I’m Quite Intrigued by Babymetal & “Kawaii Metal”



I’d suggest listening to the above song to get an idea of what I’m talking about but really, you don’t have to listen to the song if you don’t want to. I’d recommend it, they’re three very talented young women and they’re quite good at what they do.

Who are ‘they’ specifically? They’re a band called Babymetal and as you could’ve guessed from their name, they’re a metal band. The band is composed of leader Su-metal (16), Yuimetal (14), and Moametal (14). They debuted in 2010 and have come so far that they are set to become the youngest musicians to play at Nippon Budokan in March, they have a combined age of 14.6 years which is less than the previous record of 15 years old. Babymetal began as a sub-unit for Sakura Gakuin and people thought they’d disband quickly. But yet, the sub-unit will be surpassing their mother unit come March. Quite amazing, no? It seems like Babymetal isn’t leave anytime soon.

Babymetal, as their managers say, doesn’t fit under any current genre of metal. They’re creating a new genre: kawaii metal. Kawaii metal is literally the fusion of J-pop idols and heavy metal. Theoretically, idols and heavy metal should not mix. They are the farthest things apart when it comes to music. J-pop idols are usually very cutesy and girly. Heavy metal is well… Not cutesy and girl. About the exact opposite of it really. So in theory, a fusion of J-pop and heavy metal shouldn’t work well but Babymetal makes it work. And they make it work amazingly. When I first listened to them, I didn’t know what I would think about them but I can tell you that I didn’t think I’d fall this in love with them. Perhaps it's because I'm a fan of both metal and J-pop, but I really am liking these girls.

These three girls are very talented at what they do. I, in particular, am a pretty big fan of Su-metal. Su is only 16 but she’s got an amazing voice. She could use some work on her projection but overall, she’s a very talented vocalist for her age. I do hope she gets a long career in music. I’ve really come to love these three. But no worries, SCANDAL and Silent Siren will always stay at the top of my list. (〜 ̄▽ ̄)〜

I can admit that Babymetal is about as manufactured as any group/band could ever be. When Babymetal was first formed, the three girls didn’t even know what metal was. That is how manufactured they are. They started as a group created solely to make money for a talent agency but have since become a real metal group. In recent months, the girls have begun singing live. They do still lip synch from time to time but that depends on the dance. If their dance is particularly strenuous, the managers will have Su and possibly Yui and Moa lip synch. Most of the time, however, they are singing live and have a live band playing with them. They have come from a manufactured group to a group where the girls are actually playing a real part in their music. I love the path Babymetal has chosen and I hope they continue with it.

To be honest, I’ve seen a lot of people insulting Babymetal, even some going as far as to sexually harass them. I don’t even want to touch that because I will cross the line into bashing very quickly. Let me remind you that you are sexually harassing children, and I’ll leave it at that. I’ve seen a lot of people insult Babymetal by calling them “talentless” or saying they’re “not real metal”.

Talentless? I think not. Just watch them live on stage:



Even if you don’t like Babymetal, it’s not right to call them talentless. Whether or not “kawaii metal” is your thing or not is moot really; even you could admit these three young ladies have talent. Think about it, when you were fourteen (or if you are fourteen) could you do what Moa and Yui are doing on stage? If you’re 16, could you do what Su is? Probably not. Not a lot of people their ages can pull off a life like this and keep up with it. Let me remind you that these three are also school students. Moa and Yui are junior high and Su is high school. They are juggling a full time school schedule on top of their career schedule. Now tell me again they’re “talentless”.

Fun fact: the first song Ijime, Dame, Zettai roughly translates into No more bullying…. Metal fans could learn a thing or two from this song evidently. Everyone could learn a thing to two from Ijime, Dame, Zettai.

As for them “not being real metal”… Can I say one thing? Cut the elitist stuff. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s not “real”; that's pure elitism and I'm frankly sick of it. Like them or not, Babymetal is real metal. They’re not heavy, they’re not thrash, they’re not death, they’re not any existing genre. They’re kawaii metal and they’re creating something new. So stop being stuck in the elitist mindset and open your mind. In particular, it makes me sad when I see women participate in the bullying of these three. You are a female metal fan, you should know more than anyone what it's like to be bullied and sexually harassed. Maybe it's just the American metal scene but from my experience, sexism unfortunately runs rampant in metal. I've been through my own fair share of insults and sexual degradation because I'm a female metal fan.

I find it slightly ironic that metal fans are insulting and hating on Babymetal for being different… You’re a metal fan! Is deviating from the “norm” of society not a core part of the metal scene? Metal fans have long since prided themselves on being different and not being scared to be themselves. So when something deviates from the norm of metal, you hate it? That’s ironic and hypocrisy. Honestly, Babymetal is metal because they are deviating from the norm of society. Most J-pop idols wouldn’t touch metal if their life depended on it, but these girls have and they seem to be really enjoying what they’re doing. They put so much work and effort into their music, I doubt they'd do this much if they didn't at least like what they were doing.

Babymetal was a risky experiment but it’s paying off. Lots of people internationally are enjoying Babymetal’s music. I do hope the girls continue to grow in fame. I’d love for Babymetal to become as big as SCANDAL is. To give you a hint, SCANDAL is the most requested girl band in Japan. They’re very big and very popular, and they’re not even idols. For an all-girl band to get this big and not be idols, it shows how talented SCANDAL is. But they’re beside the point right now. Also, three months until SCANDAL's Hawaii performance and I can’t wait~

My point here is don’t be so closed minded about music. If you don’t like Babymetal then fine. But don’t sit here and insult them. Don’t be an elitist and insinuate they’re not “real” because you simply didn’t like them. Keep an open mind and for the love of god, stop it with the elitist stuff. It doesn’t look good on the metal scene.

So, does anyone else like Babymetal?
February 22nd, 2014 at 12:50am