Sofia Ashraf’s new song says it’s okay not to do ‘sexy’

Sofia Ashraf’s latest video, I Can’t Do Sexy, that was released on Wednesday, is a hilariously self-deprecating song where she wholeheartedly accepts that she can do a lot of things, but “doing sexy” is not one on that list. In the video produced by Culture Machine and conceptualised and written by Sofia, the rapper uninhibitedly flaunts her ‘unsexiness’ and she owns it. “Growing up I idolised people like Pink and Lauren Hill, who unabashedly celebrated their individuality without succumbing to trends or what was considered accepted or the in-thing so to say. But over time, I realised that we don’t have icons or strong female figures we can look up to, people who encouraged girls to celebrate the way they are. Although we do have trailblazers like Lady Gaga, even she endorses the idea of the need to look ‘sexy’. So, when I penned this song a year ago, I imagined comparing myself with my friends with the perfect figure, eyelashes and someone who looked straight out of a ramp from Paris fashion week. To my pleasant surprise, they all said they wanted to play me and could relate to the ordinariness rather than the oh-so-fancy ‘sexy’ image,” recalls Sofia. 

Although there have been campaigns in the recent past which send out similar messages, what makes Sofia’s video different is the fact that it doesn’t intend to be preachy or anti-sexy. “I’m not trying to send out messages like ‘Everyone’s beautiful’ or ‘You are beautiful the way you are’. It’s okay to not look sexy. It’s okay to not have that perfect pout or have perfect eyelashes in every frame. You can choose not to be sexy. If you’re comfortable in a baggy shirt and shorts, go for it. I just want to let young girls know that it’s okay if others say or think you look funny. No matter who it comes from, laugh at yourself and let it go. It’s perfectly cool to look unsexy and own it,” she says assertively.