I just saw this post after all this time. I definitely think so, too. I've wondered if she is remarried and keeping it very private from the public eye. I suppose after how her personal life kind of "exploded" from all the gossip and "scandal" she seems to be much more cautious about sharing intimate details about her life...


...which at this point, I definitely couldn't blame her.

Kazuya Shimomura (photographer that shoot A BEST II, Ohia no Ki, Dreamed a Dream, etc) posted a closeup of A BEST II cover and mentioned another collab with Ayu. I wonder if it's the A BALLADS cover!

ah shit I hope it'll be good this time. Shimoko's work has been really hit and miss with me. I like some of his shoots, but he's also managed to make otherwise-glamorous things look cheap to me (this is more evident in the PVs he directed).

I’m sure it is the cover. Really hope for some creativity. Will not tolerate another beauty shoot with pinkish colors. Please be consistent with the original A ballads aesthetics, but I don’t want 2 Ayus kissing this time, I want a threesome.

^lmao

I’m not expecting anything creative because it’s been literally years since we’ve gotten anything that’s not a blank background + glamor shot lol

I’d love something different, but I’m not holding my breath

I loved the non-TA ver. Made in Japan covers, before those I guess Secret? 😚
Hopefully this ends up being more than a beauty shot...

Shimokoo..��
Im not expecting its going to be great..

AYU IS RECORDING (?) OMG

(Instagram stories)

So she was at the recording studio (Instagram stories) maybe recording the vocals for "Pray for you" or could it be something new? I'm getting excited!

^Maybe that as well but she was also inside the recording booth (or whatever that thing is called lol) so she was definitely recording something!

I wrote my comment before I saw story, so deleted it. She's definitely recording something

Is this video effect placed to hide how pregnant ayu now?

^probably. Which makes me think the covers will be a close up of her face...

I’d assume Pray for you was already recorded since she was going to sing it last year, but you never know.

。。。。。That makes so much sense now.... oh well

New songs? Re recording for A BALLADS? 2021 version of some old song?? Can't wait!!!

I wish she would go wild and go full pregnant on the jacket like hitomi did on her LOVE LIFE 2

now THAT would be a blast.

Media would GRILL her for "seeking attention"

^Agree lol but let's be real if she wanted to do something like that it would've been during her first pregnancy, even if it was just for a magazine or something but she's been so secrety with both pregnancies that in my opinion there's zero chance of that happening :laugh

You know, if A BALLADS can be ayu#1 kissing ayu#2, maybe A BALLADS 2 can be ayu# giving birth to ayu#2 :mischief