Great first reaction and very good, honest opinions and thoughts - welcome to the BABYMETAL Foxhole. They are very confusing when you first come across them - because they are like nothing you will have seen or heard before, they are both original and unique ... and you are not wrong, they are almost as much about the theatre as the music in that they perform every song, they don't just sing them. You asked would they have chosen to do this. At first they really had no idea about metal, but they loved to sing and to dance, so yes and no ... but they have been asked many times since then if they wanted to continue or stop ... and they are still going strong and touring the world for the rest of this year. They were not auditioned to fill spots in something with a formula and precedent with an identified audience guaranteed success. They started in 2010 as one of several sub-units of a school themed J-Pop Idol group called Sakura Gakuin which was set up by the Amuse talent agency as a way to coach and train about a dozen of the most talented girls on their books in all aspects of entertainment (singing, dancing, acting, modelling, writing, stage management, TV presenting etc) with a view to their choosing how they would like to continue their career when they were at school leaving age (15 in Japan). BABYMETAL was the pet project of one metalhead producer who was inspired to experiment with this fusion of Metal with JPop aesthetics after seeing Su-metal singing with her previous JPop trio and being very impressed with her no holds barred singing style and stage presence - she was only 10 or 11 at that time. He pictured her fronting a metal band and got his chance to work with her when her previous group ended and she joined Sakura Gakuin, so BABYMETAL was formed around the girls and their talents. In 2013 Su would be 15 and would graduate from Sakura Gakuin (having the school theme it was for girls aged 10 to 15), but it was decided that BABYMETAL should be her vehicle as she furthered her career as a vocalist and should separate from the Idol group to go with her as an independent band in their own right. The girls were asked if they wanted to continue with BABYMETAL and if their parents agreed - one of the parents told her daughter that if her school grades fell she would no longer be in BABYMETAL. Between them the girls had agreed to work hard and to continue at least until their 10th anniversary. That happened in 2020 and in 2021 they went on a hiatus and took a break from BABYMETAL to consider their future. Before that happened one of the younger girls, Yuimetal, was injured or taken ill and missed big shows in December 2017 and was absent for the US tour of 2018. In October 2018 she announced that she was still not fully recovered and had decided to leave the band. Su-metal and Moametal were again given the option to end BABYMETAL at that time - they chose to continue as a duo through to the 10th anniversary, as all 3 had decided they would do. During their hiatus they again considered their future - Su and Moa chose to continue with BABYMETAL and they returned from their hiatus with concerts in January and a new album in March - and in April they revealed a new third member, Momometal. They have about 60 songs now, each one different to the last, they have songs in virtually every metal genre but will also mix and blend so many other styles and genres with the metal. Some songs are good hard metal, some lean towards their pop roots and they do everything in between. They don't copy anybody or follow the same format as nearly every other band (for a start they have brought choreographed dance to metal - but not dance as you may know it from pop acts). 'Karate' was the lead single for the second album, as such it is possibly one of their more 'radio friendly' songs. I hope you will explore more - expect the unexpected and prepare to be surprised - they are one of the very best live acts on the planet right now and are supported by some of the very best musicians. This comment is far too long already so I will leave it there and leave others to recommend more great songs and performances from them.
Welcome & Thanks from Japan 有難う💛。 BABYMETAL is the best phenomenon in music I have ever experienced in my 67-year-long life. (Befroe BM, I was a stubborn jazz / funk lover 😄 ) We say "Japan is the country obsessed by Rock Music". The history is very long and the obsession started in 1966 when Beatles visited Japan and held 5 concerts at Budokan. Speaking of hard rock / heavy metal music, a number of bands started to come to Japan since as early as 1970s : Led Zeppelin / Grand Funk Railroad (1971), Deep Purple (1972), Queen (1975), Kiss (1977), Cheap Trick / Van Halen / Scorpions (1978), Judas Priest (1978/79) and so on. Now, any type of rock can be enjoyed here, especially by many all-female or women-fronted bands. They are daughters of American / European rock, for sure. (Many are grand-daughters in terms of age.) Uh-oh, we also say "Japan is the country obsessed by Jazz". It had started earlier than rock 😄
I think BABYMETAL is the most entertaining band I have ever come across. And I also think that your main problem with them is that you don't free your mind. You are not that far off with your assumption that the music has been written for them. Others have already told the story. The only thing I want to say in that regard is that this certainly doesn't mean that the girls are not in it with their heart and soul. But the question is: Does it matter? If the songs are good, the vocals are good, the instrumentation is good, the shows are good, why should you get thrown off by that little piece of knowledge sitting somewhere in the back of your head?
I have always believed that a band should be formed by one's own personal musical aspirations, and when I discovered BABYMETAL, I realized that I had been holding myself back. There is no other band that I feel such an emotional connection to as I do with Babymetal. The deeper you get into the band, the more miraculous you feel.
Same with me, big company + three kids who don't know the genre at all + producer with the idea and put it together = sounds too corpo for me to consider, but context is important so: organic enough for me. AND ... I can see they love the music they have done for the past 10 years.
@@Tabadi Yes, definitely. I can well understand the feelings of those who don't approve of Babymetal because they are a made-up band. But I want those people to listen to BABYMETAL with an open mind, even if just a little.
I am a 59 year old metal musician from Miami and this has been my favorite band for 6 years now. You will have to learn more to understand it. It is so different than everything else that your having culture shock. BABYMETAL is a natural 20 for me... Kitsune dao!
I am a 75 year old geyser and fell in live with this group.... so much that I flew from DC to Japan to see their January live, and am going to Spain in December to see their 2023 tour finale. In most of their songs, lyrics are very important. None of their songs are negative. Their core message is always positive. even when shit happens in life they NEVER blame others, but concentrate of what they can do to make things better. Welcome to the FOXHOLE!
Welcome to the Foxhole and BabyMetal journey 🦊🤘 You started with a great song for first time watching but i prefer always in these type of classic and early BM era songs to recommend 2016 version when the group were much more younger and with the original trio, is cool thou and you can see that later, but what is not cool is you fall in the same mistakes and prejudices many others who critics BM do. Let's dive in with a basic info first. BabyMetal is a Japanese metal dance unit created in 2010 under another Jpop/Jrock group called Sakura Gakuin, they had 11 and 12 years old when started this and become independent after 2013, they created their own genre called kawaii-metal mixing Jpop with metal sound and different subgenres along with many more rhythms. Their name is a reference to a new genre and not related to their ages or "baby" faces, is a pun intended play words with "heavy-metal" which sounds similar to "baby-metal". They are: *SuMetal* lead vocalist, now 25. *MoaMetal* scream and dance, now 23. *YuiMetal* scream and dance, former member since 2018. *MomoMetal* scream and dance, she's 20 and is the new official member since April 1st recently. None of them are related. After 2018 you'll see backup dancers performing along with them but none of them are official members, they don't sing, only dance, but that status change recently like i said. "Karate" is one of their stronger weapons along with "Road Of Resistance". Is an uplifting song about keep fighting besides the obstacles, the official MV is another good looking video to watch and reflect that meaning. Some fans find anime vibes on BabyMetal songs, the only other song I could find with anime vibes besides this one and "Divine Attack - Shingeki" from newest album, is "Syncopation" another banger. Budokan 2021 marks their 10 years anniversary celebration and seal the Metal Resistance chapter along with another seal for the group, luckily for us that seal is already broken since like i said they return with a new album and a World Tour, including UK, Europe, Asia, Australia and the US , they already finished the Sabaton's Europe Tour started last month and everyone were having a blast. They fought against many enemies on this road and many more battles, but they manage to get through all of it, and this song is one of those strong weapons they had, to fight and conquer every metal heart that don't believe in them, along with Road Of Resistance which is highly recommended. Budokan Arena is just a name for general martial arts place, there are other Budokan throughout Japan but this one in Tokyo is the most important and is big, this is the place any artist wants to reach when you're over the top, and they did it already in 2014 when they were even younger and having many struggles so they needed a revenge to pull away those ghosts from the past. Sadly this 2021 live concerts is a half capacity due to covid restrictions and safety measures and crowd wasn't allowed to mosh'sh, crowd surfing or shout without face mask (the crowd sound you hear is pre recorded from the speakers), instead they can stomp their feet, clap their hands or doing a human wave, at least they can do something to participate in this epic and memorable date event. You also heard the Kami Band playing here, they are a magnificent set of elite musicians who were send to help with the metal sound according to the lore (yep they got a lore), they rotate so probably you won't see some of them in all live concerts (especially the guitarrists). In this live concerts the members are: ISAO and Takayoshi Ohmura, god of guitars; BOH, god of bass; and Hideki Aoyama, god of drums. And all of them killing it for sure. Since YuiMetal left the group in 2018 you won't see her after that during live performance, instead you'll see backup dancers, none of them are official members nor sing or have mic, they only dance. Momoko Okazaki was the _avenger_ or third backup dancer filling the third spot in all these 10 live concerts. Recently, since April 1st, she becomes one of the official new member of this group and new era. If you enjoy and like this song then another nice recommendation for your own time and witness a different and unique version is Karate live at Download Festival 2016, is even more epic with the rain and the crowd singing along with them, trust me. Some others recommendations for next reactions: - _Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!_ live at this same live performance Legend 1997 in Makuhari Messe Japan when SuMetal is celebrating her birthday becoming a metal goddess queen and leaving her idol jpop form (you can find one at Gans Tomas channel under "Head Bangya" title). One of the very few songs i like to recommend for first time watching an official MV is "Megitsune" because of the Japanese visual elements unlike some live versions which contains certain parts I don't like the spoilers, such the intro. But of course live is a blast like the rest of their songs. The whole concept and group were formed around the lead singer Suzuka Nakamoto (aka SuMetal) when being 11 and she was already in front of a massive crowd with her previous Jpop group, the creator of BM, which was a producer under the same talent agency, saw this and thought about her for his new project but there was no audition, same for the girls who were selected from this main group (Sakura Gakuin) to give them a role besides the lead singer and provides not only backing vocals and dance but also cheering the crowd when performing live. The story is long so i suggest you to check it out "A BabyMetal Guide" by CrypticMisery channel for more info. In summary no one knew this could be a massive hit not only in Japan but also around the world and they started humble with low budget and doing promotional singing in shopping, TV commercial and little venues, they eventually blew up with their unique sound, blend and stage show. Another mistake is trying to pigeonholed BM, they used metal elements in 90% of their songs but they're doing what metal bands weren't throughout these years, giving a breath of fresh air and rocking out the stage with their insane amount of energy you never saw in any other band or group in this case. If you like the song and enjoyed this then that's it, no need to go further and make excuses, they're delivering everytime they performed and that's all that matters, metal or not metal BM is an experience and they're here to stay, more than a decade is proof enough of that, and they even got the bless from rock and metal legends such Metallica, Rob Haldford, Korn, Rob Zombie, RHCP, Marty Friedman, Slipknot and many more for a reason. See you next time.🦊🤘🔥
