BABYMETAL

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About BABYMETAL

Babymetal is a Japanese metal band that fuses heavy metal instrumentation with J-pop idol performance, a hybrid style often called kawaii metal.

Babymetal is a Japanese metal band that fuses heavy metal instrumentation with J-pop idol performance, a hybrid style often called kawaii metal. The group was formed in Tokyo in 2010 by producer Kobametal, who built the concept around vocalist Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-metal) after seeing her perform with the idol group Sakura Gakuin. Babymetal began as a sub-unit of Sakura Gakuin before becoming an independent act in 2013, with Moa Kikuchi (Moametal) rounding out the vocal and dance lineup; Momoko Okazaki (Momometal) joined in 2023.

The band's self-titled debut album, Babymetal (2014), introduced international audiences to the pairing of extreme metal riffs with idol-pop choruses and choreography. Metal Resistance (2016) and Metal Galaxy (2019) followed, with the latter making Babymetal the first Asian act to top the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. Metal Forth (2025) debuted in the top ten of the Billboard 200, a first for an all-Japanese band. The group has won awards at the Kerrang! Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards and Metal Hammer Golden Gods.

In 2016 Babymetal became the first Japanese act to headline Wembley Arena, and the band has since played major festivals including Glastonbury and Download. Performances center on tightly choreographed routines from Su-metal and Moametal, backed by a rotating cast of instrumentalists known as the Kami Band, blending symphonic and death-metal elements with pop hooks and elaborate stagecraft.

Original member Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal) left the group in 2018 due to health issues, after which Babymetal continued as a duo before Okazaki's addition restored a three-vocalist lineup.

Sources

• Wikipedia