Baby Metal is honestly a band that's grown on me over the years. Their first few albums were abit all over the place and could never really get into. But as the band has matured their albums have gone from strength to strength. And their 2023 album was an absolute banger, Ending up amongst my favourite albums of the year alongside Sleep token, within temptation, Polaris and katatonia. And completely agree, I'm excited to see where they go from here. Something I honestly wouldn't think I'd ever have ever said 5 years ago.
You're calling a J-pop group "industry plants?" I watched an Ultraman Tiga video and know nearly all J-pop groups are industry plants. So, you're not wrong.
Today there's an pretty huge and lively metal scene in Japan and I think a lot of it has something to do with Baby Metal. One example Jiluka is a totally different take on the Death Metal thing combining it with the genre of Visual Kei. Or this - Gravity - ruclips.net/video/7UPkbzHSRWg/видео.html Or this - Attack on Awake - ruclips.net/video/yTWaR5buRVY/видео.html
Very good video, but just to clarify one detail, this last album was not the first time that the singers contributed lyrics to a song, that had already happened since the first album, in the song Yon no uta.
God that song is awesome. If you’d have told me ten years ago I’d be jamming out to a combination of EDM, metal, and J-pop, I’d have looked at you like you had a toe growing out of your forehead….yet here we are…lol
@@yankeesrule587 they did a song with BMTH 4 years ago. It's totally cool for people to just be discovering them, but i really don't think it can be called a sudden rise
@@zeroskaterz92u maybe not in America but 2014 they did Japan stadiums they’re literally plants are you denying they are ? How long do you think they been around because not sure why all you kids think they started in 2016
@@asuraXTC Japan stadiums? Be specific. It's like you don't know wtf you're talking about here and just thrown random words hoping for it to stick. The fact that you couldn't even bring up the location is hilarious. They've been around since 2010, not 2014. Wtf are you even on about? lmao
@@asuraXTC Who cares if they are "plants"? They're talented musicians and make good music. I don't think they have ever claimed to be completely organic and not a product of a company/producer.
I think there are a lot of metalheads like me that have always been turned off by the toxicity of many metal scenes. There's none of that at their shows. Everybody just rocks out and gets to dance with no judgement or egos.
Babymetal is metal with all the tryhard edginess shaved off and replaced with pure fun. They take metal back to the days when it didn't take itself quite so seriously.
They're not for me, but I think they're a cool innovation and all the more power to whoever does enjoy them. We need to stop gatekeeping shit that isn't just burly men growling about mutilation.
I agree completely. It's lke the musical version of cilantro. Just because you don't like it and think it tastes like soap, millions do like . They confuse "I don' like it" with "That's not good and must be destroyed". Dude, just don't eat the cliantro and move on.. ;)
For all the hate that idol units get, is it really all that different from the classical music scene were musicians audition to join an ensemble where they will exclusively perform music written by others?
Yes it is, becuase marketability is everything in the idol industry, on an ensamble the best musician gets the role, on an idol group that's not teh case, you can be the best singer and dancer but if you are seen as ugly or are old you will never get selected for an idol group, unless they made a gimmick group of old and "ugly" women. I'm sure that no one in Babymetal was selected because they were the best singers, dancers, they were seleted because on that time they filled the role of being "cute" perfectlt to make a contrast with the agressive music like "just see all of these young and cut girls singing super agressive music, is adorable" remember none of the member were even 15 when the group started, and also Babymetal wasn't supposed to last that long it was just a one off project that would most likely stop after the first album if it wasn't for the reason that it became massive. It started as a surbgroup of another idol group named Sakura Gauking, which that stuff is not uncommon in idol groups and is made for numerous reasons, like you have new members that you don't believe are ready to perform, well you made a sub unit and use it to help the members to practice and be ready when they upgrade to the main unit, or you have some members on the group that are super popular and you decide to make a sub group with only those members, a lot of time those sub units just make on album and a few shows before disbanding, unless they become really big, which is what happened to Babymetal it became so popular that it eclipsed the original group which doesn't even exist anymore.
@@Ms666slayer well su metal was selected because of her vocals and then moa and yui metal were selected because they look similar and to be "little angels dancing around su as she sang". sumetal was also apart of the "sweet sisters" (which became mini pati in sakura gakuin) which was formed by koba also. so he really did like su's vocals and stage presence
@@NeverlandSystemPunkGirlChloe Exactly this was one of the problems. For a long time idols were a good machine to produce cheap talents for certain purposes. Then came the overqualification time and then a huge drop of quality in every aspect
Yeah, just because you're not paying attention doesn't mean it didn't exist. Most people learn to project object permanence to the past before they're out of elementary school.
There was this really cool moment in one of there interviews, they were playing some big festival and sue said she was really excited to see see bring me the horizon halestorm and Paramore. I was like "oh those are exactly the kinda bands a girl her age would like if they were in to metal" it really showed that she wasn't some mindless recording artest just cashing a pay check. Really cool.
Just recently they were spotted at Sick New World rocking out to Slipknot's set from the AV desk area. Last year they also went to see Electric Callboy during a day off on their own world tour.
Babymetal was obviously not created as a cash cow. No one in their right mind would create something like Babymetal and just throw it out there thinking it would become popular automatically. It works because it's very well done and because of the obvious hard work and dedication of everyone involved.
I think it is, and the creative mind behind the band just saw all those millions of metal guys with a anime obsession that spend all their money on stupid shit and saw them as the perfect cash cow to suck dry
@@TheCivildecay Babymetal was planned as a temporary project to try something new in the safe space of Sakura gakuin (youth programe of amuse where Koba was in charge of). They had no budget for proper costumes or a live band. When Suzuka was to old for Sakura gakuin Babymetal could have been easily canceled. Instead they fought for it und started to invest in the best live band they could get and marketing outside Japan.
@@TheCivildecay why do you assume Babymetal fans are anime fans? I don't know any such fans. I don't give a crap about anime and Babymetal has nothing to do with anime.
@@Ramon-gg3bdwell Sakura Gakuin wasn't a cash cow. If you watch thier performances theres like 12 people at them, mostly thoer family. This wasn't some huge production. Theres was no money invested in the show. Seriously you should watch some of the clubs like the food club. Nobody could predict the success. The genre didn't exist. Femals as leads wasn't even that succesful then. There was never any dancing stuff in metal. You're looking at things from a 2024 perspective with the success of Band-Maid, etc... but they didnt exist. They probably wouldn't exist without Babymeatl first. There was no audience calling for cute metal.
BabyMetal's music is insanely infectious with their energy and lyrics. Also Suzuka's voice is so good, even in live performances where some people do not sound as good as the recorded version. But Suzuka sounds so incredibly good live. You need to watch them live to really enjoy BabyMetal to the fullest
If you get the chance to see them live, DO IT!! I had the opportunity to see them twice last month in San Francisco, and those were the most fun I’ve had at a concert!
