Tokyo Lady

"Tokyo Lady"
Single by Iconiq
from the album Light Ahead
ReleasedAugust 11, 2010 (2010-08-11)
Genre
Length5:17
LabelRhythm Zone
Songwriter(s)NaNa Music, Uta
Iconiq singles chronology
"Bye Now!"
(2010) 		"Tokyo Lady"
(2010)

"Tokyo Lady" (stylized as TOKYO LADY) is a song recorded by South Korean singer Iconiq for her first Japanese extended play, Light Ahead. It was released as a promotional single from the EP on August 11, 2010 through Rhythm Zone. The single was originally planned for a July 28 release, however was postponed.[1]

Writing

[edit]

The song is an electro/rock-styled pop song,[2] written by NaNa Music and Uta, the writers of "Crystal Girl" and "LoveShineMagic" from Iconiq's debut album Change Myself. The lyrics of the song continue on with the same themes as Iconiq's Change Myself songs do, speaking of new beginnings, bright futures and references to objects in everyday life.[3] The scene in "Tokyo Lady" is of a woman after a break up of a relationship, who has already begun the process of moving on. As she walks forward, "the world changes." References are made to the song's protagonist going to a social event, as she "paints the town" while wearing pink high heels, and faces her favorite place while throwing hey car key into her bag.[4]

According to the official site's liner notes, the song is about the "dazzling determination of a woman starting to walk forward to her future," in a metropolitan Tokyo setting.[3] To Iconiq, the song represents the Tokyo aspects to her new start as a musician in Japan, and considers it a message song to encourage women.[5]

Promotion

[edit]
Iconiq in the commercial for Shiseido's Maquillage range.

The song was first unveiled at Iconiq's debut live, at Shibuya-AX on May 16, where it was performed and announced as her first single.[6] The song was marketed as a "three tie-up single," with commercials for three companies airing simultaneously: Shiseido's Maquillage cosmetic range, Morinaga's Weider and Jelly sports drink/A-Nation 2010, and Rechochoku.[7][5] These began airing on July 21, 2010.[8] The song was performed at A-Nation in early August, 2010, at which Iconiq had a special booth filled with promotional goods for purchase.[9]

This was the fourth successive time an Iconiq song has been used in commercials for both Shisedo and Recochoku, after "I'm Lovin' You," "Change Myself" and "Bye Now!." The Shiseido commercial, dubbed the Kyakkō no Tsuya-hen (脚光のツヤ篇, Limelight Gloss Version) of the commercial at the Shisedo Maquillage website, featured Iconiq with a longer pixie cut hairstyle, as opposed to her regular "baby short cut" of her debut album. The commercial for Weider and Jelly/A-Nation, however, showed Iconiq with her previous hairstyle.

The single was promoted as a "one coin single," due to its price of 500 yen.[3] It was also marketed for having three differently designed back covers, that featured a different, wider-angled view of Iconiq from the photoshoot for the single's cover.[10] During single promotions, special billboards were placed at several major Tokyo train stations, on which pairs of fishnet stockings were affixed for the general public to take. [11]

Iconiq performed this song as a per of her set at the 2010 A-Nation concerts.[12]

Music video

[edit]
Iconiq in the music video.

The music video was directed by Diane Martel,[13][14] and filmed simultaneously in Los Angeles along with the two other music videos for songs on Light Ahead, "Light Ahead" and "Kiss & Cry."[15] The video depicts Iconiq posing in a range of fashion-oriented outfits, against a background of colorful geometric shapes and pop art inspired designs, often with static shots of Iconiq repeated on the screen in multiple places.

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tokyo Lady"NaNa Music, Uta5:17
2."Tokyo Lady (Instrumental)"NaNa Music, Uta5:16
Total length:10:33

Chart rankings

[edit]
"Tokyo Lady"
A sample from the chorus of "Tokyo Lady."
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Chart Peak
position
Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay[16] 28
Billboard Japan Hot 100[17] 21
Oricon daily singles[18] 15
Oricon weekly singles[19] 19

Reported sales

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Chart Amount
Oricon physical sales[20] 10,000

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format
Japan July 28, 2010 (2010-07-28)[21] Ringtone
August 11, 2010 (2010-08-11)[22][23] CD, rental CD
Taiwan August 13, 2010 (2010-08-13)[24] CD
Hong Kong August 21, 2010 (2010-08-21)[25] CD
Japan September 15, 2010 (2010-09-15)[26][27] PC download, cellphone download

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "[CD] 未定 [ジャケットB] / ICONIQ". Neowing (in Japanese). Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  2. ^ Kanako Hayakawa. ライナーノーツ (in Japanese). Rhythm Zone. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Kanako Hayakawa (2010). "新たな一歩を踏み出せば、世界が変わる". Rhythm Zone. Archived from the original on August 28, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  4. ^ "TOKYO LADY - ICONIQ". Goo Music (in Japanese). Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  5. ^ a b "髪が伸びたICONIQ、資生堂「マキアージュ」新CMに登場". Barks. 2010-07-23. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  6. ^ "ICONIQ初ライヴ、新曲「TOKYO LADY」も披露". Barks. 2010-05-17. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  7. ^ "レコチョク 楽曲検索 ICONIQ TOKYO LADY" (in Japanese). Recochoku. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  8. ^ "本日より新CMスタート" (in Japanese). Rhythm Zone. July 21, 2010. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  9. ^ "「a-nation'10 powered by ウイダーinゼリー」にICONIQブース登場！". Rhythm Zone. 2010. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  10. ^ "1st SINGLE TOKYO LADY". Rhythm Zone. 2010. Archived from the original on August 27, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  11. ^ "ICONIQから"網タイツを剥がす"広告が出現". Barks. August 11, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  12. ^ "ＩＣＯＮＩＱ短髪ええやん！！". Daily Sports. August 23, 2010. Archived from the original on August 24, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  13. ^ Daily Sports (September 10, 2010). "ＩＣＯＮＩＱ最新ミニアルバムＰＶで魅せた". Livedoor. Archived from the original on September 13, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  14. ^ "ＩＣＯＮＩＱのＰＶに世界的スタッフ". Daily Sports. August 23, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  15. ^ "秋も資生堂の顔になるICONIQ、ミニアルバムが発売決定" (in Japanese). MSN Music. August 20, 2010. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  16. ^ "Japan Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay". Billboard Japan. August 23, 2010. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  17. ^ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. August 31, 2010. Archived from the original on August 16, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  18. ^ シングル デイリーランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. August 15, 2010. Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  19. ^ "ＴＯＫＹＯ ＬＡＤＹ - ＩＣＯＮＩＱ ／ オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  20. ^ "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」". Oricon. Retrieved 2010-09-21. (subscription only)
  21. ^ "「TOKYO LADY」配信スタート!!!" (in Japanese). Rhythm Zone. July 28, 2010. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  22. ^ "JBOOK：ＴＯＫＹＯ ＬＡＤＹ：ＩＣＯＮＩＱ：CD" (in Japanese). JBook. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  23. ^ "ＴＯＫＹＯ ＬＡＤＹ/ＩＣＯＮＩＱ レンタルCD" (in Japanese). Tsutaya. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  24. ^ "TOKYO LADY". Avex Taiwan. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
  25. ^ "Tokyo Lady (First Press Limited Edition)(Hong Kong Version)". YesAsia. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  26. ^ "ICONIQ「Light Ahead」" (in Japanese). iTunes. September 15, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  27. ^ "ICONIQ TOKYO LADY" (in Japanese). Recochoku. September 15, 2010. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
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