Yeah the marketing for this single is so bizarre. You'd think they'd want to use the weight of it being her first single after how many years, and the first after 50, ushering in a new era.

Actually, this is her 51st single, they might not have announced like "the 51st single", but they did say "The first single since "L" was released in September 2010" on the announcement, which pretty much settles it, this is the single after the 50th, which means it's the 51st...

Ah I didn't realize they mentioned it.

Labelling as 51st or not, it will be counted as her 51st single, cause it actually is.
How come people think it won't?

hmm yeah, they can call it Ayumi Hamasaki feat. DJ HELLO KITTY or something :P

HBYA was also a single, with its own cover… I guess they mean the first physical single since L

This isn't like DREAM ON (Urata Naoya feat. Ayumi Hamasaki), this is an Ayu's single, the title of Feel the love doesn't even include "feat.DJ HELLO KITTY".

Ayu will lose the damn record finally, please accept it, lol!

^ now she'll still hold the record until AKB beats her

oh well.

I only hope she'll release another single next year

Yes, this count is for physical singles only, so hbya and Together When...are not included (nor a song is born, but that's another reason)

me too. for PRAY

The streak doesn't need to be sustained anymore, for now she will remain the solo female with most consecutive #1 singles, even if AKB48 can manage, they are still not female solo.
Only if a new solo female artist will rise to fame and will stay for many years, she would be able to reach that.

At least if ayu will keep releasing singles all the avex release date choices discussions will stop and ayu will also be able to release a single whenever and how much she wants. Let's just hope she will use that option and keep releasing singles.

ayu is beyond the proving to be legendary phase already.

you said everything ^^

i just hope ayu wont end up being some sort of DJ like ami suzuki did '-'

I lost count...how many consecutive #1 singles have AKB48 made (and about to be later in December)?

No, because it isn't a regular single release, it's a christmas single therefore it doesn't count as 51st single

Their streak started with RIVER, their 14th single. They're releasing their 34th single this December, it's gonna be their 21st consecutive #1 single!

^But they are a completely different group now so that doesn't count as a strike, right?

It counts, but they are not a solo female act. That's why they aren't really relevant to Ayu loosing her streak. Currently there is no solo female artist who can pull something like that on Oricon.

I love Ayumi. I like AKB48. I wonder why people talk about them. I mean, they are not in the same group (Ayumi for me is a solo female artist while AKB is a female idol group). EVEN when someone or some group (not just AKB) pass Ayu's record, I already satisfied. When she is at the top, she did very well. With her popularity and good sales. She is in her own league. And people remember who is Ayumi Hamasaki. When I asked my friends, do they know who is Ayumi Hamasaki, their answers are 'para para sakura'. When I asked them about other solo artists, they just know Ayu, Utada, some of them remember Namie and Koda Kumi. Isn't it great? Yes, I know her sales drop years by years but it also happen to other solo female artists too. For me, as long she write a new song, it's enough. The song is the 'bridge' that connect us to Ayu, not her records.

About the comparison, why we compare Ayumi and AKB48? Ayumi is a SOLO. AKB48 is a GROUP. It is unfair to compare. It's like we want to compare between meat and water. AKB48 or other idol group can sale well because of the marketing and each members' fans want to buy the single. So of course the sales become like that. If 'Ayumi' also consist of 48 members, with good marketing strategy, it can be like that too. But Ayumi is Ayu. So if we still want to compare, make it between Ayu and any members of AKB48 that do solo single project. Acchan, Tomochin, Yukirin, Mayuyu, and Takamina. Did they sale well too like when they are in the group?

Come back to the single, I can't wait for the cover!!!

Actually, for me Avex finally started to act like a dam normal company. I wouldn't want this super-pumped as her glorious, amazing, legendary 51 single since forever. It'd be pretty pathetic at this point, wouldn't it?
Tbh, she's doing what I wanted all along: stay low, single, some experiment.
I could really cry (from joy).

well said^^