Nice video. I'm a 49-year-old metalhead hooked to BABYMETAL since I first listened to them. I don't watch anime or play video games. Last year was my first time going to a BABYMETAL show and I can say that I need more, it's my favorite show ever followed by Bolt Thrower and Dismember (Death-Metal is my favorite genre) They now have the Western KAMI BAND playing on all shows since 2023 Chris Kelly on guitar, CJ Masciantonio on guitar, Clint Tustin on bass, Anthony Barone on drums
Considering many Japanese idols retire and move on to something else when they age out, I'm really grateful that 2 of the 3 original girls are still in the game. I think that being big in the West has influenced them and showed them that you can have a long music career, especially as a female artist. If they had gone into pop instead of metal, they likely would have moved on.
and the 3rd only really left because of health issues instead of saying like "ok I've made my money and had my fun, I'm done" but rather just not being physically able to do it anymore
@@amythistxue1 nice information, did not know. I wouldn't hold it against anyone to cash out for any reason, some things are more important: family, health, happiness.
New Kids On The Block, Spice Girls, and others were prepackaged products that had a single purpose: Make Money Fast Thus they started with all the backing from a big producer, all the money and all the slots in the FM radio and MTV. But behind the pretty faces and fake smiles there was nothing, so they last 5 or so years and then fade away. We are in the 14th Babymetal year and there is not an end in sight 😊 Another factor to consider; what happens when those groups who are only a machine for cash try to evolve, try to change their style? They crash and burn no amount of money from big record labels saved them. This didn’t happen to Babymetal, be it better management from Kobametal, the genuine interest from the girls in learning and do better each time, or everything together. Babymetal was a project born from Kobametal’s passion, had very little backing from the company Amuse, the girls started with borrowed clothes, acting in malls and in the underground idol scene, small stages with a capacity for 100-200 fans. The girls were 10 and 12 yr old when they were exposed to metal music, until then they aspired to be pop idols, actresses or tv entertainers, like the other girls who begin in the industry. Yes, they were scared, BUT they took it seriously and learned what metal was about pretty much the same way we did at 16, the difference was these girls did it on stage, singing and dancing to it, in front of people who paid to be there, that was brave. They overcame the departure of their friend Yui-metal due to illness and the death of Mikio, the guitarist, other groups break apart from something like that, but Su and Moa didn’t break apart and forged ahead, they’ve learned to love what they were doing and we, the fans received those emotions, this is genuine. The Fox God blessed us, we are The One. #notacult
I was in Rockmakan in Tokyo a couple of times. Pretty much the underground music HQ. Small venue, maybe 200 capacity? There are photos of BABYMETAL from when they played there in their early days.
If it weren't for babymetal blowing up, I probably wouldn't have discovered Japanese metal bands like Hanabie that are now making waves here in America.
It's so weird to me because Japanese metal was on the rise and becoming huge in the late 2000s. Then something happened with Japan and copyright and the surge kind of stopped back then. I'm just glad they are finally getting their dues internationally again.
I think they're authenticly inauthentic, and that's the brilliance of them. Even in interviews, there's no attempt to pass them off anything but a stage-managed act giving their all. Musically, I really like that their aggressively masculine and feminine. It would be super easy to shift them into Rock Chick mode (which The Warning does brilliantly), so there's something really fresh about their sound. This has been toned down over the years as they grew up. But, really, the thing I love, love, love is they capture the joy I always felt listening to metal. Having these gleeful girls in front of this really heavy music expressed something primal I'd never seen expressed before. You could play and dance to this awesome heavy sound... instead of just thrashing around to it.
Yeah, I dig it! The metalheads that dismiss them forget that they've got the fundamentals of metal down. Especially the stage show and the musician's proficiency in their instruments. Their stage show is on par with the likes of Iron Maiden or Motley Crue. It's awesome!
I started listening to Babymetal when my twin girls were babies. They were colicky and only loud music in my headphones would drown out the constant screaming. A lot of said music is dark and a bit depressing. Baby Metal was upbeat and I couldn't understand the lyrics, which was great. I may well have lost my mind entirely during this time without their music, so they're always going to occupy a warm place in my heart.
The Fox God thing is called a Kitsune. It's a type of Yokai, which has no direct translation, but Yokai are another form of supernatural entity like Ghost, Demons or fairies. Kitsune have inspired loads of designs in media like Ninetails from Pokémon, or Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog maybe being the most well known examples.
Actually there is a fox god, the inari god is the god of rice and foxes. The correlation is because the scent of fox pee deters rodents that would eat the rice so farmers started deifying foxes as servants of the inari ookami
Seeing you swap opinions on them after a single BMTH collab like you haven't been shit-talking both them and the fans for many years is absolutely hilarious.
The concept of Babymetal doesn't sound great on paper: 3 cute girls doing choreographed dancing and singing to a mix of pop and metal. But when you see them live...wow. There is nothing like them! So happy I found them...
It absolutely sounds like a disaster on paper. Even in Japan, metalheads HATE j-pop idol music with a passion, and for the j-pop fans heavy metal is just noise. Mixing the two will have a target audience of... who exactly? They had only haters at the beginning, and no budget. This was not a brilliant idea, this was the stupidest idea in the music industry ever. What made it work is that everybody involved in the creation of this group is an absolute unit of talent working as hard as they can. There were attempts by other groups to copy the recipe, they all failed because the lack of this secret ingredient.
@@traylor2502 There is quite a few fairly successful idol metal groups like Broken By the Scream, Hikari Shiina/Pikarin, BiS, early BiSH, and lots of much smaller acts.
Is it intentional irony to call it the "sudden rise of Babymetal"?. They've been around since about 2011, meaning they've lasted longer than The Beatles, and have recovered after not just one but two tragic losses - Yui Mizuno and Mikio Fujioka.
Baby metal fans getting mad in comments over “sudden rise”. The video explains the “sudden rise” happened over a 10-14 years period. The video is for those who just discovered Baby Metal.
I'm a big fan and I'm not mad at all. I have learned to disagree a lot with Finn, but I respected his knowledge. I even agree with the notion "industry plant".
Maximum The Hormone - I love them, especially Yoshu Fukushu, but they‘re not really representative of "modern" Japanese metal. They‘re pretty much old guys/gals by now.
Not really into them, though I have zero issues with what they do and how they've gone about it. And I absolutely love the fact that their mere existence makes so many metalhead elitists/snobs rage. For all the goofy stuff some metal bands do, from costumes to theatrics, you're going to come at these ladies? Please.
Never gave them a chance, but definitely gonna give them a listen on my way to work. Love pop melodies over heavy music, so seems like something I’d be into
I saw an interview with them a few years back and they said they'd never even heard metal music until the band. But the bands they were playing festivals with were some of the nicest people ever and they name checked some bands. I'm not a huge fan but I like them and the weirdness to my American ears
For the last 40 years Metal bands have all looked and sounded exactly the same. Lots of long haired guys with guitars, wandering around on stage, and screaming loudly. BabyMetal revived Metal in an incredibly unexpected way and created a new fan base for the genre. BabyMetal saved Metal.
They're playing a bunch of the big metal festivals in Europe in June if you're in that part of the world. Other than that, it doesn't seem like they have much other touring planned for this year. They did a massive world tour last year, so they're not doing as much.
I was introduced to them through gimme chocolate being produced by the front man of AA=, with getting married and having kids I had practically checked out of listening to metal but baby metal and electric callboy reinvigorated my interest, so fresh and full of energy and now they’re going to collaborate on a new song which is awesome
@@potatodavid1987cut him some slack lmao Babymetal always put on their craziest and most elaborate shows in Japan. I would love to see them live in Japan once.
