I just miss Kazuyoshi Shimomura doing Ayu's photoshoot right now. Even that Sunrise is bad, this is even worse.

Okay... First she wows us with the 'how beautiful you are' covers, which were AWESOME. And now she releases this...

I hope that she's trolling us, I really hope so! :/

What do 13-years old japanese Ayu fan-girls learn from this? Act like a prostitute, be sexy, be naked and everyone will recognize you as an tough woman? x)

People all over the world fighting for more rights for women and then a person with such an huge influence like Ayu appears in her underwear on an album cover and degrades herself.

Let's just hear what the music is like. Maybe it's completely different from what I see in the covers.

What happened to all the new PV's she confirmed she was shooting in Japan? Are they for a future single? I'm really confused.

Thank youuuuu. "Furry" subculture anyone?


Nicely put!

That's how the regular press will be...for first press, the album and the album DVD are bundled in a 2-disc case, and the CDL DVD is packaged separately. But the regular press packaging will indeed be a 3-disc case a la A BEST 2.

Hold it. So to compare with Duty, you don't think she looks more trashy dressed up in black underwear and leopard print super highg heels - standing in a doggy style position all ready for sex. And that on MIRRORS with freaking rose pentals over it?!

Really, you will have a waaaay harder time defending THIS album to your friends I will promise you that.

I think I am an alien cause I actually like all of this.
Oh, my dear AHS.

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m05syrYSfS1qf3u38.gif

omg yes. and it was just a month ago?! :thud

omg i love you:heart that was totally what i wanted to say <3

this covers are amazing:heart finally she's doing something completely different:heart the only thing i don't like is the "13th album" but that can be photoshopped:laugh

Duty was FAR more trashy since it catered to the typically Japanese "cute sexy" image. She literally looked like a child in that booklet, she attempted to look child-like and innocent.

This is a huge step-up from her latest album-covers(except for FIVE)...actually I think these may be my favorite album covers of hers...no fishlips, no photoshop fails, no plain bad photography...

I'm not bother about her sexiness-trashy look. It's not new for her, so I don't see why people should think she lost her dignity. I mean she's not naked with spread legs and with the A logo on her.. ehm you know it.

Sparkle was trashy and I loved it, but it was cool. These covers are cheap and poorly made. I don't hate them, but I don't love them neither.
I just hope the album will be amazing despise covers. Like (m)u = amazing album with fugly covers.

I just want to make myself believe that today is April 1st. :|

I think the "13th album" might be a sticker or just for official site.

lol. I think that's going too far. :) It's not about how much clothes she has on or not - its about the presentation of it. She has certainly been naked or next to naked on album covers before - Loveappears, Rainbow and I Am. But those were presented pretty classy. She looked sexy and beautiful, but not trashy. Same with Duty for me; always considered it sexy but not quite into the realm of trashy. In some ways, elegant even. For an artist with Ayu's lyrical and musical talent, I don't think she needs to resort to these kind of tactics.

And trust me, I've met Miss Ellin and Choco and they seemed far from boring and having no imagination. ;)

I might have to step away from the forum to let the fact that these might be the real covers sink in.

Anyone want to take bets on whether or not Timmy had something to do with the covers? :grumpy I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED, AT THIS RATE, SEEING AS HOW HE'S BEEN INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING ELSE.

And what about the bar code in the front?

Depends. My friends are American and incredibly used to seeing images like these on album covers... I don't think they would bat an eyelid. I think the entire "Duty" shoot represents darker sexual undertones... forbidden fantasies, if you will.

Ayu isn't blatantly sexy as often (especially for an ALBUM cover), which is why some people are going to be shocked by this. I was only shocked because the entire middle section of the album looks like they're going to be midtempo ballads and the covers seem out of place. But... we'll see.

I LOOOOVE the first cover. CD only is pretty good, too. CD+DVD... Meh, it's ok.

LOOL omg....


CD only cover...
"Women's Weekly".