Nice reaction, appreciate your honest opinions. Well, first thing you need to know is that BABYMETAL don't follow any established cannons (coming from metal, pop or whatever) so they can't be pigeonholed, or even called a band, because they aren't technically a band. Their origin is just the opposite you imagined since they were formed around Su-metal (the lead vocalist) because of her surprisingly powerful vocals and stage presence even at very young age. Here you have a pretty recent performance from 2021 and she was 23 at the time. They were celebrating their 10 years (late due to what happened in 2020). So you get an idea about how young they were when they started. They had many opportunities and good reasons to quit (and by that I mean they lived extremely sad and even tragic situations). But they didn't, and they are still rocking. So It's quite unlikely they were "forced" in any way. About the song itself, this could be an unpopular opinion, but to me, "Karate" doesn't represent their best, by far. I consider it a pop song with metal riffs, which is okay but not among my personal favorites. I consider this one better (being an earlier song and performance): "Ijime, Dame, Zettai" (Live at Sonisphere 2014): ua-cam.com/video/Ro-_cbfdrYE/v-deo.html And, ss they say: "don't think, feel". 🤘🦊
The juxtaposition is jarring for some people at first, but after a few songs, you get acclimated, and then you start to love it. At least, that's what happens 99% of the time. We've watched a LOT of BabyMetal reaction journeys. We've seen plenty of reactors start where you are right now, and most of them are now reacting to the newest material and giddily telling us they have tickets for the current tour and are FINALLY getting to see them live and are so excited about it. One that comes to mind took more songs to warm up to them than usual, but now he's trying to save up specifically to see them live IN JAPAN, he loves them so much (and he's also got tickets to see them in September in the states). I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of reactors I've seen who listened to more than a couple songs and decided BabyMetal is just not for them (though that does happen and is perfectly valid, and we aren't mad about it). The sound clicks for the overwhelming majority. Just...do me a favor and don't touch Gimme Chocolate for a while. For some new listeners, especially ones who have expressed thoughts like yours, it's best to avoid that particular song until you've grown used to the whole idea of BabyMetal first. Headbanger from the Legend 1997 concert would be an excellent next listen. Road of Resistance Live in Japan. BabyMetal *is* 100% manufactured, and that's often a dirty word for a lot of music lovers, but even though it was created, it's still just *Good.* The girls were wee when it was formed and had never heard metal music when they were first asked to sing it. But they warmed up fast. You can see in concert videos that they are having a blast. Would they have chosen this genre? Maybe not at first, but this video is from a 10th anniversary concert performance, and you can tell they love being there. They love what they do. One of the founding members left in 2018, but the remaining ones recently went on hiatus and decided that...yeah. This is what they want to do, and the album released in March is their comeback and a signal of their commitment. In fact, the lead singer has her first writing credits on that album. It's TOTALLY musical theater. But the level of talent involved in every aspect elevate it from gimmick to art. The first couple of albums, especially, were created with the live shows specifically in mind, and the studio tracks were basically advertisements for them. BabyMetal is always better live. Several songs have audience interaction baked into them. BabyMetal (until very recently, for me at least, as the most recent album is the first I'm likely put on and listen to without feeling cheated by a lack of visuals) is something you watch. It's an Experience. It's also an accessible one, even if you don't speak the language (they design it that way). Even if you don't like every song, there's *something* by BabyMetal for everyone. They are diverse. They are talented. And I certainly hope we get to see you continue your journey down the fox hole. 🤘🦊🤘
Think of it this way...Babymetal is a "Performance Art" Act that just happens to have some of the best session musicians in the world backing them up! Put your Kitsune UP!! Po!
When it comes to music, I only ask does it entertained me or not first. I will not ask how a band formed or who write the song, because it's not important. If I am about to be a fan, then I will have the interest to dig in more to who play quitars, who play drum, who play bass, how the band formed. I was a metalhead in the 80s, then I stopped buying albums, because I thought metal or even rock was dying. The last album I purchased was Evanescence, Bring Me To Life was the only song I played. Linkin Park's album was given as a birthday gift, and I just skipped to next sing in one or two minutes, then put it aside. I am an Asian and knew Babymetal from TV music channl pretty much just when they just came out. But I didn't pay attention to their music since my TV speakers just not good enough to perform the heaviness. Untill few months back, I got a chance to re-listened to MEGITSUNE with my headphone on, and it totally changed my bias to them. There are still one or two songs confused me, other than that, I must say I felt so entertained in how they meshed different genres and made no songs alike.
3 songs..could call it brainwashing, but my pov is that it takes a few songs for your brain to re-route and accept and enjoy this new genre, which differs so much from anything done before.
Strongly recommend this 3 song rule. I would suggest Road of Resistance live from Japan and Headbanger from legend of 1997. If you’re still not totally liking babymetal then they just aren’t the band for you and no problem.
There are no rules to metal or how the vocals should sound . Metal had got boring over the years, and BabyMetal brought something different to the genre. I have seen many bands over the years, and none have made me so invested in them as BabyMetal . There is no one out their like them 😁🤘🏼🦊🤘🏼
Wow, strong reaction. thank you for your honest opinion and for giving something "new" to you a fair chance. I really love the way you explain yourself. Anyway, good job thank you! 🦊🤘🦊
I rediscovered them this year and got sucked in hard. It takes time to get over the "constructed" aspect and really enjoy them for what they put together. There's no wrong direction, but some paths may lead you to understand babymetal sooner then others. I recommend rondo of nightmare with the kami band intro next.
You're partly correct. A producer got the idea for this new genre of metal called "Kawaii Metal" (Kawaii is the Japanese word for cute) and recruited the girls to be in the group. HOWEVER, that was many years ago, and over the years they have really owned it and made it their own. You just need to see a few more live performances to get fully on board. The next one you should check out is the official live video for "Road of Resistance - Live in Tokyo". It's a live performance from a huge concert they did a few years back, and it will blow your socks off.
To put it simply, because BABYMETAL was successful, Japanese women's metal followed. Without BABYMETAL, there would be no Love Bites, Nemophila, or BANDMAID. Doing it the first time is the hardest, because it's risky. People all over the world are feeling this way right now. "Japanese women's metal? It seems to be popular these days, so let's give it a listen." That's because this BABYMETAL succeeded.
Listen to one of their newest songs, THEN make a comparison. I highly recommend Devine Attack or Monochrome. You see, they have over 60 songs and each one is completely different from each other in that they touch on every genre of metal you can think of and mix it with pop vocals. They have everything from Thrash, Power, Death, and Nü-metal, to Pirate, Nordic, Indian, Middle Eastern, Rap, Trap, EDM, Flamenco, reggae, and everything in between. You can't listen to one song and say, "that's what Babymetal is". Because the next song will throw you for a loop.
Welcome to the Foxhole! Lots of comments already, so i will just say that the only rule in reacting to Babymetal is to expect the unexpected! Kitsune Da-O! 🤘🦊🤘
A good video. I'd recommend "Rondo of Nightmare (w/ Mischiefs of Metal Gods Intro) | LIVE at Budokan Black Night (HQ)" - it has hardly any dancing, pretty complex music with a less poppy vibe, and shows off the band a lot. Might be more to your taste. Lots of people are going to suggest "Road of Resistance Live in Japan" and that's a fantastic performance, one you don't want to miss, but I think it's often seen as the peak of Babymetal, the top performance, so in my view I'd say save that one until either you're sold and really buy into Babymetal or as a last ditch hail Mary if you're thinking of giving up on them! With Babymetal try not to expect "pure metal" as you know it - you went into this with preconceived notions of what to expect, and that's totally fair and understandable because you've never been exposed to them before, and Babymetal are deliberately trying to give you something unique. Instead go into Babymetal expecting them to try and do something interesting that you've never seen before - usually lots of different variations of J-pop singing and cute dancing over heavy music, though not always. Expect to be surprised, expect to feel like it shouldn't work but hopefully realise that it does! It's just not the same as what everyone else is doing, and that's amazing by itself. Also know that many big names in the rock/metal world have endorsed Babymetal and support what they're doing. Embrace the weirdness! You won't like every song, but their catalogue is diverse enough that I think everyone will like at least one song.
Good first reaction. I love the honesty and I love the attempt at working out what you saw. Normally it takes about 3 songs before you finally decide whether you like Babymetal or not because it IS such a different type of band. The three songs gives your brain time to find the dice that fell of the table as you mentioned. As for how Babymetal came to be, you're both totally wrong, but in a very distant way you are also correct. The entire band was actually formed around the main singer. As you said, she has an amazing voice, and you've seen nothing yet. This song is very tame and easy for her. It's a simplistic song. But anyhow, the creator of Babymetal heard Su singing in the talent school she was in as she was training to become a JPop idol (thus the JPop influence you mentioned) and noticed how powerful her voice was. He felt her voice was too powerful for pop music, he, however, was a metalhead and had been feeling that metal needed a revival in Japan as it was getting boring and it was dying. So he took Su and asked her if she'd be willing to try this metal experiment of his where he takes Metal music and fuses it with JPop. Su was game. The part where you are kind of correct is because Su had NO idea what Metal sounded like or knew anything ABOUT metal. So at first metal music kind of scared the girls as they didn't know what to make of it. Eventually they came to realize the power of metal and came to enjoy it. That was mostly thanks to Metallica from what I understand. But in the very beginning they had no idea what they had gotten themselves into. Now metal is amongst their favorite genre, although they do also still enjoy other stuff too. So my point in all this rambling is that you are correct, it is a fusion. That is something they actually love to do. They experiment with combining different genres of music together. As such no two songs will sound alike. Somehow they always seem to make the fusion work really well. So hopefully you give them a couple more chances so you can begin to wrap your heads around just what is going on as it is sensory overload the first couple of times watching them. They are also trying to make it so metal doesn't HAVE to be about anger, and all that, but can also be a positive output with happiness and fun.
I think metal is experimental at its core so I approach it all with an open mind. Yes to some extent they are manufactured but the way I see it, their songs are composed instead of written. I was confused at first too but embraced it!
