Babymetal

Did You Know?

• Babymetal is credited with creating the kawaii metal genre, which has spread to countries like South Korea with bands such as Pritz.
• In 2016, Babymetal became the highest-charting Japanese band ever in the UK's Official Charts with Metal Resistance.
• Metal Resistance was the first Japanese album to chart in the Billboard Top 40 in over 50 years, reaching No. 39.

History

In 2009, producer Kobametal began planning a metal dance unit that would combine heavy metal with Japanese idol music. Impressed by Suzuka Nakamoto's performance with her earlier group Karen Girl's, he chose her as lead vocalist. The band was formed in 2010 in Tokyo as the heavy music club (sub-unit) of the idol group Sakura Gakuin. The name Babymetal combines baby and heavy metal, with baby referring to the birth of a new music genre. Yui Mizuno and Moa Kikuchi were added to complement Nakamoto's stage presence with their smaller statures, dancing around her like angels. None of the three members knew metal music before joining. Choreography was created by Mikiko. The first live appearance was on November 28, 2010, at Sakura Gakuin Festival 2010. In July 2011, the song Ijime, Dame, Zettai premiered at a Sakura Gakuin concert but was not released commercially until 2013. The first single, Doki Doki Morning, appeared on Sakura Gakuin's debut album in April 2011, and its music video reached over 1 million views by end of 2012. The first CD single, a collaboration with Kiba of Akiba, ranked number three on the Oricon weekly indie chart in March 2012. In summer 2012, the music video for Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!! was released.

Artistry

The band defines its style as kawaii metal, a mix of J-pop idol and heavy metal. Critics have labeled the group as alternative metal, death metal, power metal, nu metal, speed metal, and metalcore. Lorraine Plourde contrasted typical Japanese idol imagery—pastel colors, light-hearted music, smiling faces—with Babymetal's darker yet energetic version of cuteness. Tristan Peterson noted that the band made metal cute without losing its edge. Patrick St. Michel praised the pure, headbang-inducing energy of live performances and described the style as mixing heavy metal and idol pop, with throat-mauling screeches and cuddly choruses. Lyrical themes focus on real-world issues such as body image concerns of girls and women pressured to remain thin, and bullying, while also including less serious subjects like attending a first concert, the concept of an ideal woman, and chocolate.

Public image

Executive producer Kobametal stated the band was formed under the idea of a new type of metal, and that members receive divine messages from the Fox God, though Nakamoto explained the messages were indirect, sent to Kobametal first. Kikuchi joked that the three members did not decide to join, as it was a destiny chosen by the Fox God, whose goal was to spread their music worldwide. Reception has been varied: some critics praised the band as creative and rule-breaking, while others called it a novelty group or silly balancing act. Nakamoto acknowledged claims that the music is not metal, noting that metal purists have their own preferences. The fanbase, called The One, is a mixed demographic of varying age, including metalheads and pop fans who dress as the members. Mizuno emphasized the importance of reaching younger music fans branching into metal via Babymetal. On December 10, 2013, the band released Babymetal Apocalypse, an incomplete binder gradually filled with pages including lore, artwork, and information on member-exclusive events. Purchasing the binder and entering a code online allowed joining the official fanclub Babymetal Apocalypse Web. In December 2014, a video announced the transition to a new fanclub called The One, which started with limited edition releases for Live at Budokan: Red Night & Black Night Apocalypse.

Reception

Yūzō Kayama commented on the song Gimme Chocolate!!, saying it is hard to sing but the pitch is accurate, the rhythm new, the dance innovative, and crisp. Reiko Yukawa stated Babymetal is cute with singing and dancing, possessing charisma like Himiko and glittering that no one can replace. Yoshiki of X Japan liked the fusion of cute girls and metal and expressed hope that X Japan could play with Babymetal. Burrn! editor-in-chief Hirose welcomed the band as completely new entertainment from Japan in the UK regardless of genre. Burrn!'s Naomiyuki Umezawa felt Babymetal stares metal in the face and creates extremely precise sounds. The Daily Dot described the band as a magical, leather-clad, fire-breathing, sonic unicorn. The Guardian called it Japanese pop music created by a Machiavellian genius. The Los Angeles Times said Babymetal is the most divisive thing in heavy music. MetalSucks stated Babymetal is not metal but theater. Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt praised the band as a great influx for metal. Rob Halford of Judas Priest, after performing with Babymetal in July 2016, called them the future of metal. Rob Zombie said the three girls had more energy than 90 percent of the bands he plays with.