....
it's so..... half way between a non-party ayu and party queen ayu that it feels like poor job skank ayu........ LOL <<;

Disappointed....not that I was expecting much....<<;

I think this is a clever idea, doing all the covers like it was some kind of gossip magazine~ Fits the name in my opinion, I actually kinda like these ^__^

I love your optimism!

From all of the covers I like the CD ver. the most. That one is not ****ty lol. ~

hmmm kinda feel the same way as you XD~~
it's totally a very different side of her haha.

Reminds me a little bit of the GUILTY photobook, styled like a magazine.

now i don't think ayu has the right to get angry with Mannie for taking that Super Mannie photobook...

Drunk Queen .____.

I'd like to clarify that I actually love how sexual she is in the first cover especially; it's the tackiness I hate. The font and the cheezy "13th album" tag make it look like the kind of crap album cover you'd see from a no budget artist like BENI. I actually think I'll love the CD+48DVD cover once I get over those things because we don't see enough ****ty Ayu. To be honest, it's a refreshing image change. Her songs have been boring as **** lately, so if the covers are any indication of the album's style, I have to say I'm enthralled.

OMG! she looks exactly like a pornstar!@@! i hate these covers!
The cover for POM, on the other hand, is good to me!

I don't really see a comparition here. It's ridicolous to make comparition between female and male photoshoots in erotic style.

Ok. I shall accept that it was meant to be a woman's magazine sort of concept..but yea, the design could have been MUCHHHH better. DESIGN DESIGN DESIGN!!!!

and yes AGREED WITH BONDINGO ABOVE

This also is a generalization that is way to wide and over reaching. Lingerie does not have to equal trashy. Once again, its all in the presentation. Look at an Agent Provacteur catalog - now that is lingerie presented very sexily without coming across as trashy.

yeah, the design could be better. but I don't expect good design from Ayu releases (Love song booklet it's like a 10years old kid made it with "My first Photoshop kit") so this is pretty good.

The first cover looks bad... really bad... :shakehead

But I like the CD cover.

I like them, I wanted a full body shot cover. Had enough of the close up facial shots. And I like ****ty Ayu, I think it fits the album title, lol.

I'm pretty hard to disappoint when it comes to Ayu, thankfully. :D

I ordered CD+DVD but I like the CD+2DVD cover :3

Well, with her lyrical and musical talent, she doesn't need to resort to sex at all. :rolleyes
I don't think this was a tactic to pull in more sales. I think this represents her honest feelings. She wants to let loose.

What is the problem of ayumi?

I quite like the pictures despite them being really old.
But the design works are terrible, the font, the colour and the "13th Album". WTF? It's like so armature.
Jesus...

Uhm.
yes.

I know it's ridiculous and over the top and a little ****ty, but guys, she's 33, and she can still pull that off. And has the balls to do it no less!!

So I say hell yes ayu. Work it grrl. :D

yes [2]

Another thing: why is looking trashy, ****ty or like a pornstar such a negative thing? It's just another way of embracing your sexuality, not accepted by mainstream society but there is no logical reason against being "****ty".

The thing I don't like is the "13th album" thing.

Yep. Applaud her for this photoshoot. She honestly looks damn good. She isnt putting that doll face like in RnRC which many people were complaining about. Photos wise it's really gd. And come on, Ayu has been shooting for WACOAL before. Party Queen is being used as a BRA commercial song.

@pepper : God no you're not the only one who loves them (yeah i was supposed not to see them but **ck this **it~) well i just don't like the cd+dvd version and since this is the version i ordered... *cries* BUT OMG SHE IS SO FIERCE/SEXY/WHATEVER on CD+DVD+DVD and CD only

I dislike the CD+DVD too, It looks pretty cheap and it's an old photo. And I am not a fan of covers with Ayu-close ups. But CD ONLY is also pretty beautiful, reminds me of Kumi BEST albums shoots in the kitchen, and they are my favorite covers from Ku <3

Uuuuh... wow.

and oh my gosh, her body on the Limited Edition :/ Where are her curves? She has like... no body lol I don't like it.