The day UK fell in love with BABYMETAL BABYMETAL - Ijime,Dame,Zettai - Live at Sonisphere 2014,UK (OFFICIAL ) Yes they are indeed METAL. However, instead of shouting anger, it is HAPPY METAL that can cheer people up and make them smile😁
that was very good first reaction and worry not .... you need at least 3 or 5 songs ( from the 1st and 2nd album preferred ) to have a little understanding what is BABYMETAL. they have 50+ songs and not a single one sound the same so you will find a song that have maybe 90% of your liking. with Babymetal there is a rule for their songs that you should know .... " expect the unexpected "
Hey Clay and Bo! Welcome to the wonderful world of BABYMETAL! Clay, your dice fell off the table, I think that means you need to roll them again! It really takes three songs for newcomers to the group to really get to know them. So to answer your questions: They have a long time metalhead producer (Koba) who heard Su-Metal (lead singer) sing, and thought her voice would work well with metal music so he built the group around her which is a fusion of J-Pop and metal music that they call "Kawaii Metal". Koba and all the members are part of the same talent agency (Amuse). They started BABYMETAL in 2010 when Su was 12, and Moa and Yui (original former member, had to quit due to health reasons) were 10. This Budokan 2021 concert was part of a 10 concert series which celebrated their 10 year anniversary. As far as if this is what they would have chosen to do: they have said they had opportunities to stop performing in BABYMETAL however they've chosen to keep going. As far as this being more of a musical: they consider themselves more live performers than recording artists. They're referred to in the Japanese media as a "metal dance unit". Others will fill your comments with more suggestions, just keep in mind that BABYMETAL blends a ton of different genres together and all their songs are different so you could ask 10 BABYMETAL fans for a list of their top songs and you will get 10 different answers! I'm sure you will like at least some of what they have to offer, so keep going!
LOL, they are Metal Theater, the band was formed around the lead singer by a producer. She is an ex-Anime singer turned Metal and her dad was a Punk Rocker in the 90's. There are some good power metal songs like Headbanger. It will take a bit for your brain to process cuz it is such a new style of Metal.
You guys were somewhat right in describing their origin and the dynamics, and I can kinda understand the concern since metal bands for the most part have very humble beginnings with a few high school kids coming together and playing in the basement etc, but Babymetal also have their humble beginning although it's very different from the usual metal band. Some have already described in detail what I'm referring to. As for the music, they have a team of writers who compose their songs, the ladies then work hard to perfect the vocals and choreography, and this is the result. The live band are amazing session musicians known as the Kami Band, some of which have played with them for the past decade. Once you guys have a better understanding of the group, I'm sure you'll come to enjoy it more.
One thing that always strikes me about them is that every single aspect of their shows is on an incredibly high professional level. The vocals, the instrumentation, the songs, the dancing, the stages, the lighting… I think this is only possible when everything is done by a master of their craft. You can’t just have the five guys meeting in a garage do all of it by themselves and expect the same result.
they are in cinci september/06 :D ill try to get tickets, but for 2 person 400 (200 each) bucks its kinda heavy ps try more from them u guys will see they are brilliant (quit song monochrome in first take) piano version is very nice and suzus voice are so sweet pps they are more as critical hits they are, no words hits :D
You should check out Road of Resistance live In Japan and you see why they are one of the best bands in the world 🌎 nice reaction give your honest opinion has a long time babyMetal fan appreciate that but yes is was there choices to form the band you have SueMetal lead singer and you have MoaMetal backing s vocals and MomoMetal has backing vocals they are incredible different but awesome but yes check out that song and has YuiMetal in it but she left the band years ago but it’s ok babyMetal still going strong 💪 today with new album 💿 out 😊😊👍👍🎸🎸🦊🦊🦊🦊
I dont know why people recomend this video, i love BM but i almost dont like any performances from the 2021 Budokan performances, maybe try "Road of resistance live in japan" and see if that gets that critical hit!!!!
Babymetal is a fusion of Japanese Idol (Jpop) and Heavy Metal. They have said so in many interviews. If people think they are a typical metal band that is their fault. They have talked many times about Kawaii Metal (cute metal) being their genre and how it's a fusion. Their first US tour they opened for Lady Gaga. They wore red tutus for years.
ok fellas, please don't make the mistake of thinking that this is all that they are, all their songs are different, they don't have any other song like this one, but the funny thing is, when you find their song that does touch you, you magically start to love all their songs, just wait, watch another 2 or 3 videos and then that will turn into 5 to 10 more, then all of a sudden you find yourselves reacting to another version of this song and it warms your heart, please give them a fair shot, these lovely ladies have worked their whole childhood for this band and now they are all grown up and continuing to rock the world. #notacult
True, they're scripted theatrical performance, the music is good, the performance is phenomenal - then nothing wrong with it, don't try put them into a stereotype box of how "metal" should like or how "band" should like - in fact they blend quite a lot of styles and genres with multiple of metal/rock flavors, it bring huge diversity and creativity unlike any other band, it's good music and enjoyable performance then just enjoy it. The Babymetal team did a good job seperate what behind the scene to what they show in public, despite only 3 girls front it, but it a huge project with so many people involved, so you won't find the personal connection to the artists quite like how normal bands work - like how they created the song, etc... Instead you have the *In-the-moment* experience - only the result of their efforts, presenting to you by talented, hard-working, full on charisma performers. Their intentions and dedication are so straight up and just pure on their music and performance that you'll only find overpriced merchs and tour, dates announcement from their official sources, no fan services, no sexualization, no scandals, no personal info, no interaction, no bs whatsoever around the girls (also because of that they have a lot of great crowd participation/interaction implemented in their performances - since these are only way fans can have somewhat close and direct interaction with them)
If you guys liked this live performance, you should also check out the live video of Baby Metal doing Karate at the 2016 Download Festival in England. They were quite a bit younger, but I think it's one the best versions they have done of Karate. A LOT of fan participation in that one. Just awesome.
Welcome to the foxhole. Babymetal is a unique group. They were formed back in 2010 as part of an Idol School called Sakara Gakuin. Su was 12 and Moa and Yui were 11. Their style covers all genres. They describe their music as Kawaii (cute) Metal. This song is basically about overcoming obstacles. And if you get knocked down you have to get back up. If you wish to continue your journey i suggest checking out Road of Resistance (Live in Japan) or Rondo of Nightmare with the mischiefs of metal intro
don't worry...knowing them is a journey, even they are gimmick, for me what they (3 teenage girls) achieve and fighting for their live for over 10years is really Heavy Metal and one more..they bring positivity to the world
To really understand Babymetal, I think it is important to start with their early songs from 10 years ago when they were just 14 to 16 years old and still commanding 20,000+ packed arenas. for Karate, check out the music video as it is epic. For most songs live is the better way to go, but Karate is one of the exceptions. Check out Headbanger! from the "Legend 1997" tour when Su was just turning 16 (it was her birthday) and Moa and Yui were both 14. The performance is nuts. Road of Resistance is another epic anthem. If you like prog metal, check out "Tales of the Destinies" (only performed once live). If you want to see them WAY back when they first were starting, check out the music video for Doki Doki Morning.
Babymetal is certainly an acquired taste. When I first heard them 7-8 years ago, I really didn't know if I liked it. But after giving them multiple listens, I really came to enjoy them for being such a unique sound/genre. After seeing videos of them performing live, I became a true fan. This isn't a gimmick, they young ladies were and still are part of something totally different. They have faced non-believing metal fans for years at festivals, and continue to win more and more them over each time.
I am writing this without reading others comments. Your feelings are very common for 1st time listeners, especially those set in their ways. Babymetal faced all your points from metal elitist gatekeepers 10 years ago. They are performance art and highly respected in the metal community. Have played with and toured with Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Dragonforce, Rob Halford etc…. I am sure someone will write you a really long history of Babymetal somewhere but they really enjoy what they do and are way more then hired guns. I have seen loads of live concerts since 1985 and Babymetal is in my top tier of bands I have seen. Others include Iron Maude’s, Dio, Jinjer and Band Maid. You need to give them another watch. For me it was Ijime Dame Zettai from Sonisphere 2014. Many will point to Road of Resistance. Last point do lose the anime stuff. Japanese metal is great and those not used to it always bring the anime stuff, it is cringy as hell.
You are spot on about 90% of what you've said, but many metalhead fans after few songs embraced it for what it is. For a more genuine, more metal and less pop opera style performances, I'd recommend their earlier stuff: "Ijime, Dame, Zettai" from Sonisphere UK / 2014 "Headbanger" 1997 Apocalypse / 2013 "Road of Resistance" Live in Japan / 2015
Understand your just need to see more. Rob Halford has sung live with the girls. they won best touring act in Europe 2 years running. started very young11-13yo ,played major metal fests in Europe and UK ,wowing metal crowds everywhere, toured with Chilli Peppers. Sabaton. Guns n Roses. Yes it a mesh of J pop, metal, and Kabuki theatre, the girls have been a unit since junior high,
@paulread4889 Actually MoiMoi were still in elementary school (5th grade) when they began their BM journey and Suzuka was in 7th grade. Which for me makes it even more impressive
great reaction, it took me few listened before dig it. First, Karate is not the best one for introduction in the baby metal universe. Maybe check for "road of resistance " or Headbanger" that or more intense then karate.
The only part of BABYMETAL who (maybe) has auditioned for this were some of the musicians. None of the girls has. If you want to know more about the history: verything You Need To Know About BABYMETAL - A BABYMETAL Guide ua-cam.com/video/gDne0xwniTg/v-deo.html (fairly up to date; only misses their cameback after their "Corona-hiatus").
They've all auditioned for a jpop idol group and then they were doing what they were asked to do including taking part in Babymetal despite having zero interest in metal music. I love Babymetal but lets be real about what it is and what it is not.
@@bury0777 > "They've all auditioned for a jpop idol group" You probably mean Sakura Gakuin? Well... Yui and Moa auditioned for that. This much is true. Suzuka didn't even that. She and (at least) Ayami Muto were core members from the beginning, More or less directly transfered from Karen Girls. > "and then they were doing what they were asked to do including taking part in Babymetal" Definitely, this wasn't their own idea. So far so correct. But no one commanded them to do so! They, initially, were asked if they would be interested in doing another subunit called ju on(gaku)-bu (重音楽部, Heavy Music Club). If they hadn't agreed, this project (most likely) woouldn' have come to fruition at all. Though I remember from an old interview I've read, Kobayashi may have askesd Ayami instead in such an case but, ultimately, he wanted Suzuka to do this. > "taking part in Babymetal despite having zero interest in metal music." I would say the phrase "having zero interest" is very misleading in this case. Because not to have interes in something is a wilful act. In fact, they didn't knew metal at all at this point (which isn't a super big surprise concerning the Japanese music market in general and especially around the late 2000s/early 2010s) but decided to explore it. And there we are...
It’s essential to see early BABYMETAL, when the girls were teenage Pop Idols (particularly the MV for MEGITSUNE), before exploring these later performances. It is the mashup of J-Pop, Death Metal, and EDM that makes BABYMETAL what it is. Idol Pop may seem strange to Westerners, but all the middle-aged Meralheads in Japan grew up listening to Idol Pop (it’s ubiquitous in Japan), so this has made perfect sense for them for the past ten years. The interesting thing about J-Metal is not how well they can ape your favorite bands, but rather how they can create fresh sounds and experiences for a 50 year-old genre of music. You might like the live performances of BABYMETAL DEATH, ROAD OF RESISTANCE (their most epic song), and RONDO OF NIGHTMARE, with the MISCHIEF OF THE METAL GODS INTRO, a fantastic showcase for the KAMI BAND.