@@michealrosen It still took them years to even start to get hype. Baby Metal formed in like 2010-2011 and didn't start to get talked about until about 2014.
Kind of surprised this video doesn't mention that one of the girls left the group in 2018 or 19, and for a while BabyMetal was just a duo with a rotating third dancer. I believe they have a new permanent third member now.
Yui left BABYMETAL in October 2018, although she hadn't been on stage with the group for a year before that. Momoko became a full BABYMETAL member in April 2023, after being a supporting dancer since 2019.
Yes, they ditched the tutus for a more mature look in 2018 as well, not as recently as Finn suggested, but overall I think his summary is pretty decent.
Industry plants isnt a concept that really exist in idol culture ( in japan or even korea ) bc they all come from very curated companies. They train them, teach them everything they need to become celebrities and then debut them. Like pretty much every idol could be considered an industry plant if you look at it from a western point of view. Its rare that japanese artist become famous from posting RUclips covers for example like it can happen in the western world
Yeah, in the West musicians have this expectation that they are "organic", real, and not someone who got where they got because they had powerful people behind then from the start, a reason why many people hate "boy bands" who are put together by labels and not because five guys wanted to dance. In East and South East Asia, having a label behind you and creating and curating your image is pretty much expected, especially when you're an idol, and the industry and groups don't hide this fact because it's normal. Besides, Babymetal was one of the groups who did NOT have company support beyond being made under a label, they had to make their own costumes and hire their own musicians when the singers were barely teenagers and the producer was given the cold shoulder and losing money to keep the project afloat. It took them years to start getting some real traction, while most idol/j-pop/k-pop groups actually get famous overnight because the label advertises them from day one.
Songs like Gimme Chocolate went viral and had me intrigued but songs like Rondo of Nightmare really showed me what they could do. Amazing talent from both the instrumental band (Kami Band) and the girls. They never pretended to be grass roots, they just did theyre jobs really well.
This idea of "industry plant" has gotten so ridiculous and out of control. If someone's music is good then their music is good. This idea that someone didn't "work for it" is such a ridiculous power fantasy that people have. I get that the video title is sudo tongue and cheek for the YT algorithm; but there are an insane amount of people that actually have this power fantasy around an artist having to struggle for years, or do every single thing %100 themselves, to make it.
Eh. It's less about "earning it" and more about people being forcefed or the band fasttracked to the top because of corporate money. Its fine, if you like it, you like it. But a lot of people are not exactly comfortable having certain music artificially put above songs that were genuinely liked and became popular because of it.
I don't think "industry plant" is some dirty thing that can never happen. As stated above, if you like it, you like it. I do see a point in placing higher value on artists who make it more organically. There's room for both, but if the grassroots artists die off I think we have a problem on our hands.
I dont really understand how it would be a "power fantasy" to acknowledge that the music industry props up, funds & markets certain acts and styles of music (leaving Baby Metal aside). That's just how capitalism functions everywhere including the music industry; the people with money & power influence how things will go in order to bolster their chances at getting a return on an investment. The bigger the bet, the more they expect to make in return, the more they leverage their influence to put things in front of more people to have a greater chance at success. All of these systems are pretty fucked nowadays but it's still operating from the same core principles: gambling, spending money to make money, the more you can spend the more you can make back. This, in turn, marginalizes acts that don't have the same amount of resources at their disposal, who have to work the system the hard way through relentless small touring circuits, self-releasing and/or independent label publishing, printing their own merch, doing their own marketing etc. just to be self-sustaining and hopefully make a living. And some are content to just reach that stage because it's more practical or because the freedom to make the art they like matters more than being a wealthy celebrity. Many of the things that are the most popular didnt get that way by pure chance because an artist just happened to be so talented and driven. It's like the myth of the self-made billionaire, it's technically possible--with an astronomically low percentage chance--for someone to start with absolutely nothing and became a huge success, but the people who start with or gain an advantage of resources and promotion are able to succeed because of that, where someone who is an equal talent might toil in obscurity because they didn't find a big investor to promote them (or didnt want one that they might have to answer to). That's largely what the music industry is at the level of "major label" media corporations, what it exists to do. It's like a craps table where insiders are making bets on trends and artists, except they get to influence where the dice land. In the age of streaming services being one of the biggest markets with the smallest returns for artists it may even be worse than ever with this stuff.
Way to change my thoughts on Babymetal, Finn 😅 I had done zero research on them, and pretty much wrote them off as a gimmick. It's actually really cool to hear about the direction they're going. Maybe it's time I give em another listen.
1st saw them play live in 2016 and was blown away by how good the band are and how synced the singers were, amazing band, was a bit uncomfortable wondering if I was allowed to enjoy it though 😆
The F. Hero, Bodyslam, Babymetal collaboration is absolutely amazing. Also, more mention of Polyphia's contribution on Brand New Day could have been a good thing.
@@SamBrockmann See the live version. During a short break (drum & guitar will be on extended play) the vocalist will ask for the crowd to jump after the breakdown. See crowds in Europe & Asia. They responded well.
Great video! I actually never really listened to them (aside from Kingslayer). After hearing some of the songs in this video though, I definitely need to look into them more.
I think the first metal band to make it big outside of Japan was the 80s band called "Loudness", but if you're not including 80s "hair metal", and only more hardcore styles, then I suppose Babymetal is the first.
loudness was the first to break in america. Yes, it was years ago and targeting a metal audience. Likewise there was the odd metal band that managed to play some underground shows. You also have the several visual kai bands that did well in america but that too was very niche and specific. Babymetal is the first to gain mainstream attention. Not sure if i can think of anyone else
Who the fuck cares if someone is an industry plant? Just be better than them if they are so bad lol you might make less money, but at least your pride is in tact. If that matters to you
Thank you for taking the time to dig deeper into the Foxhole after your first, not so favorable impression. I'm happy to see that we agree on KobaMetal's authentic passion for metal to be the key component for their success, and the talent and commitment of the girls too, of course. When I see them now, headbanging on stage with Oli, or watching a Slipknot show, it's hard to think of them as a mere product of the industry, they truly belong to the genre. 🤘🦊⚡️
Here's a fun fact about From dusk til Dawn: that song is only on the english version of the album. The jp version of the album has a song called "Syncopation" in that same place which has a more anime sound too it. Just something to add to the stuff in the video.
Good on Babymetal members dealing with all the crap they've gotten through the years. I remember Metallica and Rob Zombie fans giving them shit years ago, just for the musicians to stick up for these girls. Of course, they've had a few lineup changes, but it's amazing to see how well they're doing as a whole! Edit: personal fave collab is Kingslayer with BMTH. So good
They're the freshest sound I've heard in 20 years or more. Heavy as fuck and they make me smile, what's not to like. There's a shitload of music out there, there's space for everyone. Enjoy what you like, for me, it's Kitsune up and Babymetal Forever 😎
So sad that Finn butchered his first look at the japanese metal scene. ..mostly because these are band who formed naturally, and consists of truely professional musicians. Hope he does a revision and use credible sources as Gaijin Guys, who are all musicians and got big love for the Japanese music scene.
