BABYMETAL

BABYMETAL is a Japanese metal dance unit formed in Tokyo in 2010. The current members are SU-METAL on vocal and dance, MOAMETAL on scream and dance, and MOMOMETAL on scream and dance. Conceived by producer KOBAMETAL, the project began as the Heavy Music Club of the school-themed group Sakura Gakuin. By combining idol-pop singing, exact choreography and the physical force of heavy metal, BABYMETAL helped establish a new form widely known as kawaii metal. The musicians called the Kami Band provide the live instrumental foundation, while choreography, costumes and mythology centered on the Fox God create a complete theatrical world around the songs. The original line-up consisted of SU-METAL, YUIMETAL and MOAMETAL. Early tracks including “Doki Doki Morning,” “Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!,” “Ijime, Dame, Zettai” and “Megitsune” defined the concept, but the 2014 debut album BABYMETAL and the viral spread of “Gimme Chocolate!!” transformed the group into an international phenomenon. A breakthrough appearance at Sonisphere Festival that year demonstrated that the music could connect with a large metal-festival audience. Extensive touring and support appearances with artists such as Lady Gaga, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses then made overseas activity central rather than exceptional. METAL RESISTANCE (2016) expanded the sound through power metal, metalcore and progressive construction, leading to landmark performances at Wembley Arena and Tokyo Dome. After YUIMETAL left in 2018, SU-METAL and MOAMETAL continued with rotating support dancers known as the Avengers. METAL GALAXY (2019) responded to that transition by incorporating musical colors and guests from around the world. Following the tenth-anniversary campaign and ten concerts at Nippon Budokan, BABYMETAL entered a temporary “seal,” creating space before the next chapter. The group returned in 2023 with THE OTHER ONE, and former Avenger Momoko Okazaki officially joined as MOMOMETAL, restoring a permanent three-member formation. Collaborations then accelerated through songs such as “METALI!!” and the Electric Callboy partnership “RATATATA.” For the fifteenth anniversary in 2025, METAL FORTH placed international exchange at the center of an album, connecting BABYMETAL with Poppy, Slaughter to Prevail, Bloodywood, Polyphia, Spiritbox and Tom Morello. By respecting metal tradition while repeatedly challenging its assumptions, BABYMETAL continues to turn Japanese music, dance and theatrical storytelling into a worldwide shared language.