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Natasha Khan, better known as Bat For Lashes has spoken of her confusion at the interest in her 'unsexy' naked album cover on new record The Haunted Man in an industry packed full of sexualised images of women.
The star is seen nude on the front cover of The Haunted Man, which is released next week, with a naked man draped over her shoulders - tastefully hiding his modesty with his own limbs. Khan reveals that her album artwork was a deliberate attempt to subvert the music world's obsession with female sexuality.
"A sexualized female body has become a banality that doesn't even cause a blip," she tells Spinner. "But a completely natural, make-up free woman literally supporting a man leads to endless speculation."
"I think I chose a specifically unsexy pose. There's lots of shots, I could've chosen one where I looked more curvy but I didn't want to do that. I think it freaks men out because I'm carrying a man, which is kind of a crazy thing, it's like 'Ooh, I don't know if that's sexy.'"
Bat For Lashes 'controversial' album cover
Khan adds that her choice to expose herself fully - including leaving her face free from make-up was inspired by her musical icons, Patti Smith and PJ arvey.
"I think it freaks people out because I've got no makeup on, there's no retouching," she adds. "It's super-raw and wild and black and white. But that's what Patti Smith did, that's what PJ Harvey did, that's what all the coolest people have done, from my icons anyway."
Khan also reveals her love for Beyonce - but her surprise at seeing the US superstar highly sexualised in her music videos, adding: I love Beyonce, but I saw a video of her and she's just in white lingerie and nothing else. It's really sexual and really suggestive and there's loads of front covers where it's photoshopped, glossy skin, lip gloss, boobs out, really sexual poses. And I'm so surprised that people think this is controversial."
Watch Bat For Lashes' new single 'All Your Gold' below
Bat For Lashes' The Haunted Man is out next week.
Below: Bat For Lashes, Rihanna and more naked album artwork
