Yup, I agree with US being a country looked up a lot to by the Japanese. I suppose one of the only flags that are a fashion statement is the US flag! It's quite international. Judging by the way Japanese like English so much (even having Katakana to make out English words), it's no wonder Ayu herself likes them too.
I think Ayu's like most of us too. We don't understand what Ayu is singing but it's just nice. I have got no opinions on Ayu's choices, I mean afterall, it's her choice and style. Definitely, she would like J-pop as well, music from her counterparts but maybe it's not her "hype" at the moment.
Perhaps her music might be more inclined towards songs by those artistes, who knows (and I do like them too, haha, they sound great). I think everyone shouldn't settle for this list that Ayu likes, it changes over time. Kkz ...