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In February 2011, a group called "BABYMETAL" began to challenge the acceptance ability of traditional metal fans. When the three little girls first appeared on the stage in an unprecedented fusion performance form of "heavy metal + dance", controversy followed.
But even if there was much criticism about them back then, ten years later, they have proved themselves to some extent.
Article: Yang Zixu Editor: Taozi
For ten years, BABYMETAL has steadily gained loyal fans through changing live performances. They have attracted a large number of audiences on the music festival stages inside and outside Japan. Each of their albums has almost achieved good results, and the most recent one is ranked 13th in the Billboard 200 ranking.
Along the way, BABYMETAL has won the respect of veterans in the metal circle, and they have also established a style of the future by expanding the boundaries of music.
l2 BABYMETAL's two current members, SU-METAL (Kumoto Suzuka) and MOAMETAL (Kikiji Favorite) (group member YUIMETAL Yuyumizumi had withdrawn in 2018) recently accepted an exclusive interview with Billboard, reviewing their ten years as "metal idols", sharing how they first came into contact with Metallo , and their career turning points, as well as their upcoming collection. NORAIN, NORAINBOWBABYMETAL - METALRESISTANCE Japanese disk
Billboard:
First of all, let's go back to the beginning. Everyone knows that when you first formed BABYMETAL, you were not familiar with the heavy metal style. Can you give specific examples to tell me how you understood its charm?
SU-METAL:
For me, it was 2013, when I saw Metallicah in Summer, Japan Live performances at Sonic Music Festival. Before that, I only listened to the CD of heavy metal music , but the first time I experienced their live performance made me feel the charm of that sound.
This made me realize that "metal is the music that touches your heart, not your ears". I was shocked to find that there is such a powerful music in this world. It was then that I realized how magical heavy metal is.
MOAMETAL:
MOAMETAL:
When I was a small sample of Morning. From then on, I began to explore this style initially, but there were many scary people in the MV, who painted their faces white, and the music itself was basically a lot of so-called screams to me, so for a while I really couldn't understand the charm of this style.
But like SU-METAL, I saw Metallica's live performance in 2013 Out, it opened my eyes and I realized that metal music is amazing. It pulled me out of my shell, and now I can listen to metal anytime I want.
Billboard:
What is the biggest difference between live performance and the sound in the CD?
SU-METAL:
Well, first of all, there is a significant difference in volume, the sound pressure feeling is like "Is it the wind blowing?" The experience of using your whole body to feel music is very interesting, and the power of the audience. We have never seen anything like that...
MOAMETAL:
also has circles and diving! (laughs)
SU-METAL:
is right! (laughs) All these things add up to make people feel that the music is on that scene, and the same is true for BABYMETAL's concert, but I think the greatest thing about heavy metal performances is how artists and audiences jointly create this space.
Billboard:
BABYMETAL has made great progress since its early years. It is now a group that stands alone. It cannot be classified as the idol group of the original one, nor is it a heavy metal band in a true sense. Are there any special moments in your journey that make you feel that this group has entered a new stage?
MOAMETAL:
I think for me, it was when the MV of "Gimme Chocolate!!!" was uploaded to the Internet. I felt something change in my heart.
Before this, I just vaguely knew that there were people outside of Japan supporting us, but when I saw the video of "Gimme Chocolate!!!" there were many comments written in the language of countries I didn't know at all, I really realized that we also have a lot of fans abroad.
This made me very happy, and it also changed my meaning as a member of BABYMETAL.
Billboard:
"10 BABYMETAL YEARS" is a collection that condenses the history of your group's ten years into 10 songs. So which song is the biggest turning point in BABYMETAL's career?
SU-METAL:
My favorite is "Road of Resistance". Many of BABYMETAL's songs evolved through live singing. Some songs are only truly understood after I sing them on stage, and "Road of Resistance" is such a song.
In 2014, we held our first world tour, and the last performance was a special show in the UK. When we first performed this song as the finale, the audience also sang it with us.
After holding a series of concerts outside Japan in such a distant place, this last tour made us truly feel like we were going home. For the first time I realized: "That's what we've done in the past year."
At that moment, when everyone was singing, the song sounded like an encouragement, allowing me to grasp the theme of the song, which is "keep moving forward in places where there is no road." I thought: "We want to open up new worlds abroad with BABYMETAL, and we have to go to places without roads."
In this sense, this song has given me great support, and even until now, whenever I sing this song, it encourages me. I will recall concerts in different locations in the past and the scenes of singing this song on stage every time.
MOAMETAL:
Actually, I will also choose "The Road to Resistance" as our turning point. Just as SU-METAL said, this song has created the path we should take and is full of the characteristics of BABYMETAL, because we are going to places where there is no road. When talking about our group, this song has to be mentioned.
But if I were asked to choose another song, it would have to be "Gimme Chocolate!!!", because that song is really a turning point for me personally.
Billboard:
Since 2013, one of the themes of BABYMETAL is to usher in the revival of heavy metal music under the banner of "Metal RESISTANCE".
You have announced plans to hold 10 concerts at the Japanese Budokan in 2021, which will mark the last chapter of the "Metal Resistance" era. Do you think metal has been revived since you first embarked on this journey?
SU-METAL:
To be honest, I don't know how metal is in a wider field, I guess there may be many people who are still discouraged by this style of music. But I do feel that BABYMETAL has built a bridge between metal and many other things, such as J-POP.
In foreign countries, some children will come to see our performances; in large venues in Japan, there will be a family wearing cosplay to see our performances. So I think our group will gradually make everyone enjoy heavy metal music more easily.
A few days ago, I chatted with members of the Bring Me the Horizon band and they said this: "BABYMETAL is a metal music made by a group of girls who grew up listening to pop music. Now metal band is time to enter the pop world."
So I feel that another form of "resistance" is emerging.
I am very sure the breadth of heavy metal has been further expanded in our decade of music career, so in this sense, I think our "resistance" should be successful.
MOAMETAL:
I think the performance of the Wudang Hall will show us everything we have gained on the journey in the past ten years. It is also our thanks to everyone we meet on the road.
Ref:
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/9504315/babymetal-10-year-anniversary-interview/