Lol, no they didn't. Maybe in the West because we don't know how to look for anything and go what by the algorithm recommends. Bands like BandMaid, etc, aren't a hit in Japan because of Babymetal. LMAO.
Babymetal are amazing. I have the utmost respect for them as performers. Even when I listen to other extreme metal now I’m imaging Babymetal covering the tracks and it elevates everything
I think they ALSO brought Jpop and JRock to people that never would have heard it. Also FIRST big Japanese rock Band?! Metal maybe... but X JAPAN!!! Seriously... Their visual kei thing REDEFINED that stuff in the US with the theatrics... and hell they did orchestral stuff before Metallica and most "symphonic metal" was doing it. So... yeah...
They are a producer driven project, yes. If that makes them an Industry Plant, they are. Do I care? No. They touch me like few other bands do. Apart from the slightly misleading title (intentional?) this is one of the most level-headed, condensed and balanced descriptions of Babymetal I've ever seen. Good job!
Instead of worrying about "industry plants", I wish that energy could be spent normalizing the fact a lot of musicians are strictly performers, not songwriters. I feel like there have been so many post-hardcore/metalcore/deathcore records written solely by either the band's guitarist or drummer, if they weren't straight ghost-written by the producer.
There's definitely not (as much of?) a stigma for such stuff in Japan. Ryo Kinoshita has been very open about Yosh from Survive Said The Profit being his lyrical/songwriting partner.
BM were an idol group aimed at the Japanese audience. I doubt the international success was part of the original vision so no, it wasn't planned, they just rolled with it. There are lots of really good musicians in Japan who don't get as much international exposure as they deserve. Tour well produced, well played stadium metal act and you are going to get an audience. They put on a fun show. The Kami band has done a lot to legitimize them musically and taken them places they wouldn't be accepted doing mimed choreo to a backing track.
Su is a great vocalist, and the band slays. They have their market, and I am glad they have been so successful. Unfortunately, I think you are fetishizing them. Also, thanks for introducing me to the term about a year back. I have a good therapist if you need...
Babymetal are amazing and they really proved themselves over the years. I still remember discovering them in high school and was a fan ever since. Broken By The Scream is another band in this style that deserves more attention as well as they are more like a metalcore/deathcore/djent version of Babymetal but with four vocalists, two who sing, one who screams, and one who growls.
While I would agree that they are manufactured, they are in no way industry plants. how could anyone have predicted that a crossover between Japanese Idle and Metal would become popular. It's just too bizarre of a combo to believe that it would become popular outside of Japan, yet it happened.
It seems that there are not many RUclips channels outside Japan that delve into Japanese music at the grassroots level. Most of the information about the scene seems to come from Japanese blogs and websites. While there are some Japanese channels that discuss metal music on RUclips, it can be challenging to find them if you don't search using Japanese keywords. This may be why some metal fans in the West don't have a clear understanding of how metal is evolving within Japan.
IMO, the single best thing they did for the metal scene as a whole, they demonstrated girls can enjoy and dance to metal. The second best thing, is they are reaching kids and giving them something other than rap as musical inspiration. The Fox God aspect is a gimmick in the minds of people who follow Christianity. However, if you watch some the live shows out of Japan, it's no gimmick. Many of those in attendance are straight up, there to worship, as if in church. That is the secret to the crowd participation you see in those shows. I have watched a lot of analysts and reactors, no one mentions it. The key they used to unlock old school metalheads in the states, is the shear talent of the musicians in the band. If you want to gain respect from this group of people, you have to have chops. If you don't, you will be treated accordingly. It's what sold me on the band. From your story, you as well. All in all, it's a fiery tale scenario for everyone involved. They are the biggest band to ever come out of Japan.
I’m a huge fan of a Korean idol group named Dreamcatcher that has rock and edm influence that is pretty foreign to the industry and the ladies. They embraced it and are soaring now with truly great performances all around the world. Another Korean true rock girl group that came together like most groups do is Rolling Quartz. Just a couple of recs for people looking to expand their interests.
I've seen thousands of sets and toured on Warped and other tours... Babymetal is so far into their own league above other bands it's ridiculous. I'm gonna let you finish, but su metal is an absolute god and I'll lose all respect for you if you don't get it. It's that good. Everyone in the band is in the conversation for being best at what they do. Drums, lighting, set design, all of it. It's worth every penny to see them. EDIT - ok phew, you seem to get it. I think the girls have actually fallen in love with the genre as time has gone on.
Babymetal honestly is a great entry point for folks who normally just stay int he j-k-pop world and wouldn't have sought the genre out. I am certain there are handfuls of folks who were converted to metal after hearing them. The metal and rock scene owes a ton to them, Poppy, and Electric Callboy for bringing in fresh faces into the scene. I am glad they all aren't being written off as a gimmick or joke bands anymore.
This was a good commentary & summary on the rise of Babymetal for those who aren't familiar overall, however my one criticism would be the omission of the fact that the metal spirits era coincided the medical absence of Yui-metal, who eventually after a year away departed the group entirely before their newest album.
Thanks to Ekster for sponsoring! Use my code PUNKROCKMBA to get up to 45% off: partner.ekster.com/ThePUNKROCKMBA
So many butthurt baby metal fans 😂 great job Finn love the content as always
Baby Metal is honestly a band that's grown on me over the years. Their first few albums were abit all over the place and could never really get into. But as the band has matured their albums have gone from strength to strength. And their 2023 album was an absolute banger, Ending up amongst my favourite albums of the year alongside Sleep token, within temptation, Polaris and katatonia.
And completely agree, I'm excited to see where they go from here. Something I honestly wouldn't think I'd ever have ever said 5 years ago.
You're calling a J-pop group "industry plants?" I watched an Ultraman Tiga video and know nearly all J-pop groups are industry plants. So, you're not wrong.
Today there's an pretty huge and lively metal scene in Japan and I think a lot of it has something to do with Baby Metal. One example Jiluka is a totally different take on the Death Metal thing combining it with the genre of Visual Kei.
Or this - Gravity - ruclips.net/video/7UPkbzHSRWg/видео.html
Or this - Attack on Awake - ruclips.net/video/yTWaR5buRVY/видео.html
Very good video, but just to clarify one detail, this last album was not the first time that the singers contributed lyrics to a song, that had already happened since the first album, in the song Yon no uta.
"I'm excited to see what their next move is"
One week later: BabyMetal and Electric Callboy release THE party song of the summer
The PERFECT Combination! The Gods have Blessed us! RATATATATA!!!
God that song is awesome. If you’d have told me ten years ago I’d be jamming out to a combination of EDM, metal, and J-pop, I’d have looked at you like you had a toe growing out of your forehead….yet here we are…lol
@@williammccullough2466 I'm with you...5 years ago, I was a standard rock and metalhead, yet here I am, listening to REOL, Ado, ZUTOMAYO, etc.
♫ Boom Boom Boom ♫
@@BardovBacchus *bun bun bun!
Sudden rise? They've been huge for over a decade now...
Yea. Title is wild disrespectful
rise into pop culture, i just literally discovered them today on RUclips music with RATATATA
@@yankeesrule587 they did a song with BMTH 4 years ago. It's totally cool for people to just be discovering them, but i really don't think it can be called a sudden rise
I'm not even a fan of theirs and I know this.