I don't like the other two much, her hair looks awful. LE is my favourite.

Are these covers just massive adverts for Peach John?

Wow!!! I'm impressed!!! and LOVE all the album covers!!! i just wish the mirror on the CD+2DVD one was replaced with something else, something not reflective, which is why she looks a little bit like a pornstar… The other 2 covers are Very stylishly sexy

BUT WHY IS SHE HOLDING A TISSUE IN HER HAND? I don't understand. There's no situation that I can envisage in my head where it would make sense for her to be smiling, and holding a tissue above her head like a lunatic, with a plate of food next to her. :shakehead

Mainly because of this.

Also, Ayu haven't been that tacky ever before. Sexy yes. Not tacky. Not even the Queen of ****tiness (who I love btw) Kuu have ever done such bad covers before. Not EVER.

It's not just the whole Ayu-in-heals-on-a-freaking-mirror-in-doggy-style-position-waiting-to-be-taken... It's the whole composition. The placing of the leopard print, the placing of the text (makes it rather hard to read), the flash in the mirror that makes it look like someone took that picture with a mobile phone... It's the whole damn thing that makes it tack tack tacky.

OMG HAHAHAHAHA I LOVE THESE XDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

CD+2DVD is AWESOMENESS!

Oh.

if she wants to present herself that way they shouldn't have shooped her belly and some other parts. we all know she isn't that slim.

BAD COVER @.@
I always hope a pink hair cover :(

She just came back from the toilet after throwing up and is just cleaning her mouth...?

you guys are making me roll! lol!!!

I just don't get the hate, I could write zylion of examples where Ayu might be considered as something trashy and a "product" (Sparkle, 1 LOVE, tacky suit in Ladies Night, whole BoY video, dancing in the end of Startin'...)

I don't think we're allowed to discuss the reasons here on this forum.

I like the covers but I was willing for something new in London nor a photoshoot made almost a year ago. Also I think those covers are a SEXIER version of MY STORY covers.

We're still getting a closeup on the cover....

...a closeup of her ASS. o____o

I tried to look at the covers on my phone, but the only thing I could see were the first bunch of comments.. I HAD to get on my computer to check them out :P I LOL'ed hard and my jaw literally dropped!! But I don't hate them, I'm just extremely surprised :D

The "I'm mounting a desk" cover will also be the cover of "ayumi hamasaki, A LIFESTYLE". :lech

HAHA. You have a point.

omg don't even mention the masterpiece that was MY STORY in the same sentence as these horrendous covers. :grumpy

Uh, CD+DVD it is :D

I mean, come on, she looks ridiculous in the photoshoots where she's on all-fours. Wanna be Kumi Koda much?

These covers are trashy like Duty's covers/booklet were, only much more blatant. Dreading to see what Party Queen's booklet looks like.

She flaunted her body in a much classier way with the I am... cover/booklet

What a joke ;/

^OH NO YOU DIDN'T JUST COMPARE THIS TO KODA KUMI
Sexy women are Koda Kumi wannabes? So funny

I saw these on fb and thought "ay dios mio que es esto" but then I was like me gusta ayu's ass.
I was expecting cute pink haired ayu holding a glass of champagne and we got this.
I like the first cover is super sexy also I like the limited pom cover is gorgeous.
I don't care for the other covers they so lame.
Hopefully with these covers we'll get awesome sexy party songs.

I like how people are complaining more about the font, the 13th album sticker thing and
the cheetah print. You guys are funny.
Don't compare duty cover to this. They are extremely different.

Now I am expecting some hard rock a** songs and something sexier than Sparkle.
Please.

I didn't saw the covers,but seeing how almost everyone hates them makes me feel sad...
Is there covers for the boxes?

