The advert, as well as two posters that featured Kendall Jenner for the same brand, received complaints that the imagery was “offensive and irresponsible, because they objectified women; and” was “inappropriate for display in an untargeted medium.”  Whilst the ASA concluded that the posters featuring Kendall Jenner were found to be within regulatory standards since she is covered to a degree that the ASA considers “no more than mildly sexual”, the ASA deemed the poster featuring FKA Twigs to be “overtly sexual and… not suitable for display in an untargeted medium.”

The key contention held by the ASA is that Barnett’s poster relies upon nudity to draw the viewer’s attention instead of the advertised clothing. In this regard, the ASA ruled that the poster “used nudity and centred on FKA Twig’s physical features rather than the clothing, to the extent that it presented her as a stereotypical sexual object”.

Despite a response from Calvin Klein that argued that the “Images were not vulgar and were of two confident and empowered women who had chosen to identify with the Calvin Klein brand”, the ASA ruled that the advertisement “must not appear again in the form complained of”.

In response to the ASA, FKA Twigs took to Instagram to say: “I do not see the ‘stereotypical sexual object’ that they have labelled me.” She added “in light of reviewing other campaigns past and current of this nature, I can’t help but feel there are some double standards here.” What makes this ruling especially contentious, to many online, is the use of male models in equally suggestive marketing, receiving no criticism.

Although the ASA may have a technical case for pulling the FKA Twigs poster, it is hard to ignore that the singer openly endorses the poster and feels that she was able to “express myself exactly how I wanted to”. FKA Twigs cited women of colour like “Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt and Grace Jones” who pushed boundaries in art and performance as inspiration for her work. Within this context, FKA Twigs’ feature has been deemed by many online to be entirely uncontroversial, with American indie-rock artists Mattiel commenting: “I see discipline in this photo. Many many years of discipline and thoughtful caretaking of the self.” 

This news comes as a lovely surprise to Lily Allen fans, who have not heard new music from the Smile hitmaker in years. This next project will be Allen’s latest record since No Shame, her fourth studio album which was released back in June of 2018. No Shame contains hit songs such as Apples, Higher, and Pushing Up Daisies, and went on to get nominated for Mercury Prize. 

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All dressed up and absolutely nowhere to go.@ellenvonunwerth for @theststyle OUT NOW

A post shared by Queen of MySpace (@lilyallen) on Oct 24, 2020 at 4:49pm PDT

In an interview with The Times, Allen spoke out on her next record, specifically about how she plans to release it. Allen relayed that she plans to share her next piece of work individually, instead of releasing it through large and established record labels. 

When it comes to managing her music, Allen maintained that “I’d never sign a record deal with a major label again. I don’t want to work within that corporate structure.” Allen also expressed her disinterest in using social media to promote her music, stating that “I don’t want somebody telling me I have to be talking into my camera phone all day, for ‘engagement’.”

Allen also revealed that she has been working on not one, but three musicals. Unfortunately, details surrounding these upcoming works remain tightly under wraps, and fans can only hope that Allen will shed some light on the upcoming projects in the near future.

Recently, Allen collaborated with German company Womanizer for #IMasturbate, a campaign that focuses on female empowerment and sex-positivity. In an official press release, Allen said of the campaign: “We want to challenge existing assumptions and myths with the #IMasturbate and invite people to reflect on their own, often negative attitudes towards this topic”.

 

 

 

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I’m really excited to reveal something I’ve been working on with one of my favourite brands @womanizerglobal… My very own sex toy! The Liberty is available everywhere now. Womanizer changed my life, and I wanted to share my experience. Women shouldn’t be ashamed of their sexuality, and we all deserve to own our pleasure. Hopefully this little toy will help you do that! #IMasturbate #LilyAllenxWomanizer. Get yours now via the link in my bio A post shared by Queen of MySpace (@lilyallen) on Oct 22, 2020 at 1:00am PDT

Allen continued, adding that “The only way to make taboo subjects no longer taboo is to speak about them openly, frequently and without shame or guilt.” More information surrounding the campaign can be found here.

Born in London in 1985, Lily Allen is a singer, songwriter, and author. After gaining a serious buzz on MySpace, Allen burst onto the scene in 2006 with her debut album, Alright, Still. The striking Alright Still contains the hit songs Littlest Things, Knock Em Out, and Smile, and cemented Allen in the British music scene,  where the star has rightly remained ever since.