It's been something that I've wondered about since she mentioned it...
Some time in November/December, Ayu mentioned during rehearsals that she had to make a big decision about her staff, and that she and this person/group of people have separated ways.
Initially, people thought that it was a dancer or a band member that was "fired" or "let go" since it sounded like that, however....
I've come to sort of realize that it might've been Shinichi Hara and RICE MOMOYA that got the axe from Ayu. The very people who designed the Ayu A and have designed her every work since poker face[?] / ASFXX up until Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~ (more on this later.) got axed it seems!
I'm not sure of the details, but after 3 releases without Shinichi Hara or anyone from MOMOYA, I'm fairly certain that they were let go from working with Ayu.
Perhaps it was Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~'s design and such that made Ayu do this?
First bit of evidence: You were... / BALLAD being designed by a group of people from "amanainteractive" ..
Second bit of evidence: TeamAyu vol.34 being done by someone from the group 'superb' instead of MOMOYA.
Third bit of evidence: Rock'n'Roll Circus' "ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN" section lists some Takasomethingsomething from (afourlettername) instead of the usual MOMOYA.
What do you think? It's just a crazy theory but... I guess it depends on whether or not MOMOYA does work after Rock'n'Roll Circus...