@@yankeesrule587 Are you saying you are the sole gatekeeper of pop culture?
Sudden rise? They’ve been at it for over 14 years now, and are finally starting to get the recognition and appreciation that they deserve.
Yeah but they were doing stadiums in 2014 ? Explain they’re plants lol
@@asuraXTC Stadiums in 2014? Wtf are you even talking about?
@@zeroskaterz92u maybe not in America but 2014 they did Japan stadiums they’re literally plants are you denying they are ? How long do you think they been around because not sure why all you kids think they started in 2016
@@asuraXTC Japan stadiums? Be specific. It's like you don't know wtf you're talking about here and just thrown random words hoping for it to stick. The fact that you couldn't even bring up the location is hilarious. They've been around since 2010, not 2014. Wtf are you even on about? lmao
@@asuraXTC Who cares if they are "plants"? They're talented musicians and make good music. I don't think they have ever claimed to be completely organic and not a product of a company/producer.
I think there are a lot of metalheads like me that have always been turned off by the toxicity of many metal scenes. There's none of that at their shows. Everybody just rocks out and gets to dance with no judgement or egos.
That’s how it should be for any band/scene.
Babymetal is metal with all the tryhard edginess shaved off and replaced with pure fun. They take metal back to the days when it didn't take itself quite so seriously.
you wouldn't think a BABYMETAL crowd and a DETHLOK crowd would mix, but I can say from experience, they totally do and it's a thing of beauty.
@@ErawkI wanted to go to the babyklok show in Boston so badly but I was broke. That would've been my first concert ever. Richardsons a beast too
I've never encountered a toxic metal scene.
They're not for me, but I think they're a cool innovation and all the more power to whoever does enjoy them. We need to stop gatekeeping shit that isn't just burly men growling about mutilation.
Based take 🤘
I agree completely. It's lke the musical version of cilantro. Just because you don't like it and think it tastes like soap, millions do like . They confuse "I don' like it" with "That's not good and must be destroyed". Dude, just don't eat the cliantro and move on.. ;)
Anyone who ever brings up being against gatekeeping is exactly the type of person who needs to be kept out
@@sigiligusman, shut up
You're a hero
For all the hate that idol units get, is it really all that different from the classical music scene were musicians audition to join an ensemble where they will exclusively perform music written by others?
and Mahler is metal af!
Yes it is, becuase marketability is everything in the idol industry, on an ensamble the best musician gets the role, on an idol group that's not teh case, you can be the best singer and dancer but if you are seen as ugly or are old you will never get selected for an idol group, unless they made a gimmick group of old and "ugly" women.
I'm sure that no one in Babymetal was selected because they were the best singers, dancers, they were seleted because on that time they filled the role of being "cute" perfectlt to make a contrast with the agressive music like "just see all of these young and cut girls singing super agressive music, is adorable" remember none of the member were even 15 when the group started, and also Babymetal wasn't supposed to last that long it was just a one off project that would most likely stop after the first album if it wasn't for the reason that it became massive.
It started as a surbgroup of another idol group named Sakura Gauking, which that stuff is not uncommon in idol groups and is made for numerous reasons, like you have new members that you don't believe are ready to perform, well you made a sub unit and use it to help the members to practice and be ready when they upgrade to the main unit, or you have some members on the group that are super popular and you decide to make a sub group with only those members, a lot of time those sub units just make on album and a few shows before disbanding, unless they become really big, which is what happened to Babymetal it became so popular that it eclipsed the original group which doesn't even exist anymore.
@@Ms666slayer well su metal was selected because of her vocals and then moa and yui metal were selected because they look similar and to be "little angels dancing around su as she sang". sumetal was also apart of the "sweet sisters" (which became mini pati in sakura gakuin) which was formed by koba also. so he really did like su's vocals and stage presence
Or worse the bands that only fit record label formulas and designed sounds... so only that ONE vision is allowed?
@@NeverlandSystemPunkGirlChloe Exactly this was one of the problems. For a long time idols were a good machine to produce cheap talents for certain purposes. Then came the overqualification time and then a huge drop of quality in every aspect
"seemingly over night"... That was one really long night since 2010.
Now I want BabyMetal to put out an antology album called The Long Night lmao
Yeah, just because you're not paying attention doesn't mean it didn't exist. Most people learn to project object permanence to the past before they're out of elementary school.
There was this really cool moment in one of there interviews, they were playing some big festival and sue said she was really excited to see see bring me the horizon halestorm and Paramore. I was like "oh those are exactly the kinda bands a girl her age would like if they were in to metal" it really showed that she wasn't some mindless recording artest just cashing a pay check. Really cool.
Just recently they were spotted at Sick New World rocking out to Slipknot's set from the AV desk area. Last year they also went to see Electric Callboy during a day off on their own world tour.
Babymetal was obviously not created as a cash cow. No one in their right mind would create something like Babymetal and just throw it out there thinking it would become popular automatically. It works because it's very well done and because of the obvious hard work and dedication of everyone involved.
I think it is, and the creative mind behind the band just saw all those millions of metal guys with a anime obsession that spend all their money on stupid shit and saw them as the perfect cash cow to suck dry
@@TheCivildecay Babymetal was planned as a temporary project to try something new in the safe space of Sakura gakuin (youth programe of amuse where Koba was in charge of). They had no budget for proper costumes or a live band. When Suzuka was to old for Sakura gakuin Babymetal could have been easily canceled. Instead they fought for it und started to invest in the best live band they could get and marketing outside Japan.
@@TheCivildecay why do you assume Babymetal fans are anime fans? I don't know any such fans. I don't give a crap about anime and Babymetal has nothing to do with anime.
I don't see any facts from either sides of this argument whether this is a cash cow or not.
@@Ramon-gg3bdwell Sakura Gakuin wasn't a cash cow. If you watch thier performances theres like 12 people at them, mostly thoer family. This wasn't some huge production. Theres was no money invested in the show. Seriously you should watch some of the clubs like the food club. Nobody could predict the success. The genre didn't exist. Femals as leads wasn't even that succesful then. There was never any dancing stuff in metal. You're looking at things from a 2024 perspective with the success of Band-Maid, etc... but they didnt exist. They probably wouldn't exist without Babymeatl first. There was no audience calling for cute metal.
BabyMetal's music is insanely infectious with their energy and lyrics. Also Suzuka's voice is so good, even in live performances where some people do not sound as good as the recorded version. But Suzuka sounds so incredibly good live. You need to watch them live to really enjoy BabyMetal to the fullest
Those PIA Arena shows from 2023 are unbelievable. I’ve taken to recommending that to people over everything else.
If you get the chance to see them live, DO IT!!
I had the opportunity to see them twice last month in San Francisco, and those were the most fun I’ve had at a concert!
You are correct- we saw them in Dallas last year, and they were amazing.
Nice video. I'm a 49-year-old metalhead hooked to BABYMETAL since I first listened to them. I don't watch anime or play video games. Last year was my first time going to a BABYMETAL show and I can say that I need more, it's my favorite show ever followed by Bolt Thrower and Dismember (Death-Metal is my favorite genre)
They now have the Western KAMI BAND playing on all shows since 2023 Chris Kelly on guitar, CJ Masciantonio on guitar, Clint Tustin on bass, Anthony Barone on drums
Anthony Barone is a machine with Babymetal. One of the best concerts I've ever seen.
