just shout out, “Wow!!” It’s such a simple reaction, but it left a big impression on me.
In Japan, people tend to hold back. If no one around them raises their hands, they hesitate to raise theirs. If no one is shouting, they feel awkward about doing it themselves. But in Shanghai, the audience was far more active than what we’re used to in Japan.
It felt almost like they were enjoying a theme park attraction—the way they threw themselves into the moment was so impulsive and full of joy, and I thought it was amazing. That made me want Japanese fans, when they share the same floor with audiences from other countries, to feel free to open their hearts more. (Though maybe that’s just me meddling. laughs)
That’s why I’ve always looked forward to both: overseas fans coming across the sea to Japan, and Japanese fans traveling abroad to join us at our shows.
5. Your style has captured the attention of artists and creatives worldwide. How does fashion play into your artistic identity?
I project my worldview into fashion just as much as I do into music. Through everything I create, I’m always chasing something that’s hard to put into words. In Japanese, there’s a word for it: yūgen—a kind of subtle, mysterious beauty.
That’s why I intentionally choose fashion that feels otherworldly. I might wear an impossible hairstyle or cover myself with an absurd number of stuffed animals. I’m always trying to express that boundary between something that exists in this world and something that doesn’t.
I also think the idea that “at a certain age you should dress quietly” is ridiculous. No matter how old I get, I’ve decided I’ll keep wearing clothes that I intuitively feel are beautiful. That’s the kind of person I want to be—someone who shows that it’s okay to keep choosing what you love at any age.
Music can’t be experienced until you press play, but fashion communicates instantly at first glance. Even if someone isn’t into my music, they might think, “Her fashion is so cool, I want to listen.” That happens all the time. In that sense, I think I’m pretty lucky—because my worldview is just too good.
