Tokiyo
Written at the start of 2015, Hoshino drew influence from Yellow Magic Orchestra's "Mad Pierrot" (1978) and utilized kigo in the lyrics to represent the four seasons.
[2] Seven days after the release of Yellow Dancer by Speedstar Records on December 2, 2015,[3] it was announced that "Tokiyo" would appear in a commercial for the distance learning program U-CAN [ja] starting January 9, 2016, with Hoshino to also star in-person.
He constructed the lyrics simultaneously with his acting role as an obstetrician on the television drama Dr. Storks (2015–17), which he thought was an unconscious influence; for example in the second verse with the word aka-chan (lit.
[5][10] Musically, "Tokiyo" is an upbeat,[11][12] pop song centered on the electric sound of Ishibashi's synthesizer, backed by Okamura's prevalent string arrangement and Hoshino's fast-paced vocals.
[3][10] Takanori Kuroda for Cinra described the synth as oriental and reminiscent to the electronic music of early-era Yellow Magic Orchestra,[10] and CDJournal reviewers found the track's melody Japanese-like.
[13] The lyrics to "Tokiyo" are forward-facing with a message of time passing without meaning, matched by the song's fast melody, according to analysis from reviewers at CDJournal.
contrasted to earlier lyrics such as "Ugoki dase, hari o mawase" / "Tsugi no kimi ni tsungare" ("Move and rotate the hands of the clock" / "So that it will lead to your next self").
[14] A short review of Yellow Dancer by Hirama of Tower Records praised the melody on "Tokiyo" as catchy, and highlighted its track order with "Week End" and "Sun".
magazine felt that "Tokiyo", the acoustic "Kuchizuke", and the instrumental "Nerd Strut" – featuring a bass guitar performance from Yellow Magic Orchestra's Haruomi Hosono[16] – formed a "distinct point" in the album.
[17] A review of the song by the staff of CDJournal described "Tokiyo" as a good-feeling pop tune with a memorable Japanese-style melody, featuring a warm tone provided by the string section.
[22][23][24] According to an official location guide published by Sagami Railway, the music video was filmed at Shōnandai Station in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan.
Rockin'On Japan's Tomohiro Ogawa listed it amongst Hoshino's top ten music videos, calling it "catchy" and encaptulating of the song's poppy style with camera movements that match its feeling of rush.
[22] Ogawa felt it was "typical [of] Hoshino" to include a bit of grotesqueness, noting the dimly lit subway and masked female dancer.
[22] Hirama of Tower Records Japan praised the video within his review of Yellow Dancer, writing that it would put listeners' hearts into movement.
[29] A report of the Osaka-jō Hall performance by Natalie.mu staff opined that "Tokiyo" and "Week End" created a happy atmosphere before Hoshino departed the stage in preparation for the encore.
Setlists opened with Martin Denny's "Firecracker" (1959), the song which inspired Yellow Magic Orchestra's Hosono to form the band and subsequently write "Mad Pierrot" on their eponymous debut album.