I didn't even know you could type. I thought it was all memes and gifs😂 Just messin. Nice pfp😆
@@jamesmcclung153 I guess you are on Discord? 😁
Considering many Japanese idols retire and move on to something else when they age out, I'm really grateful that 2 of the 3 original girls are still in the game. I think that being big in the West has influenced them and showed them that you can have a long music career, especially as a female artist. If they had gone into pop instead of metal, they likely would have moved on.
Yeah he doesn't even mention that you can tell he doesn't actually listen to them someone wrote this for him and didn't know
and the 3rd only really left because of health issues instead of saying like "ok I've made my money and had my fun, I'm done" but rather just not being physically able to do it anymore
@@amythistxue1 nice information, did not know. I wouldn't hold it against anyone to cash out for any reason, some things are more important: family, health, happiness.
New Kids On The Block, Spice Girls, and others were prepackaged products that had a single purpose: Make Money Fast
Thus they started with all the backing from a big producer, all the money and all the slots in the FM radio and MTV.
But behind the pretty faces and fake smiles there was nothing, so they last 5 or so years and then fade away. We are in the 14th Babymetal year and there is not an end in sight 😊
Another factor to consider; what happens when those groups who are only a machine for cash try to evolve, try to change their style? They crash and burn no amount of money from big record labels saved them. This didn’t happen to Babymetal, be it better management from Kobametal, the genuine interest from the girls in learning and do better each time, or everything together.
Babymetal was a project born from Kobametal’s passion, had very little backing from the company Amuse, the girls started with borrowed clothes, acting in malls and in the underground idol scene, small stages with a capacity for 100-200 fans.
The girls were 10 and 12 yr old when they were exposed to metal music, until then they aspired to be pop idols, actresses or tv entertainers, like the other girls who begin in the industry. Yes, they were scared, BUT they took it seriously and learned what metal was about pretty much the same way we did at 16, the difference was these girls did it on stage, singing and dancing to it, in front of people who paid to be there, that was brave.
They overcame the departure of their friend Yui-metal due to illness and the death of Mikio, the guitarist, other groups break apart from something like that, but Su and Moa didn’t break apart and forged ahead, they’ve learned to love what they were doing and we, the fans received those emotions, this is genuine.
The Fox God blessed us, we are The One. #notacult
👍Awesome comment x 💯. 🦊 🖖❤
Lmao #notacult 😆
I was in Rockmakan in Tokyo a couple of times. Pretty much the underground music HQ. Small venue, maybe 200 capacity? There are photos of BABYMETAL from when they played there in their early days.
涙が止まらない。
Bro, New Kids are still releasing new music and touring.
If it weren't for babymetal blowing up, I probably wouldn't have discovered Japanese metal bands like Hanabie that are now making waves here in America.
Check out Hagane, Lovebites, Nemophila, Aldious, Fate Gear and Bridear
gotta love youtube algorithms, fell down the foxhole with babymetal in 2019 and then moment after i discovered lovebites and nemophila
Hanabie just crushed it this past weekend in Mew Haven
It's so weird to me because Japanese metal was on the rise and becoming huge in the late 2000s. Then something happened with Japan and copyright and the surge kind of stopped back then. I'm just glad they are finally getting their dues internationally again.
I'm watching Hanabie for the second time this week! They kick ass!
I think they're authenticly inauthentic, and that's the brilliance of them. Even in interviews, there's no attempt to pass them off anything but a stage-managed act giving their all.
Musically, I really like that their aggressively masculine and feminine. It would be super easy to shift them into Rock Chick mode (which The Warning does brilliantly), so there's something really fresh about their sound. This has been toned down over the years as they grew up.
But, really, the thing I love, love, love is they capture the joy I always felt listening to metal. Having these gleeful girls in front of this really heavy music expressed something primal I'd never seen expressed before. You could play and dance to this awesome heavy sound... instead of just thrashing around to it.
These ladies have been going strong for nearly 15 years now, and from what they've said themselves, it looks like they won't be stopping anytime soon.
Yeah, I dig it! The metalheads that dismiss them forget that they've got the fundamentals of metal down. Especially the stage show and the musician's proficiency in their instruments. Their stage show is on par with the likes of Iron Maiden or Motley Crue. It's awesome!
I started listening to Babymetal when my twin girls were babies. They were colicky and only loud music in my headphones would drown out the constant screaming. A lot of said music is dark and a bit depressing. Baby Metal was upbeat and I couldn't understand the lyrics, which was great. I may well have lost my mind entirely during this time without their music, so they're always going to occupy a warm place in my heart.
This is not a good story. In fact, you should keep this to yourself.
@@SamBrockmann Shut up.
@GirtheAlienGoldfish , or what? You're going to scream at me in weeb?!
We need to stop normalizing people oversharing on the internet.
@@SamBrockmann your incel is showing
How is this over sharing? @@SamBrockmann
The Fox God thing is called a Kitsune. It's a type of Yokai, which has no direct translation, but Yokai are another form of supernatural entity like Ghost, Demons or fairies. Kitsune have inspired loads of designs in media like Ninetails from Pokémon, or Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog maybe being the most well known examples.
Actually there is a fox god, the inari god is the god of rice and foxes. The correlation is because the scent of fox pee deters rodents that would eat the rice so farmers started deifying foxes as servants of the inari ookami
Seeing you swap opinions on them after a single BMTH collab like you haven't been shit-talking both them and the fans for many years is absolutely hilarious.
Isn't it??
The concept of Babymetal doesn't sound great on paper: 3 cute girls doing choreographed dancing and singing to a mix of pop and metal.
But when you see them live...wow. There is nothing like them! So happy I found them...
It absolutely sounds like a disaster on paper. Even in Japan, metalheads HATE j-pop idol music with a passion, and for the j-pop fans heavy metal is just noise. Mixing the two will have a target audience of... who exactly?
They had only haters at the beginning, and no budget. This was not a brilliant idea, this was the stupidest idea in the music industry ever.
What made it work is that everybody involved in the creation of this group is an absolute unit of talent working as hard as they can. There were attempts by other groups to copy the recipe, they all failed because the lack of this secret ingredient.
@@traylor2502 There is quite a few fairly successful idol metal groups like Broken By the Scream, Hikari Shiina/Pikarin, BiS, early BiSH, and lots of much smaller acts.
Is it intentional irony to call it the "sudden rise of Babymetal"?. They've been around since about 2011, meaning they've lasted longer than The Beatles, and have recovered after not just one but two tragic losses - Yui Mizuno and Mikio Fujioka.
Baby metal fans getting mad in comments over “sudden rise”. The video explains the “sudden rise” happened over a 10-14 years period. The video is for those who just discovered Baby Metal.
I'm a big fan and I'm not mad at all. I have learned to disagree a lot with Finn, but I respected his knowledge.
I even agree with the notion "industry plant".
The wild style changes are almost a hallmark of modern Japanese metal. Maximum the Hormone is a good example of this.
