Ayu not portrayed as most women in the music industry?

[maikaru]

Originally Posted by Crystal_Ageha

To me, Sparkle doesn't count at all. It's a parody of how sexual pop stars have become, lol. So no ****, it's gonna include some crazy sexual pelvic thrusts. XD


About the topic in general, I think every big star will use a sexual image, even if just slightly, at least once in their career. Hell, even Hikaru went for a subtle sexual concept during both of her English album eras (more-so in the last one, of course). So we can't base who sells sex off of whether or not they've ever done something "sexy"; it's whether or not they use it as a main tool.
Somebody like Kumi, for example, uses sex heavily (obviously). Nearly every PV of hers has at least a decent amount of skin showing, and she's often dancing questionably, lol. But somebody like Ayumi? Definitely not. She's used something risque to grab attention a few times, or to do something different, certainly, but for the most part, she's a very classy, mature artist. Plus, she's never needed to use sex to sell, and she's never done anything sexual for the sole purpose of selling because of it. Her most controversial "sexual" thing would probably be the LOVEppears cover.......and that's just the cover.
Also, take all the sexual things she's ever done (LOVEppears cover, 1 LOVE video, different live performances--hell, even include Sparkle in there, if you'd like), and they aren't even half as bad as most of the other things artists do to sell sex.
Combine that with the fact that Ayumi became famous before she ever did anything slightly sexual (well.....unless you count her idol days XD), and I don't think anybody has the right to say she's based off of sex, or even that she's sold because of it.

Yeah, I've always just heard "she's cute and her lyrics are great," from everyone,

Not, "omg she's so sexy, wanna do it now."

[truehappiness]

Can we bring up YUI as another example of a female artist who is pretty "PURE" or whatever? Haha.

[Bigtop]

What's the problem being "sexist"?

[Calico]

I've gotta agree with others who say it's like the Twilight Zone to see people say she's not sexual. And there's nothing wrong with being sexual - it's why you use it and whether or not that artist is comfortable with it that I care about as a consumer.

Ayu is a woman who appears to be very confident in her sexuality, and that in itself is sexy. She could do a Kumi-PV and I'd be totally fine with it, because I'd believe that at this point, knowing about her works and her as a person, it was something she wanted to do for a reason - whether it was because she just wanted to try it or whatever. She's not a woman to get bossed around with her image. She might take advice but she's always been in control of how she is presented.

If I was a pop star, you bet your money I would use at least some sex appeal to sell. I find it liberating for myself and see no problem with other women doing it so long as it meets their personal comfort levels. (Sometimes you can totally tell when an idol or other star is totally not comfortable with a sexy image.)

[truehappiness]

I think Ayu is really quite sensual, but it's not done in a sell-out kind of way, you know?

It's not in the sense that "sex sells" but more... "this is how being a woman is like" or something, I think.

[Crystal_Ageha]

^* The last two posts hit upon the right thing.
Ayu is sexual sometimes, yes, but it's not in a way that's in your face, and it's not a sell-out. It's because she's confident in who she is. She's confident in herself as a woman, and also in her sexuality. She's confident in who she is as a person in general. It's just her being herself, not her trying to go ****ty or trying to become a sex tool or sex symbol or anything like that. And that's why I don't think she should fit in with the average pop star who uses sex. Because the few times she does do it, it's not in the same way or for the same reasons.

[Cherry Dynamite]

I always thought that every career is image based, Especially more so for Ayu.
So yeah I disagree with that statement, Every act we have and had are image based. You won't buy anything from a &^&(()&%@ but maybe you will but that's a part of their marketing strategies.

[truehappiness]

Every act we had and had are image based. You won't buy anything from a &^&(()&%@ but maybe you will but that's a part of their marketing strategies.

-cough Ke$ha cough-

Haha. That image-marketing is just.. I dunno.

[Andali]

Originally Posted by Raiu-Ayu

I do think that ayu is one of the industry's great exceptions. She isn't based on any image or gimmick, she just writes and sings her own songs. Its rare to find an artist (even a man these days) who can just get by on that.

agreed

[Crims0n]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I think Ayu is really quite sensual, but it's not done in a sell-out kind of way, you know?

It's not in the sense that "sex sells" but more... "this is how being a woman is like" or something, I think.

Originally that's what I meant, the whole woman image. As a lifeless sexual object with fragmented body parts. That is definitely not Ayu. You realize right away that there's a head on those shoulders. She's not randomly posing sexually on beds or in showers.

Like this:



The "dreamworld" is the fantasy world of music videos.

[RyRyMini]

Her posing in Sparkle was clearly sexual, same with Lady Dynamite.

But these are recent works, and she hasn't always done that kind of stuff.

[primavera♥]

^ i find lady dynamite not so much sexual .especially not on a sparkle level.


but on the topic, i think Crystal and Calico are right. and i dont think ayu will ever be a lot more popular if she developed this overly sexual image.