Duty: Shrouded in Mystery

[explodingbird]

Really, I'm not sure if I should post it here on in Enquiries, but I'm currently working on a re-write of an old review I did on Duty. While writing it, some stuff did pop into my head, and I have some questions I'm hoping for answers to, as well as... well, your thoughts in something I've noticed. I'm not sure if it's just me, I'm not sure if it's just her fanbase outside of Japan, I dunno.

Anyway! I'll use an excerpt for you all to get to what the hell I'm talking about:

I still haven't figured out the symbolism myself - Japanese pop music empress Ayumi Hamasaki, spending the entirety of the album art in her Catwoman threads, trapped in a very elegant, stylish, and insanely small dressing room sort of setting behind bars, alternating between looking very bored, thoughtful, and amused. Far be it from me to try and make sense of something that's very visually engaging, since I suck at gleaning hidden meanings from stuff - and since Ayu is someone who apparently has meaning behind every single thing she does, every eyebrow hair she may pluck from her head, every shade she may dye her ever-changing hair, well... yeah, I just have to wonder what in the hell Duty is all about.

In fact, aside from being the highest-selling proper album in her discography (damn near 3 million in Japan), Duty seems to strike me as something that's just... hard to figure out in general. It's not often listed as a fan favorite. It's not often spoken of like every album she's put out since I am... - in fact, even LOVEppears is listed as a fan favorite more often than Duty. And aside from the highly-publicized Trilogy (we'll sort-of cover that in time) of vogue, Far away, and SEASONS, very few songs on here are ranked among her best and most popular - hell, I can really only name SURREAL and SEASONS as the only songs on here most fans give the time of day to, from memory.

So... answers to or theories about what Ayu's leopard-print and imprisonment may symbolize, and thoughts on the status of Duty as the eldest bastard child of Ayu's discography?

I have my theories on Ayu's imprisonment myself, but I'll wait to hear others first, and as for the catsuit... ferocity? Loyalty? Pride? Feminity?

[happytoadstool]

hmmm... i have no idea... i dont really read into her lyrics, so maybe the duty tracks have something in their lyrics to expound on this... but just off of my mind right now, maybe she feels like a pampered zoo animal being watched by everyone, entertaining everyone. isn't this the time of her peak? with seasons selling extremely well, and her topping the video, album and single charts in one week? so there...
and maybe the catsuit was just the sexiest and most feminine zoo animal to depict. It would be hilarious if ayu was dressed as an elephant or a hippo as alternate duty covers :p
but about the album... I really love it. This album is the only one wherein i dont skip a track (i always skip beautiful fighters in secret. and for the others, well there are 2 to 4 tracks i dont like), and surreal is in it, my top track for ayu

[explodingbird]

Hmm, you make a good point about the zoo animal thing. Between the costume, the cage, and the fact that her popularity was skyrocketing at the time, that sounds perfect.

[Sommernacht~]

mmmh... I don't know why I like this album the least. it was the last earlier one I bought (I got into Ayu during A BALLADS era) and I was depressed (once again ) when I used to listen to it. in fact, I haven't listened to it much. it always makes me sad.
about the cover... ummm, I wouldn't see anything dramatic in this, it looks sexy and I think she wanted to changer her image as a "cute, shy, short-haired, young go-over singer" to a "damn good, sexy singer who's got to get respect". I think that she succeeded doing this with Duty. the LOVEppears's styles were a bit ridiculous.

edit: just noticed that "Duty" was the first Ayu song that I listened to (2 minute version)... And it totally shook me, I listened to it over and over. ^^"

[Aga-chan]

Have you read the article on "Duty" by masa? If not, maybe you should do so. I think it could give you some answers. ^^

[midnightispure]

Duty is the album where she pretty much realized that it was "her turn" to be the "next" big thing to her fans and the people of Japan - although she didn't feel like she had confidence in herself - aka "vogue". She thought she'd be extremely popular for a while then just fall away. That's what I always think about when I think of Duty. My favorite album of hers, I think. But, I agree, the Duty article by masa is great.

[ohsixthirty]

Originally Posted by midnightispure

Duty is the album where she pretty much realized that it was "her turn" to be the "next" big thing to her fans and the people of Japan - although she didn't feel like she had confidence in herself - aka "vogue". She thought she'd be extremely popular for a while then just fall away. That's what I always think about when I think of Duty. My favorite album of hers, I think. But, I agree, the Duty article by masa is great.

and thus, perhaps her leopard outfit in a cage thing is basically saying that she's like a show animal and its her turn to perform for her audience? here comes the mysterious ayumi to stage, watch her jump thru flaming hoops!

[Rebirthia]

I never thought about how strange and shoking was Duty cover art.

It is the back-cover of an Ayu fan made album; it was a present. They were the first songs I heard from Ayu. And, it was the first pic I saw of Ayu (not exactly the cover, but a pic form the same phtoshot).

And yes, I remember that it was strange to me, but not quite strange; Ayu's music was something totally new to me so that surprise was "normal" to me.

Years passed and I was told by a friend: "Hey! how can you consider an artist that has released an album with that cover!!? She looks like a ... (...)".

