What do you think are the meaning of Ayu's 3 new PV's?
 

Sparkle
Next Level
Curtain Calls

any thoughts?

I never thought about this...and i don't have a definite opinion about this..
but i can share my feelings about NEXT LEVEL.
When i firs saw the PV I linked the title of the song with the images.
I felt that this neverending road where Ayu is driving on, rappresents her/our life.
We don't know why we keep going on, when and if we could reach our goals or where this road takes to, we have only to drive on and on reaching everyday new levels, that means become more mature, self confident trying to make our best.

mmh..just a few words for Sparkle (even if i love it)...
i think it is a parody of japanese society.
The real Ayu is a cute Idol, polite, not sexy and always pretty simple and childish, a humile submissed figure. During her dream she frees her fantasy and body and explode in a sexy young women.

^ Good points! I agree.

For Curtain call, I think it's just to match the simplicity of the song, and kind of like 'Thank you for letting me continue walking forward!'

Yeah, I'm bad at saying the meanings of stuff. :D

these PVs have either very little meaning or none at all. They were rushed and unpolished, just like most of NEXT LEVEL is. And Ayu´s PVs are not as good as they were before anyway. She needs to fire that director NOW.

Just my opinion, don´t get offended.

YAAA! I agree.

i think Sparkle tells more of a story though... like not ayu, but some idol singer who secretly wants to be exciting? LOL

anyways, think Curtain call is about ayu, staying the same but going through the seasons (rain snow ex), it would explain how the chorus is repeated again later, and she is missing someone

that's why
one shot = ayu staying the same
different weather = moving moving past her
how everything is a set (movie set) = she can't control anything
lyrics repeated = same feelings


i guess? made sense to me LOL

Here is mine:

NEXT LEVEL
I like how another user has said the road she's driving is like endless road of life... but the PV to me is mostly just references to the lyrics. Like the "road", the "sky", the "wind"... and the horses are like traveling at the "same speed" and seeing the "same scenery" as her.

Curtain call
This, to me, is kind of like a watered down version of Dearest. Something like the falling leaves, rain, fireworks are representing seasons; passage of time (possible reference to her 10/11 years in the music industry)... and the guy opening up the umbrella for her for that few seconds was so symbolic to me... it's like she's walking (her career), she has faced many seasons and a lot of time has past. Along the way, there were a lot of people (Nagase, her deceased friend, her 'mama', her dancers, etc) who helped along the way... it's really touching.

Sparkle
Some people say the sexy Ayu is a fantasy of Idol Ayu, but I get to differ. I think it's more like a statement that singers/idols in the past are different from them now.

1) 4:3 screen ration during Idol Ayu; TV screens in those days were all 4:3. When sexy Ayu comes along, the screen changes to 16:9; that's a reference to HDTV which is getting popular, even Pokemon anime is switching to 16:9!

2) Idol Ayu is presented as innocent and adorable. Indeed, the 'clean' image was the right way to go back in those days, but when Red sexy Ayu comes along, it's like Britney in 'Oops! I Did It Again'. This, to me, is like how singers become more "sex-ified" in the 90s with idols like Britney and X-Tina. And then she becomes Purple Ayu, which looks like Lady Gaga, showing an even more pronounced sexual evolution in idols in modern times.

3) Idol Ayu, in her short time in the PV, was at least presented as being 'natural'. At least she performed as a natural human being. In Red/Purple Ayu however, we see scenes where she looks like a robot; we also see Purple Ayu putting on this weird head machine at some points in the PV too. This, to me, is a reference to how modern idols are more and more 'manufactured', and like she's asking 'Where's the Originality?'

I'm really sorry if my thoughts about these PVs differ from anyone else's. But this is what I believe.

^yep...I think thats how the Sparkle one is.
NEXT LEVEL seems to me like she is just riding smoothly on her road...her life...And it's really nice. If anything, it seems too perfect and ideal and beautiful but I guess thats what they want to portray..
Curtain call is just Ayu stripped of all her divaness and just plain down-to-earth Ayu

waterballoon I think your right about Sparkle but its 16:9, Not 16:7

LOL oops! I'm bad at such technical terms... I'll edit my post! :P

OMG! you're totally right, i never linked this sort of Ayu rppresenting Lady GaGa and Britney!! Such a good interpretation :lech

When for the first time I've watched Sparkle I though about phrase from Uatada's song "Maybe there is a Devil somewhere deep Inside me". I think that is what she's tried to tell us. Like I'm not that "simple" and you think that you know me 100%, but you are mistaken. I've got secrets to tell.

Curtain call is very touching PV and song as well. I think if you connect together it would be like: "Everything I do, I do it for you (all fans). No matter in what mood I am, no matter what season it is I'm always singing only for you, from the bottom of my heart..." ^_^

That's a really good explanation; I really didn't think these PVs (or any in general...) had much of a meaning but this makes total sense. Good observation skills~

And I thought she was just trying to be sexy.

The only one I feel has any real meaning is Sparkle...and I agree with waterballoon...except that I don't really think it's supposed to show the differences from then and now...just to show the way it is.

Next Level...is pretty. What waterballoon says makes sense too.

Curtain Call...I don't care about lol So I have no meaning. I think she just wanted to convey the emotion in the song.

Honestly, to me, none of these PVs really have much meaning other than what is already obvious.

feeling sexy in Sparkle

Agree with what most have said about the PVs meaning. Sparkle is definitely a big statement if people look past "omg ayu in red latex". NEXT LEVEL, agree with people about the road and not sure where it can take us but you can still stop and reflect. Curtain Call.. I don't think it has meaning, it just looks cool. It's a well done PV.

These PVs are probably more simple than her previous album-PVs, but I really like them. They're different to what she's done, and this is what the album is all about.

they are all very different and special!!


Sparkle = shows that naughty and sexy side from ayu!! pretty cool I believe

Curtain Call = sad and beautiful! i love it

NEXT LEVEL= simple and pretty!! love all about that one :)

I'M SO AGREEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best ayu's MVs is from RAINBOW, I am..., MY STORY and Miss(understood).
The old golden days!
her new MVs just don't make me feel like "WOW" like I used to be. and her music, too. I just think they are pretty good, pretty, not much.

^
WTH, hen did (miss) undrstood become a part of "golden days"? Remember when it released everyone were so angry saying "she needs to drop swetbox" so I guess in a couple of years everyone will go on yapping about how great her golden era next level was. I think MY STORY was her last album that got a more or less good and positive reception here.

WHat's the point of even complaining when you don't even have written any arguments or pointed out anything articular that you don't like? Of course everone's entitled to an opinion, but it's always more interesting to back up with at least some form of analysis. I don't expect everyone to be highly educated in terms of music and film making, but come on..


THank you so much for writing this, it makes so much sense. Great interpetations.

I agree ith the others who say that NEXT LEVEL Is more about conveying a feeling or the images presented in the song rather than an ctual story. SHe wrote the song on the beaches of Hawaii. BOth the song and the PV really IMO conveys well the feeling of going outside during summer, on vacation fre spirit.

about waterballoon's post, yes it's cool to read, i love it so much, at least it gives me a reason to watch sparkle again.

but I don't really think that the director's idea, all I think is he's just trying to give us something that impressive, memorable and strange. the truth to me is: unsucessful.

I think avex should find another director, who have new ideas which do not need to COST much to impress the audience.

I think, her new MVs are so expensive, and it's a waste since the impression they bring is not worth that money.

turn back to fairyland, or my name's WOMAN, expensive, yes, but so cool!
or Pride, Miss(understood), not so complicated, but cool, too.