It may not be quite a critical hit, but you forgot to add the Bardic Inspiration they bring to the table. It's one part Metal, one part Theater, and three parts enthusiasm and energy. (Karate is also, IMAO, one of the only songs that the "official" video needs to be seen to "get" the song) Keep going!
Have a reaction to iijime dame zettai live at sonisphere in front of 50k + uk metalheads or road of resistance live in japan for a masterclass in crowd control
You should react to Metal Kingdom They didn't even know what metal music was when they started but half their lives have been dedicated to Metal 4 albums, over a decade performing, and the eldest member, the lead singer, Su is only 25(the other two Moa 22 turns 23 in July and Momo 20 Just became official member this year)
It's called kawaii metal, translated as cute metal. It is its own genre. You are comparing them to straight out metal bands, which is the wrong way you are looking at them. They are musicians, performers, and all their shows are choreographed. I understand you feel that it seems it's all been put together and you are correct. It's a show with awesome music. Once you get past that feeling, you will enjoy them much more.
Watch this song and you will see babymetal with an English crowd. search for ijime dame zettai sonisphere and you can decide what you think of them after that. Performance is part of their shows. If you prefer someone standing still and having no charisma then this isnt for you
I really like reactions like this because it gives fans the opportunity to sell Babymetal to someone who is skeptical. It's always fun reading. Don't take this as a criticism of your take on them. All I ask is that people are respectful and you were certainly that. Plus, I would have had the exact same feelings as you if I was brand new to Babymetal. It just always makes me laugh when I hear someone praise what they see and hear. 'The music was fantastic!' 'The vocals were very good and they are entertaining' etc. etc. Buuuuuit then out come the RULES. Why are there all these rules? Yeah I know, Standards!! You can't have a band with metal in the name not be conventional metal. They have some of the heaviest music your gonna hear but then the next song might be an edm dance song. You never know what you're going to get. The funny thing is, they have this ability to draw you in, even to styles you normally hate. I hate edm dancing tunes! Yet I like Babymetal dance tunes. I don't like vocal effects yet they somehow make it sound good. The key is to let go of the rules and just have fun with it. I pretty sure we all listen to regular metal bands too. Babymetal is a refreshing change from the norm because metal can get a bit monotonous sometimes. Especially with all the rules applied to it.
If you guys have this doubt, it is necessary to get deep into it. I don't recommend these songs right away for reactors but this will be an exception. React to Road of Resistance live in Japan or Ijime, Dame, Zettai live in Sonisphere UK Road of Resistance ua-cam.com/video/zTEYUFgLveY/v-deo.html Ijime, Dame, Zettai ua-cam.com/video/Ro-_cbfdrYE/v-deo.html Karate is top notch but you know I don't think the live set you guys watched showcase that well the camera and set were pretty simple but the concert was amazing and better for other songs imo, despite Karate being top notch is not even close to being their best song imo lol not even top 10 for me because everything they do is another level, you guys didn't saw 1% of what they can do
👍 👍 Understood. We have seen many reactors have the same reaction and concerns that you do but once they have seen a couple more LIVE performances most become big fans and travel to see them LIVE. BabyMetal began in 2010 there were Suzuka Nakamoto age 12 Moa Kikuchi and Yui Mizuno (Yui left in 2018 due to health reasons). Both Moa and Yui were 11 years old when the group began. All three were friends and classmates who attended an idol school/group (Sakura Gakuin) founded in 2010 by Amuse Talent Agency for girls 10 to 15. Themed around school life (they attended regular school as well) the girls would learn and train at vocals, dancing, public speaking and etiquette, etc., graduate at age 15 and then move onto whatever entertainment path they chose or that suited their talents. Key Kobayashi was a music producer for Amuse and heard Suzuka sing at age 9 and was impressed with her strong vocals and stage presence. Kobayashi was a fan of heavy metal but believed that the genre had become stale and tired (especially in Japan) with metal bands getting old Kobayashi believed the genre needed to be reborn (BabyMetal means the birth of a new metal genre). Kobayashi felt that Suzuka had the ability to front a metal band and that her vocals and presence could withstand the metal guitars and drums. The fusion of Jpop and Metal began. He placed Moa and Yui as backup singers/dancers and a phenomenon was about to result. At first Amuse showed no interest and the girls had only financing from Kobayashi. They performed at strip malls and small venues using clothes borrowed from friends and family. No money for a real band they had friends dressed in homemade skeleton costumes pretending to play instruments to a backtrack. They became a sensation (these young ladies paid their dues). Amuse saw the potential and in 2012 hired the best session musicians Japan had to offer (The Kami Band) who tours with them today (now includes world class musicians from the USA for tours outside of Asia). If you choose to explore more of BabyMetal I suggest reacting to LIVE performance videos as this is where they shine. They have over 50 LIVE songs/performances and each one is different. They are fearless exploring many genres and have the respect of the legends of Metal such as Metallica, Slipknot, Rob Zombie, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Judas Priest and more. Avoid Glastonbury LIVE performances as the sound production by the BBC (who was in charge of that festival did a terrible job - mics not turned on, incorrect volume levels, etc.) Suggest reacting to these for a start. Karate LIVE at 2016 Download Festival in the UK where 60,000+ British metal heads sing along with the girls. Megitsune LIVE at Budokan 2021 Syncopation LIVE Road of Resistance LIVE in Japan Headbanger LIVE Tales of the Destinies LIVE Yava LIVE with Kami Band intro at 2017 Fox Festival Catch Me If You Can LIVE with Kami Band intro At their concert in Yokohama on April 1 it was announced that a permanent third member Momoko Okazaki (who is also a graduate of Sakura Gakuin and has been appearing with them LIVE since 2019) has officially become the third member. Their new album in my opinion that released March 24 is amazing with so many different styles. Good luck and hope to see you again.
Very cool!!! The first contact with Babymetal really can be summed up with 'What???". But the quality of the performances, production and audience participation usually leads to watching another performance, and another, and another... No two songs are alike, each one is a surprise, always with very good metal elements mixed with some genre.. There's rap, pop, Indian, rock... If you're going to do other reactions, always look for the live versions... I leave as suggestions "Road of Resistande live in Japan - Official", "Death! - Legend 1997" and "BxMxC (Budokan 2021 Live)". Welcome to Fox Hole!🤘🦊🤘
Karate is mid tier , not the best first song of theirs. Find yourself a good tour guide or you'll get lots with fanboy stuff. Road of Resistance live Megitsune (music video) Rondo of Nightmare with Mischiefs of God intro Budokan live (my personal recommendation b/c it's heavy, shows off the band, and it's not cheerleader-re)
@@allegorical karate is awesome, I was referring to it as an introductory type of song to Babymetal, anything that has that cheering type of stuff I'd would avoid for a first timer. But ya the hook is super catchy on this 😎
99% of the fans didn't become fervient BABYMETAL followers just by listening one song. You have to give them a few tries for them to prove you their artistry and wild concept.
I don't know about you guys, but a friend got me into metal (and D&D) when I was 12 years old. The ladies in Babymetal weren't cast in their roles as adults. Babymetal's producer, Kei Kobayashi (Kobametal) is a metalhead. Over 10 years ago he felt that metal was at a low point in popularity in Japan and needed something to revitalize it that would appeal to the new generation. While working in talent agency Amuse's idol division he came up with the crazy idea of combining metal with J-pop/idol. He saw lead singer Su-Metal (Suzuka Nakamoto) perform with her previous idol group Karen Girl's and thought her unusually powerful voice and stage presence would be perfect to front his idea for a kawaii (cute) metal band. Against reasonable expectations, starting out with minimal support from Amuse performing at small venues and borrowing clothing for costumes, Babymetal found their audience and quickly growing success. Su-Metal and Moametal (the two remaining original members; Yuimetal left in 2018) were introduced to metal around the same age as I was and have been immersed in metal music for over half of their lives now. The third girl on stage with them in that video, Momometel (Momoko Okazaki), started out as a support dancer in 2019 filling in Yui's spot but was just announced this past April 1st (2023) as an official member of the group. She's a bit younger but went through the same idol group / training program (Sakura Gakuin) as Su and Moa. As a kid herself, she followed their careers and had been a fan of their music before getting to work with and officially join them.
You're over-analyzing the music & seeing/hearing it from within a box. This song you are reviewing is not by Anthrax or by Slayer. It's by BABYMETAL, hence the name. It's a different genre of music that merges Pop Music & Metal, which is called "Kawai Metal." It's like analyzing Rock 'N' Roll music when its style was first heard. Rock 'N' Roll is a hybrid of Blues, Gospel, R&B & Country and you'd be sitting there saying its not Blues or it's not R&B. And it's not. It's Rock 'N' Roll music just like BABYMETAL is not "Metal" music. It's Kawai Metal. "The group was formed in 2010 as a subgroup of Sakura Gakuin, under the vision of producer and longtime metal fan Key “Kobametal” Kobayashi. In an interview with magazine Metal Hammer in 2014, Kobayashi explains the impetus for his fusion of the ever-popular idol genre with the less-accessible timbre of metal music. “Metal is only getting older and older and the scene isn’t getting bigger anymore. I started thinking that I wanted to come up with something new, something that no one has ever done before, and that’s where Babymetal came from. The idea really just fell from the heavens,” Kobayashi said. What Kobayashi did was put three teenage girls involved in a pop music & merged them with metal musicians called the Kami Band. Kobayashi created a new complete genre of music & has been successful for over a decade now, globally. Jeff Walker, bassist and vocalist of London death metal group Carcass, sung Babymetal’s praise after seeing them perform in 2014 at Sonisphere. “It puts a smile on people’s faces. That’s what music’s about, isn’t it?! Enjoying it and not being so serious.”
Great first reaction and very good, honest opinions and thoughts - welcome to the BABYMETAL Foxhole.
They are very confusing when you first come across them - because they are like nothing you will have seen or heard before, they are both original and unique ... and you are not wrong, they are almost as much about the theatre as the music in that they perform every song, they don't just sing them.
You asked would they have chosen to do this. At first they really had no idea about metal, but they loved to sing and to dance, so yes and no ... but they have been asked many times since then if they wanted to continue or stop ... and they are still going strong and touring the world for the rest of this year.
They were not auditioned to fill spots in something with a formula and precedent with an identified audience guaranteed success. They started in 2010 as one of several sub-units of a school themed J-Pop Idol group called Sakura Gakuin which was set up by the Amuse talent agency as a way to coach and train about a dozen of the most talented girls on their books in all aspects of entertainment (singing, dancing, acting, modelling, writing, stage management, TV presenting etc) with a view to their choosing how they would like to continue their career when they were at school leaving age (15 in Japan).
BABYMETAL was the pet project of one metalhead producer who was inspired to experiment with this fusion of Metal with JPop aesthetics after seeing Su-metal singing with her previous JPop trio and being very impressed with her no holds barred singing style and stage presence - she was only 10 or 11 at that time. He pictured her fronting a metal band and got his chance to work with her when her previous group ended and she joined Sakura Gakuin, so BABYMETAL was formed around the girls and their talents.