And i thought, yes, in fact, it's quite aggressive to be like that in cover. But I didn't shocked about I am.. cover neither, in which she quite less dressed than in Duty cover.

I think Duty cover means she was trapped by her job and the people and interests that surrounder her. But, if this means this, why the proper avex trax released and accepted to make such a job, if this was against them??

So, as masa says, she felt trapped by a wrong image that poeple had of her. And she decided to make a RADICAL change from LOVEppears style.

note: i have just discovered Ayu has broken the cage in Duty's cover! So she may scape!

[criminal]

Well, this might not be of much help, but in SURREAL, she does sing "In a nonexistant place, I stand as I am,". We can all guess that that dressing room is nonexistant and she is... a cat? A feline in general?

[ayu_ready?]

Duty is my most fav album evr & 4ver and Duty song is the most touching and agonic ballad

I can't really say what does all that stuff mean, I can only suggest...

after looking through the booklet again, I think it leaves a double impression. I guess glamourous place is the Ayumi's life, full of attention, affection of fans - the place she can't be without, can't exist - an important factor ofr living, so, she's a catwoman, who lives in HERE - an image she has in industry - strong & popular woman, but which is not her true self.
but on the other hand she's trapped by her sucess - that's a cage-symbol, which means she has no personal life, because everybody look at her life, see it everyday, she performs for the public and she's dependent on it. so she's not free from rumours and owerwhelming interest.

trapped by herself

that's my teory

[Ayu_Jayson]

Wow, ayu_ready, I think thatz pretty gd theory, tho I hope she finds a way outta this cage.

[Impracticable]

Well, I'm already scared that I have all 700 of my songs on shuffle, and once i started reading this article the song 'Duty' has played 4 times in a row.

I think - With every new album - within the art - she is realeseing clues, and, until the end of her career, when she realeses the last 'clue' we will never know exactly what it all means. We believe that the date '0630'/[06/30] is the day her father walked out on her [Memorial Address Booklet, second page, Greatful Days] but thats basically the extent to our invvestigative processes. I've been tryingg to get albums [i only have memorial address] so i can investigate on the matter, but i havent been able to get them. Ayumi's life is more tham mysterious, almost downright scary. Ayumi is the idol of beauty, fashion, and music nearly worldwide. [she is surprisingly well known for fashion over here where i live ...] but Duty ... I can;t say much. I agree that She is symbolising an animal trapped by her success, but im nearly positive there is a deeper meaning to her childhood and youth hidden within the confines of the album, and all albums, made by herself, Ayumi Hamasaki. You ever notice, There has GOT to be SOME connection between the way she uses the words 'naite' and 'tsuyoku'! I think they may be the most reoccuring words in her songs. Strength and Crying. She never really came off as strong looking on her alvum covers, but to Cry -- that seams plausible. I'm going to continue my research on Ayumi Hamasaki [I've been at the 'research' for nearly 2 years now.] and I'll keep you updated on my opinions/ if you guys care =]

[moombasista]

I don't think there's any mystery to Duty at all

I think it's actually one of ayu's most open and honest albums ever (next to A Song for XX and MY STORY)

At the time, ayu was dealing with "fame issues" after all eyes were on her

She became very famous - very fast, after the first 2 albums and she didn't know what to think

Its like she was saying (with Duty and to herself): "wow I'm famous now. Everyone knows me, my songs, and my lyrics. They know I'm good at this - they expect me to perform but what if I don't want to anymore? It's like I'm trapped in my career but its great - its what I want, isn't it? I'm in a cage but everything around me is fine. I have everything I want right here - attention and pretty things. I do it all for them - I'll be free later"

It's often not listed as a fan favorite because I think most people forget about it. The album only had 3 singles (5 if you count the limited SURREAL and AUDIENCE)

And plus it came out less than a year after LOVEppears so it was like WHOA!

But yeah that's what I think anyway

I don't think the cat suit really means anything other than MEOW I'm supafemme sexy. I think she could've put on a penguin suit and still pull it off

[ayu_ready?]

^sexiness? no way...."Secret" & "MY STORY" is sexoness and "Duty"...well, maybe, I don't know but...
it's smth another...


I think with every new album photoshoot Ayumi posseses a new vision of herself...
for me, "I am..." for exmpl, cover is an image of naturality & strenth

although I agree with moombasista, that Ayumi never shows up like 'strong', except this one exmpl above

what about other covers...well, the most REAL is "A BEST"
you know what the tear actually mean

Originally Posted by Ayu_Jayson

Wow, ayu_ready, I think thatz pretty gd theory, tho I hope she finds a way outta this cage.

of course. she already did. it feels with "Secret" album.

can I have a question?
hey, why are the last 3 albums photoshoots are so glamorous?

[explodingbird]

You mean MY STORY and Secret's photoshoots? While I'm one of the few who doesn't think (miss)understood has ZOMG TEH WORST PHOTOSHOOT EVR, it seems pretty far from glamorous to me.

[ayu_ready?]

^ haha, right
well, anyway, they all have a Lady image...