First thing I thought when I first heard them was it sounded like the Bu-ikikaesu album without the male vocals
so many of these. broken by the scream taking that concept to the next level
Maximum The Hormone - I love them, especially Yoshu Fukushu, but they‘re not really representative of "modern" Japanese metal. They‘re pretty much old guys/gals by now.
Paledusk too. It's like 10 songs in one.
I saw them live in London, the most intense gig I have been to. An incredible night.
BabyMetal, Band Maid, and many other Japanese groups are so good.
Super excited to see what they have been working on with Electric Callboy. Next week cant arrive soon enough
Baby metal is the best thing to happen to metal in a long time, the spread of metal heads world wide is service I salute
I have a lot of respect for these gals. Their songs pretty cool.
Not really into them, though I have zero issues with what they do and how they've gone about it. And I absolutely love the fact that their mere existence makes so many metalhead elitists/snobs rage. For all the goofy stuff some metal bands do, from costumes to theatrics, you're going to come at these ladies? Please.
Never gave them a chance, but definitely gonna give them a listen on my way to work. Love pop melodies over heavy music, so seems like something I’d be into
I saw an interview with them a few years back and they said they'd never even heard metal music until the band. But the bands they were playing festivals with were some of the nicest people ever and they name checked some bands. I'm not a huge fan but I like them and the weirdness to my American ears
Thats why they joined the heavy music club...They had an interest...Babymetal was just a club activity that took off and became super popular
I don't listen to Baby Metal. But this video was really well written and edited. I'm definitely gonna check them out now. Thanks Finn!
Their song Brand New Day has a solo with Tim Henson and Scott LePage of Polyphia
I can't believe you did a 18 min deep dive video into Babymetal and didn't mention the a founding member left and was replaced only a few years ago
For the last 40 years Metal bands have all looked and sounded exactly the same. Lots of long haired guys with guitars, wandering around on stage, and screaming loudly. BabyMetal revived Metal in an incredibly unexpected way and created a new fan base for the genre. BabyMetal saved Metal.
The backing musicians of Babymetal are awesome
I wanna see them live so bad! They’re shows look so fun!! Actually started listening to them after watching the react channel
They're playing a bunch of the big metal festivals in Europe in June if you're in that part of the world. Other than that, it doesn't seem like they have much other touring planned for this year. They did a massive world tour last year, so they're not doing as much.
I was introduced to them through gimme chocolate being produced by the front man of AA=, with getting married and having kids I had practically checked out of listening to metal but baby metal and electric callboy reinvigorated my interest, so fresh and full of energy and now they’re going to collaborate on a new song which is awesome
Fucking love Babymetal, I've seen them 3 times in Tokyo.
WE FOUND THE WEEB
@@potatodavid1987cut him some slack lmao Babymetal always put on their craziest and most elaborate shows in Japan. I would love to see them live in Japan once.
@@jacobsyoutubeaccount7931 Not really
@@20centdude the crowd in Japan is on another level
@@erikkling4791 I've seen a lot of concerts in Japan, I've seen more elaborates and crazier shows than what I could see from Baby Metal.
The idol metal rabbit hole runs deep. KAQRIYOTERROR is one of my current favorites.
Have they had a sudden rise? I don't listen to them, or even metal in general, but I feel like I've heard about them for half a decade now.
For real my first exposure and I feel like a lot of peoples to them in the west was the RUclipsrs react vid and that was back in 2014.
15 years = overnight success.
Hey he found about them on Spotify yesterday while making a playlist of the worst nu-metal songs of the 23rd week of 2002
They were an overnight success when they came out stop crying
He actually did a vid last year shitting all over them and the fan base
@@michealrosen It still took them years to even start to get hype. Baby Metal formed in like 2010-2011 and didn't start to get talked about until about 2014.
@@michealrosen No, they're not. They were formed in 2010 and only got "blown up" in 2014. Overnight success in 4 years? lmao
Kind of surprised this video doesn't mention that one of the girls left the group in 2018 or 19, and for a while BabyMetal was just a duo with a rotating third dancer. I believe they have a new permanent third member now.
Yui left BABYMETAL in October 2018, although she hadn't been on stage with the group for a year before that.
Momoko became a full BABYMETAL member in April 2023, after being a supporting dancer since 2019.
Yes, they ditched the tutus for a more mature look in 2018 as well, not as recently as Finn suggested, but overall I think his summary is pretty decent.
I know right, like how did he miss that?
Industry plants isnt a concept that really exist in idol culture ( in japan or even korea ) bc they all come from very curated companies. They train them, teach them everything they need to become celebrities and then debut them. Like pretty much every idol could be considered an industry plant if you look at it from a western point of view. Its rare that japanese artist become famous from posting RUclips covers for example like it can happen in the western world
Yeah, in the West musicians have this expectation that they are "organic", real, and not someone who got where they got because they had powerful people behind then from the start, a reason why many people hate "boy bands" who are put together by labels and not because five guys wanted to dance. In East and South East Asia, having a label behind you and creating and curating your image is pretty much expected, especially when you're an idol, and the industry and groups don't hide this fact because it's normal.
Besides, Babymetal was one of the groups who did NOT have company support beyond being made under a label, they had to make their own costumes and hire their own musicians when the singers were barely teenagers and the producer was given the cold shoulder and losing money to keep the project afloat. It took them years to start getting some real traction, while most idol/j-pop/k-pop groups actually get famous overnight because the label advertises them from day one.
Songs like Gimme Chocolate went viral and had me intrigued but songs like Rondo of Nightmare really showed me what they could do. Amazing talent from both the instrumental band (Kami Band) and the girls. They never pretended to be grass roots, they just did theyre jobs really well.
This idea of "industry plant" has gotten so ridiculous and out of control. If someone's music is good then their music is good. This idea that someone didn't "work for it" is such a ridiculous power fantasy that people have.
I get that the video title is sudo tongue and cheek for the YT algorithm; but there are an insane amount of people that actually have this power fantasy around an artist having to struggle for years, or do every single thing %100 themselves, to make it.
they literally are a plant. they were chosen to be the face of the group by a company. do you understand how kpop and jpop groups work?
Eh. It's less about "earning it" and more about people being forcefed or the band fasttracked to the top because of corporate money. Its fine, if you like it, you like it. But a lot of people are not exactly comfortable having certain music artificially put above songs that were genuinely liked and became popular because of it.
I don't think "industry plant" is some dirty thing that can never happen. As stated above, if you like it, you like it. I do see a point in placing higher value on artists who make it more organically. There's room for both, but if the grassroots artists die off I think we have a problem on our hands.
I dont really understand how it would be a "power fantasy" to acknowledge that the music industry props up, funds & markets certain acts and styles of music (leaving Baby Metal aside). That's just how capitalism functions everywhere including the music industry; the people with money & power influence how things will go in order to bolster their chances at getting a return on an investment. The bigger the bet, the more they expect to make in return, the more they leverage their influence to put things in front of more people to have a greater chance at success. All of these systems are pretty fucked nowadays but it's still operating from the same core principles: gambling, spending money to make money, the more you can spend the more you can make back.