In 2013 Su would be 15 and would graduate from Sakura Gakuin (having the school theme it was for girls aged 10 to 15), but it was decided that BABYMETAL should be her vehicle as she furthered her career as a vocalist and should separate from the Idol group to go with her as an independent band in their own right. The girls were asked if they wanted to continue with BABYMETAL and if their parents agreed - one of the parents told her daughter that if her school grades fell she would no longer be in BABYMETAL.
Between them the girls had agreed to work hard and to continue at least until their 10th anniversary. That happened in 2020 and in 2021 they went on a hiatus and took a break from BABYMETAL to consider their future.
Before that happened one of the younger girls, Yuimetal, was injured or taken ill and missed big shows in December 2017 and was absent for the US tour of 2018. In October 2018 she announced that she was still not fully recovered and had decided to leave the band. Su-metal and Moametal were again given the option to end BABYMETAL at that time - they chose to continue as a duo through to the 10th anniversary, as all 3 had decided they would do.
During their hiatus they again considered their future - Su and Moa chose to continue with BABYMETAL and they returned from their hiatus with concerts in January and a new album in March - and in April they revealed a new third member, Momometal.
They have about 60 songs now, each one different to the last, they have songs in virtually every metal genre but will also mix and blend so many other styles and genres with the metal. Some songs are good hard metal, some lean towards their pop roots and they do everything in between.
They don't copy anybody or follow the same format as nearly every other band (for a start they have brought choreographed dance to metal - but not dance as you may know it from pop acts).
'Karate' was the lead single for the second album, as such it is possibly one of their more 'radio friendly' songs. I hope you will explore more - expect the unexpected and prepare to be surprised - they are one of the very best live acts on the planet right now and are supported by some of the very best musicians.
This comment is far too long already so I will leave it there and leave others to recommend more great songs and performances from them.
Welcome & Thanks from Japan 有難う💛。 BABYMETAL is the best phenomenon in music I have ever experienced in my 67-year-long life. (Befroe BM, I was a stubborn jazz / funk lover 😄 ) We say "Japan is the country obsessed by Rock Music". The history is very long and the obsession started in 1966 when Beatles visited Japan and held 5 concerts at Budokan. Speaking of hard rock / heavy metal music, a number of bands started to come to Japan since as early as 1970s : Led Zeppelin / Grand Funk Railroad (1971), Deep Purple (1972), Queen (1975), Kiss (1977), Cheap Trick / Van Halen / Scorpions (1978), Judas Priest (1978/79) and so on. Now, any type of rock can be enjoyed here, especially by many all-female or women-fronted bands. They are daughters of American / European rock, for sure. (Many are grand-daughters in terms of age.)
Uh-oh, we also say "Japan is the country obsessed by Jazz". It had started earlier than rock 😄
I think BABYMETAL is the most entertaining band I have ever come across. And I also think that your main problem with them is that you don't free your mind. You are not that far off with your assumption that the music has been written for them. Others have already told the story. The only thing I want to say in that regard is that this certainly doesn't mean that the girls are not in it with their heart and soul.
But the question is: Does it matter? If the songs are good, the vocals are good, the instrumentation is good, the shows are good, why should you get thrown off by that little piece of knowledge sitting somewhere in the back of your head?
And there you have it.
I have always believed that a band should be formed by one's own personal musical aspirations, and when I discovered BABYMETAL, I realized that I had been holding myself back. There is no other band that I feel such an emotional connection to as I do with Babymetal. The deeper you get into the band, the more miraculous you feel.
Same with me, big company + three kids who don't know the genre at all + producer with the idea and put it together = sounds too corpo for me to consider, but context is important so: organic enough for me.
AND ...
I can see they love the music they have done for the past 10 years.
@@Tabadi Yes, definitely. I can well understand the feelings of those who don't approve of Babymetal because they are a made-up band. But I want those people to listen to BABYMETAL with an open mind, even if just a little.
I am a 59 year old metal musician from Miami and this has been my favorite band for 6 years now.
You will have to learn more to understand it.
It is so different than everything else that your having culture shock.
BABYMETAL is a natural 20 for me...
Kitsune dao!
I am a 75 year old geyser and fell in live with this group.... so much that I flew from DC to Japan to see their January live, and am going to Spain in December to see their 2023 tour finale. In most of their songs, lyrics are very important. None of their songs are negative. Their core message is always positive. even when shit happens in life they NEVER blame others, but concentrate of what they can do to make things better. Welcome to the FOXHOLE!
Welcome to the Foxhole and BabyMetal journey 🦊🤘
You started with a great song for first time watching but i prefer always in these type of classic and early BM era songs to recommend 2016 version when the group were much more younger and with the original trio, is cool thou and you can see that later, but what is not cool is you fall in the same mistakes and prejudices many others who critics BM do. Let's dive in with a basic info first.
BabyMetal is a Japanese metal dance unit created in 2010 under another Jpop/Jrock group called Sakura Gakuin, they had 11 and 12 years old when started this and become independent after 2013, they created their own genre called kawaii-metal mixing Jpop with metal sound and different subgenres along with many more rhythms. Their name is a reference to a new genre and not related to their ages or "baby" faces, is a pun intended play words with "heavy-metal" which sounds similar to "baby-metal".
They are:
*SuMetal* lead vocalist, now 25.
*MoaMetal* scream and dance, now 23.
*YuiMetal* scream and dance, former member since 2018.
*MomoMetal* scream and dance, she's 20 and is the new official member since April 1st recently.
None of them are related.
After 2018 you'll see backup dancers performing along with them but none of them are official members, they don't sing, only dance, but that status change recently like i said.
"Karate" is one of their stronger weapons along with "Road Of Resistance". Is an uplifting song about keep fighting besides the obstacles, the official MV is another good looking video to watch and reflect that meaning.
Some fans find anime vibes on BabyMetal songs, the only other song I could find with anime vibes besides this one and "Divine Attack - Shingeki" from newest album, is "Syncopation" another banger.
Budokan 2021 marks their 10 years anniversary celebration and seal the Metal Resistance chapter along with another seal for the group, luckily for us that seal is already broken since like i said they return with a new album and a World Tour, including UK, Europe, Asia, Australia and the US , they already finished the Sabaton's Europe Tour started last month and everyone were having a blast.
They fought against many enemies on this road and many more battles, but they manage to get through all of it, and this song is one of those strong weapons they had, to fight and conquer every metal heart that don't believe in them, along with Road Of Resistance which is highly recommended. Budokan Arena is just a name for general martial arts place, there are other Budokan throughout Japan but this one in Tokyo is the most important and is big, this is the place any artist wants to reach when you're over the top, and they did it already in 2014 when they were even younger and having many struggles so they needed a revenge to pull away those ghosts from the past. Sadly this 2021 live concerts is a half capacity due to covid restrictions and safety measures and crowd wasn't allowed to mosh'sh, crowd surfing or shout without face mask (the crowd sound you hear is pre recorded from the speakers), instead they can stomp their feet, clap their hands or doing a human wave, at least they can do something to participate in this epic and memorable date event.
You also heard the Kami Band playing here, they are a magnificent set of elite musicians who were send to help with the metal sound according to the lore (yep they got a lore), they rotate so probably you won't see some of them in all live concerts (especially the guitarrists).
In this live concerts the members are: ISAO and Takayoshi Ohmura, god of guitars; BOH, god of bass; and Hideki Aoyama, god of drums. And all of them killing it for sure.
Since YuiMetal left the group in 2018 you won't see her after that during live performance, instead you'll see backup dancers, none of them are official members nor sing or have mic, they only dance. Momoko Okazaki was the _avenger_ or third backup dancer filling the third spot in all these 10 live concerts. Recently, since April 1st, she becomes one of the official new member of this group and new era.
If you enjoy and like this song then another nice recommendation for your own time and witness a different and unique version is Karate live at Download Festival 2016, is even more epic with the rain and the crowd singing along with them, trust me.
Some others recommendations for next reactions:
- _Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!_ live at this same live performance Legend 1997 in Makuhari Messe Japan when SuMetal is celebrating her birthday becoming a metal goddess queen and leaving her idol jpop form (you can find one at Gans Tomas channel under "Head Bangya" title).
One of the very few songs i like to recommend for first time watching an official MV is "Megitsune" because of the Japanese visual elements unlike some live versions which contains certain parts I don't like the spoilers, such the intro. But of course live is a blast like the rest of their songs.
The whole concept and group were formed around the lead singer Suzuka Nakamoto (aka SuMetal) when being 11 and she was already in front of a massive crowd with her previous Jpop group, the creator of BM, which was a producer under the same talent agency, saw this and thought about her for his new project but there was no audition, same for the girls who were selected from this main group (Sakura Gakuin) to give them a role besides the lead singer and provides not only backing vocals and dance but also cheering the crowd when performing live. The story is long so i suggest you to check it out "A BabyMetal Guide" by CrypticMisery channel for more info.
In summary no one knew this could be a massive hit not only in Japan but also around the world and they started humble with low budget and doing promotional singing in shopping, TV commercial and little venues, they eventually blew up with their unique sound, blend and stage show. Another mistake is trying to pigeonholed BM, they used metal elements in 90% of their songs but they're doing what metal bands weren't throughout these years, giving a breath of fresh air and rocking out the stage with their insane amount of energy you never saw in any other band or group in this case. If you like the song and enjoyed this then that's it, no need to go further and make excuses, they're delivering everytime they performed and that's all that matters, metal or not metal BM is an experience and they're here to stay, more than a decade is proof enough of that, and they even got the bless from rock and metal legends such Metallica, Rob Haldford, Korn, Rob Zombie, RHCP, Marty Friedman, Slipknot and many more for a reason.
See you next time.🦊🤘🔥
Nice reaction, appreciate your honest opinions.
Well, first thing you need to know is that BABYMETAL don't follow any established cannons (coming from metal, pop or whatever) so they can't be pigeonholed, or even called a band, because they aren't technically a band. Their origin is just the opposite you imagined since they were formed around Su-metal (the lead vocalist) because of her surprisingly powerful vocals and stage presence even at very young age. Here you have a pretty recent performance from 2021 and she was 23 at the time. They were celebrating their 10 years (late due to what happened in 2020). So you get an idea about how young they were when they started. They had many opportunities and good reasons to quit (and by that I mean they lived extremely sad and even tragic situations). But they didn't, and they are still rocking. So It's quite unlikely they were "forced" in any way.
About the song itself, this could be an unpopular opinion, but to me, "Karate" doesn't represent their best, by far. I consider it a pop song with metal riffs, which is okay but not among my personal favorites.
I consider this one better (being an earlier song and performance): "Ijime, Dame, Zettai" (Live at Sonisphere 2014): ua-cam.com/video/Ro-_cbfdrYE/v-deo.html
And, ss they say: "don't think, feel".
