I'm very open-minded when it comes to my music tastes. Yet if someone had to ask me my least favorite genres, I would be the first to say it would have to be country and metal. Not that I hate the genres, but they're indeed ones I don't really browse over often. However, there has been one genre that has made its way toward me very unexpectedly; Metal. Not just any metal, but metal that has a very different twist to it. I guess the best way I could explain it is like this. Imagine Korn fusing with Gackt, with a hint of kawaii culture, dubstep, and j-pop. You end up with Babymetal.
Babymetal is an idol band made up of three different girls. Their names are Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-metal), Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal), and Moa Kikuchi (Moametal). The most surprising thing I find about this group is their ages. They started the group when two of them were only twelve years old, with the other one being fourteen at the time. Their debut song, "Doki Doki Morning", earned a million views on their music video in just a month after it was uploaded.
The majority of idol culture in Japan is depicted as extremely cutesy. However, this one takes a different turn. Instead of upbeat bubbly music with pastel colors and cute girls jumping around, you have three girls who wear darker clothing and are accompanied by a metal band behind them. They still are sure to include a hint of that classic Japanese idol aesthetic, but just barely. Honestly, you can only see it in their dancing and some of their clothing. That's about it. Other than that, you witness a more metal version of your typical idol group. They deliver a lot more than just straight metal music. Some of their songs include dubstep, rap, and pop. They're not afraid to incorporate other types of music genres mixed with metal, which is honestly something I have never seen before. I find it the most intriguing part of their group. They definitely know how to take a different turn with their music, and I think that is what really captured me in all of it.
Even if j-pop and metal isn't your thing, I still recommend giving them a listen. I didn't think it was going to be my cup of tea, either, even though I have always loved j-pop. It's definitely something different I have brought into my music library and I have no regrets. My personal favorite songs are "Gimme Chocolate!!!" and "Uki Uki Midnight" . "Uki Uki Midnight" actually is one of the many songs that smacks you with a different genre in the middle of the song, which in this case, is dubstep. It's pretty sick. Another good mix of genres is the song "line!", which has a pretty sweet rap part.
Babymetal has been so huge that they have been noticed by some of us Western folk, including The Fine Bros and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. There were even some popular YouTubers that have watched their music videos and found themselves to really enjoy it. See their reactions, here!
