^I think you're right. Sadly. avex didn't even bother to cancel ayus tour when she had ear problems and an injured leg...
ayu felt like a product during the time of "A BEST". And she had negative feelings concerning it and so the covers for "A BEST", the CMs and most of her PVs from the "I am..." era are her silent protest against it. (Against being manufactured and the like.) ayu couldn't have said directly that she didn't want to release it before the actual release. (masa wrote in his article that ayu said so after the release.)