'sixxxxxx' covers

[Chibi-Chan]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

If anything Ayu criticized the hypersexualization of women in Because of You and sexy little things... and that's it. Other than that she usually links sexualization with empowerment (my name's WOMEN for example). I don't see any criticism on it on Duty, I just see a girl wearing a skin tight fetish jaguar outfit while giving the viewer a sexy look. What she meant with her work is obviously open for interpretation, what is actually being shown, isn't.

And I do love (miss)understood covers... I don't see anything symbolic about them, but they for sure portrays wonderfully the feeling of embarassment of being missunderstood.

There is way more on the Duty cover than just a sexy Ayu.
She's standing there in a very typical sexy and almost shy position, her whole expression and body language is very cliché when it comes to women's sexualisation in the media. But at the same time she's standig in a cage (and I'm not going to explain the symbolism behind cages here) and breaking free from it. Furthermore she's portrayed as a wild animal who isn't supposed to be caged.
Like I said, there is a big difference between being a sexual object or a sexual subject. Or in other words being sexualised through and for others and one's own sexuality.
That on the Duty cover Ayu's breaking out from the cage says a lot. When women are sexualised through and for others, it has nothing to do with their own sexuality. On the contrary, they are "caged" in an image people expect them to represent when it comes to sexuality because they are not allowed to have an own sexuality. Women are supposed to pleasure men and their sexuality as sexy objects but not being themselves an active sexual being.
The wild animal that is caged, domesticated and almost scared breaking out of the cage by bending apart the bars with its own strange is overall a powerful image, especially when you take sexualization and ones own sexuality into account.

Regarding the Sparkle video I think it's obvious when it comes to the erokawaii/lolita style dress while she's performing and the middle part of the video. She's perfectly revealing the double standards behind the erokawaii/lolita style. Not to forget the lyrics which are about sexuality and encouraging people not to be ashamed.

When it comes to my name's WOMEN I disagree about the "empowerment through sexualization" part. I think she's using her own sexuality in a very aggressive way as empowerment.

I want this Ayu back. Or to be more precisely: I want this Ayu back in videos and on covers. Because on stage she's most of the time VERY ironic and sarcastic when it comes to erokawaii/lolita style (Shake it at Hotel Love Songs tour for example) and also using her own sexuality in an aggressive way (XOXO at Premium Showcase xor example)