🤘🦊
The juxtaposition is jarring for some people at first, but after a few songs, you get acclimated, and then you start to love it. At least, that's what happens 99% of the time. We've watched a LOT of BabyMetal reaction journeys. We've seen plenty of reactors start where you are right now, and most of them are now reacting to the newest material and giddily telling us they have tickets for the current tour and are FINALLY getting to see them live and are so excited about it. One that comes to mind took more songs to warm up to them than usual, but now he's trying to save up specifically to see them live IN JAPAN, he loves them so much (and he's also got tickets to see them in September in the states). I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of reactors I've seen who listened to more than a couple songs and decided BabyMetal is just not for them (though that does happen and is perfectly valid, and we aren't mad about it). The sound clicks for the overwhelming majority.
Just...do me a favor and don't touch Gimme Chocolate for a while. For some new listeners, especially ones who have expressed thoughts like yours, it's best to avoid that particular song until you've grown used to the whole idea of BabyMetal first. Headbanger from the Legend 1997 concert would be an excellent next listen. Road of Resistance Live in Japan.
BabyMetal *is* 100% manufactured, and that's often a dirty word for a lot of music lovers, but even though it was created, it's still just *Good.* The girls were wee when it was formed and had never heard metal music when they were first asked to sing it. But they warmed up fast. You can see in concert videos that they are having a blast. Would they have chosen this genre? Maybe not at first, but this video is from a 10th anniversary concert performance, and you can tell they love being there. They love what they do. One of the founding members left in 2018, but the remaining ones recently went on hiatus and decided that...yeah. This is what they want to do, and the album released in March is their comeback and a signal of their commitment. In fact, the lead singer has her first writing credits on that album.
It's TOTALLY musical theater. But the level of talent involved in every aspect elevate it from gimmick to art. The first couple of albums, especially, were created with the live shows specifically in mind, and the studio tracks were basically advertisements for them. BabyMetal is always better live. Several songs have audience interaction baked into them. BabyMetal (until very recently, for me at least, as the most recent album is the first I'm likely put on and listen to without feeling cheated by a lack of visuals) is something you watch. It's an Experience. It's also an accessible one, even if you don't speak the language (they design it that way). Even if you don't like every song, there's *something* by BabyMetal for everyone. They are diverse. They are talented. And I certainly hope we get to see you continue your journey down the fox hole. 🤘🦊🤘
Think of it this way...Babymetal is a "Performance Art" Act that just happens to have some of the best session musicians in the world backing them up!
Put your Kitsune UP!! Po!
When it comes to music, I only ask does it entertained me or not first. I will not ask how a band formed or who write the song, because it's not important. If I am about to be a fan, then I will have the interest to dig in more to who play quitars, who play drum, who play bass, how the band formed.
I was a metalhead in the 80s, then I stopped buying albums, because I thought metal or even rock was dying. The last album I purchased was Evanescence, Bring Me To Life was the only song I played. Linkin Park's album was given as a birthday gift, and I just skipped to next sing in one or two minutes, then put it aside.
I am an Asian and knew Babymetal from TV music channl pretty much just when they just came out. But I didn't pay attention to their music since my TV speakers just not good enough to perform the heaviness. Untill few months back, I got a chance to re-listened to MEGITSUNE with my headphone on, and it totally changed my bias to them.
There are still one or two songs confused me, other than that, I must say I felt so entertained in how they meshed different genres and made no songs alike.
It usually takes 3 songs until it clicks with this band then you are a fan for life
This is accurate. Their music is so varied, so you're bound to enjoy at least one song, if not a few.
Yeah, 3 songs is the general rule.
3 songs..could call it brainwashing, but my pov is that it takes a few songs for your brain to re-route and accept and enjoy this new genre, which differs so much from anything done before.
very accurate 🤘🦊🤘
Strongly recommend this 3 song rule. I would suggest Road of Resistance live from Japan and Headbanger from legend of 1997. If you’re still not totally liking babymetal then they just aren’t the band for you and no problem.
There are no rules to metal or how the vocals should sound .
Metal had got boring over the years, and BabyMetal brought something different to the genre. I have seen many bands over the years, and none have made me so invested in them as BabyMetal . There is no one out their like them 😁🤘🏼🦊🤘🏼
Wow, strong reaction. thank you for your honest opinion and for giving something "new" to you a fair chance. I really love the way you explain yourself.
Anyway, good job thank you! 🦊🤘🦊
I rediscovered them this year and got sucked in hard. It takes time to get over the "constructed" aspect and really enjoy them for what they put together.
There's no wrong direction, but some paths may lead you to understand babymetal sooner then others.
I recommend rondo of nightmare with the kami band intro next.
You're partly correct. A producer got the idea for this new genre of metal called "Kawaii Metal" (Kawaii is the Japanese word for cute) and recruited the girls to be in the group. HOWEVER, that was many years ago, and over the years they have really owned it and made it their own. You just need to see a few more live performances to get fully on board. The next one you should check out is the official live video for "Road of Resistance - Live in Tokyo". It's a live performance from a huge concert they did a few years back, and it will blow your socks off.
To put it simply, because BABYMETAL was successful, Japanese women's metal followed.
Without BABYMETAL, there would be no Love Bites, Nemophila, or BANDMAID.
Doing it the first time is the hardest, because it's risky.
People all over the world are feeling this way right now.
"Japanese women's metal? It seems to be popular these days, so let's give it a listen."
That's because this BABYMETAL succeeded.
Amen! 🤘🦊🤘
Listen to one of their newest songs, THEN make a comparison. I highly recommend Devine Attack or Monochrome. You see, they have over 60 songs and each one is completely different from each other in that they touch on every genre of metal you can think of and mix it with pop vocals. They have everything from Thrash, Power, Death, and Nü-metal, to Pirate, Nordic, Indian, Middle Eastern, Rap, Trap, EDM, Flamenco, reggae, and everything in between. You can't listen to one song and say, "that's what Babymetal is". Because the next song will throw you for a loop.
Welcome to the Foxhole! Lots of comments already, so i will just say that the only rule in reacting to Babymetal is to expect the unexpected!
Kitsune Da-O! 🤘🦊🤘
Take one look at their "Road to Resistance" mv.
You will see one of the reasons why they have been supported by metallers around the world.
Don’t worry it took me three years before I started liking BABYMETAL. Now I’m a big fan.
A good video. I'd recommend "Rondo of Nightmare (w/ Mischiefs of Metal Gods Intro) | LIVE at Budokan Black Night (HQ)" - it has hardly any dancing, pretty complex music with a less poppy vibe, and shows off the band a lot. Might be more to your taste. Lots of people are going to suggest "Road of Resistance Live in Japan" and that's a fantastic performance, one you don't want to miss, but I think it's often seen as the peak of Babymetal, the top performance, so in my view I'd say save that one until either you're sold and really buy into Babymetal or as a last ditch hail Mary if you're thinking of giving up on them!
With Babymetal try not to expect "pure metal" as you know it - you went into this with preconceived notions of what to expect, and that's totally fair and understandable because you've never been exposed to them before, and Babymetal are deliberately trying to give you something unique. Instead go into Babymetal expecting them to try and do something interesting that you've never seen before - usually lots of different variations of J-pop singing and cute dancing over heavy music, though not always. Expect to be surprised, expect to feel like it shouldn't work but hopefully realise that it does! It's just not the same as what everyone else is doing, and that's amazing by itself. Also know that many big names in the rock/metal world have endorsed Babymetal and support what they're doing. Embrace the weirdness! You won't like every song, but their catalogue is diverse enough that I think everyone will like at least one song.
Good first reaction. I love the honesty and I love the attempt at working out what you saw. Normally it takes about 3 songs before you finally decide whether you like Babymetal or not because it IS such a different type of band. The three songs gives your brain time to find the dice that fell of the table as you mentioned. As for how Babymetal came to be, you're both totally wrong, but in a very distant way you are also correct. The entire band was actually formed around the main singer. As you said, she has an amazing voice, and you've seen nothing yet. This song is very tame and easy for her. It's a simplistic song. But anyhow, the creator of Babymetal heard Su singing in the talent school she was in as she was training to become a JPop idol (thus the JPop influence you mentioned) and noticed how powerful her voice was. He felt her voice was too powerful for pop music, he, however, was a metalhead and had been feeling that metal needed a revival in Japan as it was getting boring and it was dying. So he took Su and asked her if she'd be willing to try this metal experiment of his where he takes Metal music and fuses it with JPop. Su was game. The part where you are kind of correct is because Su had NO idea what Metal sounded like or knew anything ABOUT metal. So at first metal music kind of scared the girls as they didn't know what to make of it. Eventually they came to realize the power of metal and came to enjoy it. That was mostly thanks to Metallica from what I understand. But in the very beginning they had no idea what they had gotten themselves into. Now metal is amongst their favorite genre, although they do also still enjoy other stuff too.
So my point in all this rambling is that you are correct, it is a fusion. That is something they actually love to do. They experiment with combining different genres of music together. As such no two songs will sound alike. Somehow they always seem to make the fusion work really well. So hopefully you give them a couple more chances so you can begin to wrap your heads around just what is going on as it is sensory overload the first couple of times watching them. They are also trying to make it so metal doesn't HAVE to be about anger, and all that, but can also be a positive output with happiness and fun.
I think metal is experimental at its core so I approach it all with an open mind. Yes to some extent they are manufactured but the way I see it, their songs are composed instead of written. I was confused at first too but embraced it!
road of resistance live show and headbanger legend 1997 live show, will be critical hits for you i'm sure of that. Enjoy the world of Babymetal!!
Try Ijime dame Zettai live at Sonisphere 2014 official. The day the conquered the west. Historical performance by these young ladies
The day UK fell in love with BABYMETAL
BABYMETAL - Ijime,Dame,Zettai - Live at Sonisphere 2014,UK (OFFICIAL )
Yes they are indeed METAL. However, instead of shouting anger, it is HAPPY METAL that can cheer people up and make them smile😁
that was very good first reaction and worry not .... you need at least 3 or 5 songs ( from the 1st and 2nd album preferred ) to have a little understanding what is BABYMETAL. they have 50+ songs and not a single one sound the same so you will find a song that have maybe 90% of your liking.
with Babymetal there is a rule for their songs that you should know .... " expect the unexpected "
Hey Clay and Bo! Welcome to the wonderful world of BABYMETAL!
Clay, your dice fell off the table, I think that means you need to roll them again! It really takes three songs for newcomers to the group to really get to know them.
