and then

Still no word on that new song Ayu mentioned in her last fan message, but her official site is still keeping busy, announcing yet another Sanrio collaboration. This time Panasonic joins the party with a limited edition design of their popular Lumix camera (which Ayu regularly endorses) . The camera features Hello Kitty and Ayu’s logo engraved on the front and a cute, matching camera case. The special collaboration will hit stores in June.

Wedding rumors about Ayu have been a tabloid staple since she entered the spotlight. Although the latest story originated in glorified tabloid Daily Gendai, with major online news syndications like Yahoo! and Livedoor picking it up — and the story itself discussing corporate collaborations more than celebrity affairs — fans are speculating that Gendai just might be on to something this time. If the story proves true, Ayumi Hamasaki and long-time boyfriend Tomoya Nagase may have a big announcement come Autumn.

Tomoya Nagase is a fellow entertainer Ayu allegedly met during her days as a struggling actress. They went public with their relationship in 2004, and have reportedly been together for six years.

Ayu’s second single collection A BEST 2 is out now! Be sure to pick up a copy if you haven’t already; you may want to check out our discography to decide which of the four different versions you want. Additionally, the new DVD Special Digest posted on Both Ayu’s official site and the official A BEST 2 site may help you make up your mind. Check it out at ABEST2.com.

Not surprisingly,the albums A BEST 2 -BLACK- and A BEST 2 -WHITE- made their debut on the Oricon Daily Charts at number one and two, respectively. Oricon Style also posted a special article and video message from Ayu in honor of her latest release.

In addition, Ayu’s latest Panasonic spot, featuring the new song “part of Me” (included on A BEST 2 -BLACK-) has finally been posted on Pansonic’s website (watch the commercial). She looks significantly less creepy in the actual commercial than she does in the accompanying wallpaper.

If that weren’t enough, Ayu’s TV schedule has been updated again for an all out promotional blitz.

Ayu’s official site has updated with the covers and full tracklistings for all versions of her latest album A BEST 2. The complete PV list has been added to the discography, as has the set list for the COUNTDOWN LIVE concert DVD to be included with A BEST 2 -WHITE-. A BEST 2 -BLACK-’s new track has also been named “part of Me”.

A BEST 2 -BLACK- CD+2DVDs and CD-only versions (see tracklisting)

A BEST 2 -WHITE- CD+2DVDs and CD-only versions (see tracklisting)

The new track will be previewed in the latest commercial promoting Panasonic’s Lumix camera. Its accompanying wallpaper has already been added to Panasonic’s official site.

Fresh off of the announcement of “JEWEL”, Panasonic held another press conference featuring Ayu to introduce the latest D-Snap and D-Dock, and the new song featured in its advertisements: “1 LOVE”. Check Panasonic’s official site for previews of both new songs: 1 LOVE Preview and JEWEL preview