These aren't something Ayu would normally do. I really don't think of Ayu when I think "sexy/****ty". That's not what I listen to Ayu for. However, I do listen to and love artists, like Koda Kumi (who is my personal Lord and Savior) who would do this kinda thing, so I kinda like this hot mess. Its nice to see her do something totally different, I have to admit I'm shocked. But, I don't mind them. Not her best, not her worst. I might like them more when I see them in HQ.

On a side note, these kinda like look like a skanky version of My Story covers.

yep

Can you guys please stop combining words like "trashy" with an album like "Duty"? ;___;°

she showed us cover months ago =)
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k1...img_358412.jpg

I like this and CD only
to pity I'll have CD+DVD+DVD %)

maybe there will be a surprise slipcase/alternate covers like love songs... even though that's highly unlikely...

Seriously? :thud I hoped for a post with substance but you use arguments that do not even APPLY to this...and the rest is pure opinion.
If I write out a long reply now I am pretty sure you will just ignore it since you already used such idiotic arguments that I know you are completely convinced of that crap.

BTW, I fully agree with the video. I watched all 4 of her short speeches on the topic. It just can't be used to show that this cover is good or bad. Actually I'd say it does the opposite.

:dead2 :dead2 :dead2 :dead2 :dead2 :dead2

what the efffffffffffffffffffffffff?! :grumpy

this is kind of ridiculous honestly. AND we already saw the cover image with the shoe. what the heck is going on here?! i thought the album covers were shot in London?

i feel...really cheated right now. :cry

wow,are they nice?:love

THIS!

I like 【CD+DVD】

AND, wtf is up with that stupid "13th album" logo?! its so...cheap looking.

... These covers are so sad.

She looks like a hooker on the first one... And she's drunk on top of that? I really don't see anything (positive) but a hot mess. Luckily the cd+dvd version is just her face lol

I wouldn't hate them so much if her hair wasn't like this. I always found it awfull when women with short hair wear it like this

no, it's box like RnRC with leopard print =)

oh, yeah, I though she meant is there a picture of boxes, sorry. ;d

Photos are old! That's a FAKE QUEEN Xdd

But they're the official covers, which is why everyone is pissed off. If you think you're being trolled, why don't you go check her official site? :rolleyes

why?

ayu, you look too cheap at CD+DVD+DVD cover :thud

well. I think I have to get used to this cover....

she's so Lady Gaga here looool

Perhaps that's what people want pop music to be nowadays, to actually sell? I don't know... ;_______;

omg WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS

if you're saying that this is fake...its not. i checked TA to make sure that it was real since its from such an old photoshoot. they're definitely the real covers. :cry :cry :cry

La cover CD+DVD+CDL+PoM no se la podrías enseñar a tu madre y no estoy exagerando. En esta ocasión es mejor que mires las covers, de verdad.

it'd be better if she was standing at the table

this pose really kills me!!!!!

Is this real or what ??

I'm the only one who likes this covers? XD
btw CDL & POM covers are really awesome!!

Also confirmed here: http://www.avexnet.or.jp/ayu/jp/discography/index.html



:thud :thud :thud :thud :thud :thud :thud :thud :thud

How do the arguments in the video not apply to this? It's all about the sexualization of women in the media and advertising, and if you don't think that's what's going on here, I'd genuinely like to know why.

I think the argument that the design aesthetic (or lack thereof) only serves to cheapen the photos is definitely a legitimate one, so again, I'd like to know why you consider that 'idiotic'. :yconfused

I'm waiting for larger covers though. Maybe they will looking better *optimistic*

I really don't like CD+DVD+DVD >_<
I like the other two though~
I'll probably but the CD Only

I quit.

Well the only one I don't like is the CD+DVD.

I wanna see the CD+2DVD in big already!

I think it's better than love songs & next level~

I like the CD only and CD+DVD but the pose is just bad in the CD+3DVD xD
Overall I wish they were different but I don't hate them.

Can't wait for the bigger covers

VOMITS.