So to answer your questions: They have a long time metalhead producer (Koba) who heard Su-Metal (lead singer) sing, and thought her voice would work well with metal music so he built the group around her which is a fusion of J-Pop and metal music that they call "Kawaii Metal". Koba and all the members are part of the same talent agency (Amuse). They started BABYMETAL in 2010 when Su was 12, and Moa and Yui (original former member, had to quit due to health reasons) were 10. This Budokan 2021 concert was part of a 10 concert series which celebrated their 10 year anniversary. As far as if this is what they would have chosen to do: they have said they had opportunities to stop performing in BABYMETAL however they've chosen to keep going. As far as this being more of a musical: they consider themselves more live performers than recording artists. They're referred to in the Japanese media as a "metal dance unit".
Others will fill your comments with more suggestions, just keep in mind that BABYMETAL blends a ton of different genres together and all their songs are different so you could ask 10 BABYMETAL fans for a list of their top songs and you will get 10 different answers! I'm sure you will like at least some of what they have to offer, so keep going!
LOL, they are Metal Theater, the band was formed around the lead singer by a producer. She is an ex-Anime singer turned Metal and her dad was a Punk Rocker in the 90's. There are some good power metal songs like Headbanger. It will take a bit for your brain to process cuz it is such a new style of Metal.
You guys were somewhat right in describing their origin and the dynamics, and I can kinda understand the concern since metal bands for the most part have very humble beginnings with a few high school kids coming together and playing in the basement etc, but Babymetal also have their humble beginning although it's very different from the usual metal band. Some have already described in detail what I'm referring to. As for the music, they have a team of writers who compose their songs, the ladies then work hard to perfect the vocals and choreography, and this is the result. The live band are amazing session musicians known as the Kami Band, some of which have played with them for the past decade. Once you guys have a better understanding of the group, I'm sure you'll come to enjoy it more.
One thing that always strikes me about them is that every single aspect of their shows is on an incredibly high professional level. The vocals, the instrumentation, the songs, the dancing, the stages, the lighting… I think this is only possible when everything is done by a master of their craft. You can’t just have the five guys meeting in a garage do all of it by themselves and expect the same result.
they are in cinci september/06 :D ill try to get tickets, but for 2 person 400 (200 each) bucks its kinda heavy
ps try more from them u guys will see they are brilliant (quit song monochrome in first take) piano version is very nice and suzus voice are so sweet
pps they are more as critical hits they are, no words hits :D
More Babymetal please 😊
If you like the song, why worry about genre labels?
Love this... this is new, fresh, different... Basically "the future".
You should check out Road of Resistance live In Japan and you see why they are one of the best bands in the world 🌎 nice reaction give your honest opinion has a long time babyMetal fan appreciate that but yes is was there choices to form the band you have SueMetal lead singer and you have MoaMetal backing s vocals and MomoMetal has backing vocals they are incredible different but awesome but yes check out that song and has YuiMetal in it but she left the band years ago but it’s ok babyMetal still going strong 💪 today with new album 💿 out 😊😊👍👍🎸🎸🦊🦊🦊🦊
I dont know why people recomend this video, i love BM but i almost dont like any performances from the 2021 Budokan performances, maybe try "Road of resistance live in japan" and see if that gets that critical hit!!!!
Babymetal is a fusion of Japanese Idol (Jpop) and Heavy Metal. They have said so in many interviews. If people think they are a typical metal band that is their fault. They have talked many times about Kawaii Metal (cute metal) being their genre and how it's a fusion. Their first US tour they opened for Lady Gaga. They wore red tutus for years.
ok fellas, please don't make the mistake of thinking that this is all that they are, all their songs are different, they don't have any other song like this one, but the funny thing is, when you find their song that does touch you, you magically start to love all their songs, just wait, watch another 2 or 3 videos and then that will turn into 5 to 10 more, then all of a sudden you find yourselves reacting to another version of this song and it warms your heart, please give them a fair shot, these lovely ladies have worked their whole childhood for this band and now they are all grown up and continuing to rock the world. #notacult
Welcome to Babymetal world. If you don't bind yourself to genres, and what your definition of metal is, you are free to enjoy your music.
I am a D&D Player and DM for 30 years and a huge Babymetal fan,
True, they're scripted theatrical performance, the music is good, the performance is phenomenal - then nothing wrong with it, don't try put them into a stereotype box of how "metal" should like or how "band" should like - in fact they blend quite a lot of styles and genres with multiple of metal/rock flavors, it bring huge diversity and creativity unlike any other band, it's good music and enjoyable performance then just enjoy it.
The Babymetal team did a good job seperate what behind the scene to what they show in public, despite only 3 girls front it, but it a huge project with so many people involved, so you won't find the personal connection to the artists quite like how normal bands work - like how they created the song, etc... Instead you have the *In-the-moment* experience - only the result of their efforts, presenting to you by talented, hard-working, full on charisma performers.
Their intentions and dedication are so straight up and just pure on their music and performance that you'll only find overpriced merchs and tour, dates announcement from their official sources, no fan services, no sexualization, no scandals, no personal info, no interaction, no bs whatsoever around the girls (also because of that they have a lot of great crowd participation/interaction implemented in their performances - since these are only way fans can have somewhat close and direct interaction with them)
If you guys liked this live performance, you should also check out the live video of Baby Metal doing Karate at the 2016 Download Festival in England. They were quite a bit younger, but I think it's one the best versions they have done of Karate. A LOT of fan participation in that one. Just awesome.
Welcome to the foxhole. Babymetal is a unique group. They were formed back in 2010 as part of an Idol School called Sakara Gakuin. Su was 12 and Moa and Yui were 11. Their style covers all genres. They describe their music as Kawaii (cute) Metal. This song is basically about overcoming obstacles. And if you get knocked down you have to get back up. If you wish to continue your journey i suggest checking out Road of Resistance (Live in Japan) or Rondo of Nightmare with the mischiefs of metal intro
don't worry...knowing them is a journey, even they are gimmick, for me what they (3 teenage girls) achieve and fighting for their live for over 10years is really Heavy Metal and one more..they bring positivity to the world
To really understand Babymetal, I think it is important to start with their early songs from 10 years ago when they were just 14 to 16 years old and still commanding 20,000+ packed arenas. for Karate, check out the music video as it is epic. For most songs live is the better way to go, but Karate is one of the exceptions. Check out Headbanger! from the "Legend 1997" tour when Su was just turning 16 (it was her birthday) and Moa and Yui were both 14. The performance is nuts. Road of Resistance is another epic anthem. If you like prog metal, check out "Tales of the Destinies" (only performed once live). If you want to see them WAY back when they first were starting, check out the music video for Doki Doki Morning.
Babymetal is certainly an acquired taste. When I first heard them 7-8 years ago, I really didn't know if I liked it. But after giving them multiple listens, I really came to enjoy them for being such a unique sound/genre.
After seeing videos of them performing live, I became a true fan. This isn't a gimmick, they young ladies were and still are part of something totally different. They have faced non-believing metal fans for years at festivals, and continue to win more and more them over each time.
I am writing this without reading others comments. Your feelings are very common for 1st time listeners, especially those set in their ways. Babymetal faced all your points from metal elitist gatekeepers 10 years ago. They are performance art and highly respected in the metal community. Have played with and toured with Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Dragonforce, Rob Halford etc…. I am sure someone will write you a really long history of Babymetal somewhere but they really enjoy what they do and are way more then hired guns. I have seen loads of live concerts since 1985 and Babymetal is in my top tier of bands I have seen. Others include Iron Maude’s, Dio, Jinjer and Band Maid. You need to give them another watch. For me it was Ijime Dame Zettai from Sonisphere 2014. Many will point to Road of Resistance. Last point do lose the anime stuff. Japanese metal is great and those not used to it always bring the anime stuff, it is cringy as hell.
You are spot on about 90% of what you've said, but many metalhead fans after few songs embraced it for what it is.
For a more genuine, more metal and less pop opera style performances, I'd recommend their earlier stuff:
"Ijime, Dame, Zettai" from Sonisphere UK / 2014
"Headbanger" 1997 Apocalypse / 2013
"Road of Resistance" Live in Japan / 2015
These are all good starters, indeed. And for these guys i'd say Ijime first.
Rob Halford loves this group. That’s all I needed to know 😀
You might like to look at some videos of the 2017 Fox Festival, smaller crowds the band right on stage with the girls.
Do road of resistance official live in japan
Understand your just need to see more. Rob Halford has sung live with the girls. they won best touring act in Europe 2 years running. started very young11-13yo ,played major metal fests in Europe and UK ,wowing metal crowds everywhere, toured with Chilli Peppers. Sabaton. Guns n Roses. Yes it a mesh of J pop, metal, and Kabuki theatre, the girls have been a unit since junior high,
@paulread4889 Actually MoiMoi were still in elementary school (5th grade) when they began their BM journey and Suzuka was in 7th grade. Which for me makes it even more impressive
great reaction, it took me few listened before dig it. First, Karate is not the best one for introduction in the baby metal universe. Maybe check for "road of resistance " or Headbanger" that or more intense then karate.
The only part of BABYMETAL who (maybe) has auditioned for this were some of the musicians. None of the girls has. If you want to know more about the history: verything You Need To Know About BABYMETAL - A BABYMETAL Guide ua-cam.com/video/gDne0xwniTg/v-deo.html (fairly up to date; only misses their cameback after their "Corona-hiatus").
They've all auditioned for a jpop idol group and then they were doing what they were asked to do including taking part in Babymetal despite having zero interest in metal music.
I love Babymetal but lets be real about what it is and what it is not.
@@bury0777 > "They've all auditioned for a jpop idol group"
You probably mean Sakura Gakuin? Well... Yui and Moa auditioned for that. This much is true. Suzuka didn't even that. She and (at least) Ayami Muto were core members from the beginning, More or less directly transfered from Karen Girls.
> "and then they were doing what they were asked to do including taking part in Babymetal"
Definitely, this wasn't their own idea. So far so correct. But no one commanded them to do so! They, initially, were asked if they would be interested in doing another subunit called ju on(gaku)-bu (重音楽部, Heavy Music Club). If they hadn't agreed, this project (most likely) woouldn' have come to fruition at all. Though I remember from an old interview I've read, Kobayashi may have askesd Ayami instead in such an case but, ultimately, he wanted Suzuka to do this.
> "taking part in Babymetal despite having zero interest in metal music."
I would say the phrase "having zero interest" is very misleading in this case. Because not to have interes in something is a wilful act. In fact, they didn't knew metal at all at this point (which isn't a super big surprise concerning the Japanese music market in general and especially around the late 2000s/early 2010s) but decided to explore it. And there we are...
🤘🦊🤘
#notacult 😂
They are awesome and span a whole range of different types of songs. The concerts are so lit 🔥.
BABY METAL🔥🤘🦊🤘🔥
Road of resistance
It’s essential to see early BABYMETAL, when the girls were teenage Pop Idols (particularly the MV for MEGITSUNE), before exploring these later performances. It is the mashup of J-Pop, Death Metal, and EDM that makes BABYMETAL what it is. Idol Pop may seem strange to Westerners, but all the middle-aged Meralheads in Japan grew up listening to Idol Pop (it’s ubiquitous in Japan), so this has made perfect sense for them for the past ten years. The interesting thing about J-Metal is not how well they can ape your favorite bands, but rather how they can create fresh sounds and experiences for a 50 year-old genre of music. You might like the live performances of BABYMETAL DEATH, ROAD OF RESISTANCE (their most epic song), and RONDO OF NIGHTMARE, with the MISCHIEF OF THE METAL GODS INTRO, a fantastic showcase for the KAMI BAND.
