Tomoko Kawase’s Y2K alter ego returned to the spotlight on November 8th with Tommy february6: The Screening, held at Japan Society in New York City. The sold-out event was a rare stateside celebration of the artist’s dual personas, Tommy february6 and Tommy heavenly6, two decades after their debut.
The event drew an audience that showed how Tommy’s Y2K-era aesthetic has found new life among Gen Z fans. When Peter Tatara, Director of Film at Japan Society, asked “Who wasn’t yet born in 2001?”—the year Tommy february6’s first single ‘EVERYDAY AT THE BUS STOP’ was released—more than 80 percent of the audience raised their hands.
The screening followed Sony Music’s May 2025 reissue of the first albums by Tommy february6, Tommy heavenly6, and the brilliant green, which appeared on vinyl for the first time coinciding with renewed international interest in Kawase’s work.
The screening featured concert footage from J-WAVE LIVE 2000+1, SPACE SHOWER TV LIVE #5, and PREMIUM ACOUSTIC LIVE, shifting between Tommy february6’s 80s-style synth-pop and the heavier, rock-driven sound of Tommy heavenly6. Standout moments included ‘★CANDY POP IN LOVE★’, ‘Hey my friend’, and ‘Pray’, the first opening theme for the hit anime Gintama, which began airing in April 2006.
In contrast to the nostalgia-heavy tone often attached to Y2K revivals, the event revealed how Tommy’s work has taken on new meaning for a younger generation. Her re-emergence follows a surge of online attention: Doja Cat shared the ‘Wait till I can dream’ video on X in 2024, while Charli XCX had previously cited Tommy february6 as one of the Japanese artists who inspired her interest in Japan during a 2014 interview ahead of her first performance in the country. Meanwhile, ‘Lonely in Gorgeous’ has since amassed over 1.6 billion TikTok views through fashion and makeup videos.
The screening closed with an acoustic segment from Kawase’s band the brilliant green, harking back to her earlier work before the rise of her alter egos. As the final message “NYC Thank U – Tommy” appeared on screen, attendees left handwritten notes in the lobby, rounding out the night with a renewed appreciation for her early-2000s pop legacy.
Following the sold-out New York screening, a second event will be held at Sony Studios’ Cary Grant Theatre in Los Angeles on November 15th, which has also sold out.
Tommy february6
Tommy february6
Release Date: 06/02/2002
Label: Sony Music Japan
Stream: Spotify | Apple Music
CD: CDJapan
Tommy heavenly6
Tommy heavenly6
Release Date: 24/08/2005
Label: Sony Music Japan
Stream: Spotify | Apple Music
CD: CDJapan
the brilliant green
the brilliant green
Release Date: 19/09/1998
Label: Sony Music Japan
Stream: Spotify | Apple Music
CD: CDJapan
Vinyl: CDJapan
