Interview / Babymetal: „Breaking the boundaries of music genres is what we do best“ (2023)

Knebworth, Great Britain, 2014. Three girls from Japan, back then aged 15 and 16 respectively, are given a seemingly impossible task: to impress 60,000 metalheads at „Sonisphere“, one of the biggest rock festivals in the world. Before the event, there was criticism of the organizers’ decision to let the group perform on the main stage. Because few groups cause as much division in the metal scene as Babymetal: with its eclectic mix of metal and J-pop, the group is either loved or hated. But the three front girls boldly pull off their set with their band … and elicit one of the strongest audience reactions since the festival’s creation. The story of the three Japanese teenagers, who create huge mosh pits and sing and dance in frilly skirts to brute metal riffs, goes around the world.

A lot has happened since „Sonisphere“. It was one of Babymetal’s first international appearances, but even before that they were well-known in their home country and their songs went viral on the Internet. At the latest since their world tour in the summer of 2014, they have been among the best-known musical exports from the Land of the Rising Sun, even scoring a performance at famous „Wembley Arena“ and a collaboration with Metallica. On Tuesday, they performed in Luxembourg for the first time – alongside Lordi as the opening act for Sabaton at Rockhal. Babymetal are still controversial, even though their sound has changed throughout the years. Su-metal (25) and Moametal (23) have explained their evolution toTageblatt. At the time of the interview, Momometal (20) had not yet been appointed a member, which is why she does not appear in it.

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Tageblatt: Su-metal, you are often referred to as „The Queen“ on the Internet. Moametal, you have a huge fan base too. Are you aware of your reach and the very dedicated fan community outside Japan?

Moametal: Oh, so I’m not „The Queen“? In that case, call me „The Princess“ (laughs). We can’t thank our fans enough for their incredible support over the years. We get such incredible energy from all of our fans, not just in Japan, but worldwide. We’re just so lucky to be loved by so many people, and hope everyone continues to follow Babymetal. I’m also the type of person who loves to be praised and complimented (laughs), so thank you for the continued support!

Su-Metal, what does it feel like to invite thousands of fans to do a „Wall of Death“ with only one hand movement?

Su-metal: It’s always so much fun during a live show to create this shared experience with the audience. When a big „circle pit“ forms, I notice how our fans look at me with a proud expression on their faces (laughs). Then I make eye contact with them and try to convey my enthusiasm to them. It’s a pretty fulfilling experience because I feel like I can communicate with our fans that way without even having to exchange words. We are able to share our enthusiasm and excitement, just be in the moment and enjoy the show.

You started out as an idol pop group. Did you ever expect that you would become so popular worldwide – especially among metal fans?

Su-metal: I vividly remember when the music video for „Doki Doki☆Morning“ was released,there were just so many comments in a vast number of languages. And even though there were a lot of critical comments, I just took it as a sign that a lot of people were interested in us, so I ended up taking that experience pretty positively. We never thought we would get so much attention. And looking back, I also remember enjoying seeing how the critical comments eventually turned into supportive comments.

How do you feel about people who dislike your music?

Su-metal: I think it all depends on whether they are familiar with Babymetal or not. If they don’t know us or their opinion is mainly based on our older videos, I would highly recommend them to watch our recent live performances and then form an opinion based on that. We are constantly changing and evolving, so I hope they will give us a chance.

How has your sound evolved throughout the years?

Su-metal: At first, our sound was mainly J-Pop, paired with metal. Then when we started touring internationally, we started incorporating many different sounds from different countries. I also think that being able to collaborate with a lot of phenomenal artists allowed us to expand the parameters ofour sound.

Moametal, did you have any moments on stage that were particularly memorable?

It’s the smiles of our fans that I see when I’m performing on stage. That’s the reason I perform, and it’s always so fulfilling. If I can be the reason you smile, I’m incredibly happy. Now that we’re back, I think there will be more opportunities to see our fans again, and I can’t wait to get out there and perform.

In the course of your career, you have already worked with a whole range of musicians. Which experiences have had a particular impact on you?

Su-metal: I would say the one with Rob Halford (Judas Priest vocalist, ed. note). Our performance together on stage was fantastic, of course, but what really impressed me was when he said to us, „You’re the future of metal, please continue making your music.“ Those words from such a metal legend meant everything to us and it’s thanks to him that we were able to continue on our path and are where we are today.

Are there any other artists you would like to collaborate with?

Moametal: There are so many! We^’ve already had the opportunity to tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica. I would love to do that again, and also with Bring Me The Horizon. I’d also like to meet Måneskin, who I’ve really enjoyedlistening to lately. The list is endless. (laughs) Just recently I had the opportunity to meet the members of the Backstreet Boys and we talked about how cool it would be if we could be on stage together. Their kind of music is a little different than ours, but breaking the boundaries of music genres is what we do best. That’s why I would be incredibly happy if we could collaborate with them in the future.

Metal and dance – a daring combination that the world hasn’t seen very often so far. You are constantly on the move during the performances. How do you manage to do all that at the same time without getting out of breath?

Moametal: Practice, practice and practice. All beginnings are hard, but hard work, dedication and perseverance make it possible. You just keep practicing and before you know it, you can sing and dance at the same time. This is not something you are born with nor something you can achieve with talent alone, it’s the result of repeated practise.

Not only your music stands out, but your appearance too. Can you tell us about the outfits you wear on stage?

Moametal: Our outfits are mostly black. I think that the color black suits Babymetal best, it gives a sense of elegance, grace and dignity. This costume has become a battle suit for us. Once we put it on, we feel invincible and it feels as if we can overcome anything and everything. Our current costume contains gold-colored elements, it shines and glitters from all sides. I like this costume because it seems to be a sign that „our future will shine“ (possibly a reference to their song „Shine“, ed. note). But to be honest, I would love to try on a different costume in a color other than black. Do you think the fox god will grant me that wish? (laughs)

Can you explain to our readers who don’t know Babymetal what the fox god is all about?

Moametal: I believe that the fox god (Japanese Shinto mythology includes a fox god, ed. note) can be an unpredictable and sometimes even a mean being. He presents us with a variety of challenges through which we grow both spiritually and physically. The Babymetal project has been a chain of miracles so far. They are not only due to our luck, but also the blessing of the fox god. Therefore, like our fans, the fox god is also a necessary and important figure for us.

Su-metal, you wrote the lyrics for „Divine Attack“. Would you like to write lyrics more often in the future?

Su-metal: That was the first time I wrote the lyrics for a song. It was a very interesting and educational experience. I see it as another way to communicate with our fans. But writing also taught me respect for the process of creating the songs. But I would like to try it again if I get the chance.

Moametal, is there any song from Babymetal discography that you particularly like?

Moametal: My favorite song changes all the time, it all depends on how I feel at the moment. That’s why it’s hard for me to single out just one. „Road of Resistance“ is one that I’ve always loved, though. I think the melody is very cool and it’s definitely a song that represents Babymetal. The lyrics reflect our great determination. But I also love the song because Herman Li and Sam Totman from DragonForce played the guitar parts for us. I think it’s a song that could appeal to both metal and J-Pop lovers. Please listen to it.

Scroll through our picture gallery for some impressions of the performance (© Editpress/Julien Garroy):