It may not be quite a critical hit, but you forgot to add the Bardic Inspiration they bring to the table. It's one part Metal, one part Theater, and three parts enthusiasm and energy. (Karate is also, IMAO, one of the only songs that the "official" video needs to be seen to "get" the song) Keep going!
Have a reaction to iijime dame zettai live at sonisphere in front of 50k + uk metalheads or road of resistance live in japan for a masterclass in crowd control
You should react to Metal Kingdom They didn't even know what metal music was when they started but half their lives have been dedicated to Metal 4 albums, over a decade performing, and the eldest member, the lead singer, Su is only 25(the other two Moa 22 turns 23 in July and Momo 20 Just became official member this year)
It's called kawaii metal, translated as cute metal. It is its own genre. You are comparing them to straight out metal bands, which is the wrong way you are looking at them. They are musicians, performers, and all their shows are choreographed. I understand you feel that it seems it's all been put together and you are correct. It's a show with awesome music. Once you get past that feeling, you will enjoy them much more.
Watch this song and you will see babymetal with an English crowd. search for ijime dame zettai sonisphere and you can decide what you think of them after that. Performance is part of their shows. If you prefer someone standing still and having no charisma then this isnt for you
Best performance ever.
@@albundy5198 how’s Peggy doin Al?
@@Inosuke_Hashibira75 lazy as always
I really like reactions like this because it gives fans the opportunity to sell Babymetal to someone who is skeptical. It's always fun reading.
Don't take this as a criticism of your take on them. All I ask is that people are respectful and you were certainly that. Plus, I would have had the exact same feelings as you if I was brand new to Babymetal. It just always makes me laugh when I hear someone praise what they see and hear. 'The music was fantastic!' 'The vocals were very good and they are entertaining' etc. etc. Buuuuuit then out come the RULES. Why are there all these rules? Yeah I know, Standards!! You can't have a band with metal in the name not be conventional metal. They have some of the heaviest music your gonna hear but then the next song might be an edm dance song. You never know what you're going to get. The funny thing is, they have this ability to draw you in, even to styles you normally hate. I hate edm dancing tunes! Yet I like Babymetal dance tunes. I don't like vocal effects yet they somehow make it sound good.
The key is to let go of the rules and just have fun with it. I pretty sure we all listen to regular metal bands too. Babymetal is a refreshing change from the norm because metal can get a bit monotonous sometimes. Especially with all the rules applied to it.
If you guys have this doubt, it is necessary to get deep into it.
I don't recommend these songs right away for reactors but this will be an exception. React to Road of Resistance live in Japan or Ijime, Dame, Zettai live in Sonisphere UK
Road of Resistance
ua-cam.com/video/zTEYUFgLveY/v-deo.html
Ijime, Dame, Zettai
ua-cam.com/video/Ro-_cbfdrYE/v-deo.html
Karate is top notch but you know I don't think the live set you guys watched showcase that well the camera and set were pretty simple but the concert was amazing and better for other songs imo, despite Karate being top notch is not even close to being their best song imo lol not even top 10 for me because everything they do is another level, you guys didn't saw 1% of what they can do
👍 👍
Understood. We have seen many reactors have the same reaction and concerns that you do but once they have seen a couple more LIVE performances most become big fans and travel to see them LIVE.
BabyMetal began in 2010 there were Suzuka Nakamoto age 12 Moa Kikuchi and Yui Mizuno (Yui left in 2018 due to health reasons). Both Moa and Yui were 11 years old when the group began.
All three were friends and classmates who attended an idol school/group (Sakura Gakuin) founded in 2010 by Amuse Talent Agency for girls 10 to 15. Themed around school life (they attended regular school as well) the girls would learn and train at vocals, dancing, public speaking and etiquette, etc., graduate at age 15 and then move onto whatever entertainment path they chose or that suited their talents.
Key Kobayashi was a music producer for Amuse and heard Suzuka sing at age 9 and was impressed with her strong vocals and stage presence. Kobayashi was a fan of heavy metal but believed that the genre had become stale and tired (especially in Japan) with metal bands getting old Kobayashi believed the genre needed to be reborn (BabyMetal means the birth of a new metal genre). Kobayashi felt that Suzuka had the ability to front a metal band and that her vocals and presence could withstand the metal guitars and drums. The fusion of Jpop and Metal began. He placed Moa and Yui as backup singers/dancers and a phenomenon was about to result.
At first Amuse showed no interest and the girls had only financing from Kobayashi. They performed at strip malls and small venues using clothes borrowed from friends and family. No money for a real band they had friends dressed in homemade skeleton costumes pretending to play instruments to a backtrack. They became a sensation (these young ladies paid their dues). Amuse saw the potential and in 2012 hired the best session musicians Japan had to offer (The Kami Band) who tours with them today (now includes world class musicians from the USA for tours outside of Asia).
If you choose to explore more of BabyMetal I suggest reacting to LIVE performance videos as this is where they shine.
They have over 50 LIVE songs/performances and each one is different. They are fearless exploring many genres and have the respect of the legends of Metal such as Metallica, Slipknot, Rob Zombie, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Judas Priest and more.
Avoid Glastonbury LIVE performances as the sound production by the BBC (who was in charge of that festival did a terrible job - mics not turned on, incorrect volume levels, etc.)
Suggest reacting to these for a start.
Karate LIVE at 2016 Download Festival in the UK where 60,000+ British metal heads sing along with the girls.
Megitsune LIVE at Budokan 2021
Syncopation LIVE
Road of Resistance LIVE in Japan
Headbanger LIVE
Tales of the Destinies LIVE
Yava LIVE with Kami Band intro at 2017 Fox Festival
Catch Me If You Can LIVE with Kami Band intro
At their concert in Yokohama on April 1 it was announced that a permanent third member Momoko Okazaki (who is also a graduate of Sakura Gakuin and has been appearing with them LIVE since 2019) has officially become the third member.
Their new album in my opinion that released March 24 is amazing with so many different styles.
Good luck and hope to see you again.
🤘🏽LOVEBITES RULES🤘🏽
Great first reaction guys, but as Su-metal says "Don't think! Feel".
BABYMETAL - DIVINE ATTACK - ua-cam.com/video/JBUQEPU8RcA/v-deo.html
😁😁😁🤘
分かるよ
私は日本人 カリフォルニア・ロールは口に合わない
触れ合ってきた音楽スタイルがあったのに
BMみたいな超変化球が来たら
いつまでも？？？って感じになるさ
DEATH
Very cool!!!
The first contact with Babymetal really can be summed up with 'What???".
But the quality of the performances, production and audience participation usually leads to watching another performance, and another, and another... No two songs are alike, each one is a surprise, always with very good metal elements mixed with some genre.. There's rap, pop, Indian, rock... If you're going to do other reactions, always look for the live versions... I leave as suggestions "Road of Resistande live in Japan - Official", "Death! - Legend 1997" and "BxMxC (Budokan 2021 Live)".
Welcome to Fox Hole!🤘🦊🤘
Karate is mid tier , not the best first song of theirs. Find yourself a good tour guide or you'll get lots with fanboy stuff.
Road of Resistance live
Megitsune (music video)
Rondo of Nightmare with Mischiefs of God intro Budokan live (my personal recommendation b/c it's heavy, shows off the band, and it's not cheerleader-re)
You can only speak for yourself. Karate is awesome.
@@allegorical karate is awesome, I was referring to it as an introductory type of song to Babymetal, anything that has that cheering type of stuff I'd would avoid for a first timer. But ya the hook is super catchy on this 😎
99% of the fans didn't become fervient BABYMETAL followers just by listening one song.
You have to give them a few tries for them to prove you their artistry and wild concept.
I don't know about you guys, but a friend got me into metal (and D&D) when I was 12 years old. The ladies in Babymetal weren't cast in their roles as adults. Babymetal's producer, Kei Kobayashi (Kobametal) is a metalhead. Over 10 years ago he felt that metal was at a low point in popularity in Japan and needed something to revitalize it that would appeal to the new generation. While working in talent agency Amuse's idol division he came up with the crazy idea of combining metal with J-pop/idol. He saw lead singer Su-Metal (Suzuka Nakamoto) perform with her previous idol group Karen Girl's and thought her unusually powerful voice and stage presence would be perfect to front his idea for a kawaii (cute) metal band. Against reasonable expectations, starting out with minimal support from Amuse performing at small venues and borrowing clothing for costumes, Babymetal found their audience and quickly growing success.
Su-Metal and Moametal (the two remaining original members; Yuimetal left in 2018) were introduced to metal around the same age as I was and have been immersed in metal music for over half of their lives now. The third girl on stage with them in that video, Momometel (Momoko Okazaki), started out as a support dancer in 2019 filling in Yui's spot but was just announced this past April 1st (2023) as an official member of the group. She's a bit younger but went through the same idol group / training program (Sakura Gakuin) as Su and Moa. As a kid herself, she followed their careers and had been a fan of their music before getting to work with and officially join them.
Ok, boomer.
The original music video is much better...
You're over-analyzing the music & seeing/hearing it from within a box. This song you are reviewing is not by Anthrax or by Slayer. It's by BABYMETAL, hence the name. It's a different genre of music that merges Pop Music & Metal, which is called "Kawai Metal." It's like analyzing Rock 'N' Roll music when its style was first heard. Rock 'N' Roll is a hybrid of Blues, Gospel, R&B & Country and you'd be sitting there saying its not Blues or it's not R&B. And it's not. It's Rock 'N' Roll music just like BABYMETAL is not "Metal" music. It's Kawai Metal.
"The group was formed in 2010 as a subgroup of Sakura Gakuin, under the vision of producer and longtime metal fan Key “Kobametal” Kobayashi. In an interview with magazine Metal Hammer in 2014, Kobayashi explains the impetus for his fusion of the ever-popular idol genre with the less-accessible timbre of metal music. “Metal is only getting older and older and the scene isn’t getting bigger anymore. I started thinking that I wanted to come up with something new, something that no one has ever done before, and that’s where Babymetal came from. The idea really just fell from the heavens,” Kobayashi said.
What Kobayashi did was put three teenage girls involved in a pop music & merged them with metal musicians called the Kami Band. Kobayashi created a new complete genre of music & has been successful for over a decade now, globally.
Jeff Walker, bassist and vocalist of London death metal group Carcass, sung Babymetal’s praise after seeing them perform in 2014 at Sonisphere. “It puts a smile on people’s faces. That’s what music’s about, isn’t it?! Enjoying it and not being so serious.”