This, in turn, marginalizes acts that don't have the same amount of resources at their disposal, who have to work the system the hard way through relentless small touring circuits, self-releasing and/or independent label publishing, printing their own merch, doing their own marketing etc. just to be self-sustaining and hopefully make a living. And some are content to just reach that stage because it's more practical or because the freedom to make the art they like matters more than being a wealthy celebrity.
Many of the things that are the most popular didnt get that way by pure chance because an artist just happened to be so talented and driven. It's like the myth of the self-made billionaire, it's technically possible--with an astronomically low percentage chance--for someone to start with absolutely nothing and became a huge success, but the people who start with or gain an advantage of resources and promotion are able to succeed because of that, where someone who is an equal talent might toil in obscurity because they didn't find a big investor to promote them (or didnt want one that they might have to answer to).
That's largely what the music industry is at the level of "major label" media corporations, what it exists to do. It's like a craps table where insiders are making bets on trends and artists, except they get to influence where the dice land.
In the age of streaming services being one of the biggest markets with the smallest returns for artists it may even be worse than ever with this stuff.
1) WHY do you think Babymetal is good? 😂 2) Being objectively good or objectively bad doesn't mean that a band or artist is not an industry plant.
Way to change my thoughts on Babymetal, Finn 😅 I had done zero research on them, and pretty much wrote them off as a gimmick. It's actually really cool to hear about the direction they're going. Maybe it's time I give em another listen.
You owe it to yourself- you’ll kick yourself for waiting so long.
1st saw them play live in 2016 and was blown away by how good the band are and how synced the singers were, amazing band, was a bit uncomfortable wondering if I was allowed to enjoy it though 😆
Click bait title worked. I watched the whole thing and am finally ready to give Baby Metal an honest list. Win-win.
The F. Hero, Bodyslam, Babymetal collaboration is absolutely amazing. Also, more mention of Polyphia's contribution on Brand New Day could have been a good thing.
4:44 Megitsune is a banger!! 😃😃
Is it though?
@@SamBrockmann Yes. It is.
@@SamBrockmann as fuck
@@SamBrockmann
See the live version.
During a short break (drum & guitar will be on extended play) the vocalist will ask for the crowd to jump after the breakdown.
See crowds in Europe & Asia. They responded well.
@@iqbalmuhammad2920 , well, then . . . Shame on crowds in Europe & Asia.
Basically the Japanese version of the Monkeys (60’s version) but in todays Metal environs
👌
Nice to see video about newer band
theyve been around since 2010 i wouldnt really consider that new
11:45 DARKNESS
IMPRISONING ME
ALL THAT I SEE
ABSOLUTE HORROR
Not only genre bending, in one album their songs have different sounds and mixing. Koba really is a metal head.
The question asked here was answered by your recent video on "Rockism"
Great video! I actually never really listened to them (aside from Kingslayer). After hearing some of the songs in this video though, I definitely need to look into them more.
Finn “Wikipedia Breakdown stretched into 10 mins for monetization” McKenty
I saw them live last November with Dethklok. It was heaven on Earth for one night ❤
6:54 seeing Finn without a hat is weird 😂😂
14 Year overnight success. Real "sudden".
Their feature on Kingslayer works so well
I think the first metal band to make it big outside of Japan was the 80s band called "Loudness", but if you're not including 80s "hair metal", and only more hardcore styles, then I suppose Babymetal is the first.
M Z A !!!
loudness was the first to break in america. Yes, it was years ago and targeting a metal audience. Likewise there was the odd metal band that managed to play some underground shows. You also have the several visual kai bands that did well in america but that too was very niche and specific. Babymetal is the first to gain mainstream attention. Not sure if i can think of anyone else
Who the fuck cares if someone is an industry plant? Just be better than them if they are so bad lol you might make less money, but at least your pride is in tact. If that matters to you
Thank you for taking the time to dig deeper into the Foxhole after your first, not so favorable impression.
I'm happy to see that we agree on KobaMetal's authentic passion for metal to be the key component for their success, and the talent and commitment of the girls too, of course.
When I see them now, headbanging on stage with Oli, or watching a Slipknot show, it's hard to think of them as a mere product of the industry, they truly belong to the genre.
🤘🦊⚡️
My take on BABYMETAL as well as bands like them and Electric Callboy, its just fun, dumb fun, and metal elitists are sad people that hate fun
Here's a fun fact about From dusk til Dawn: that song is only on the english version of the album. The jp version of the album has a song called "Syncopation" in that same place which has a more anime sound too it. Just something to add to the stuff in the video.
Good on Babymetal members dealing with all the crap they've gotten through the years. I remember Metallica and Rob Zombie fans giving them shit years ago, just for the musicians to stick up for these girls. Of course, they've had a few lineup changes, but it's amazing to see how well they're doing as a whole!
Edit: personal fave collab is Kingslayer with BMTH. So good
God I love this band, they're just f**king good.
Saw them live not long ago in Brisbane and it was hands down the craziest pit I've ever been in.
I got to see them twice last month in San Francisco. The best shows I’ve been to! I even received waves from Momo and Moa!
The Australia shows were great, and Brisbane was the best of the three. It was great that they finally came down for an actual tour.
I was at that Babymetal concert when they made history at Wembley, it was absolutely marvellous 🦊
They went from doing food court side stages to arenas. They deserve everything.
They played the Budokan (invitation only), Wembley Arena and Tokyo Dome twice (it seat 55,000 people).
They're the freshest sound I've heard in 20 years or more. Heavy as fuck and they make me smile, what's not to like. There's a shitload of music out there, there's space for everyone. Enjoy what you like, for me, it's Kitsune up and Babymetal Forever 😎
They also gave a platform to bands like Band Maid.
and Lovebites and Nemaphola and many more
Hanabie as well, who I believe are playing Lollapalooza this year. A big win for female fronted Japanese metal.
So sad that Finn butchered his first look at the japanese metal scene.
..mostly because these are band who formed naturally, and consists of truely professional musicians. Hope he does a revision and use credible sources as Gaijin Guys, who are all musicians and got big love for the Japanese music scene.
@@deaf-metalI’m seeing Hanabie tonight and I’m so excited!
Lol, no they didn't. Maybe in the West because we don't know how to look for anything and go what by the algorithm recommends. Bands like BandMaid, etc, aren't a hit in Japan because of Babymetal. LMAO.
I think anime and Japanese games played a huge role in setting the stage for Babymetal. Japan is pretty big on metal and electric guitars.
Babymetal are amazing. I have the utmost respect for them as performers. Even when I listen to other extreme metal now I’m imaging Babymetal covering the tracks and it elevates everything
I think they ALSO brought Jpop and JRock to people that never would have heard it.
Also FIRST big Japanese rock Band?! Metal maybe... but X JAPAN!!! Seriously... Their visual kei thing REDEFINED that stuff in the US with the theatrics... and hell they did orchestral stuff before Metallica and most "symphonic metal" was doing it. So... yeah...
I remember a band called Loudness to this day, was awesome music for the day
They are a producer driven project, yes. If that makes them an Industry Plant, they are. Do I care? No. They touch me like few other bands do.
Apart from the slightly misleading title (intentional?) this is one of the most level-headed, condensed and balanced descriptions of Babymetal I've ever seen. Good job!
Yes, we all care and we should. If we come from the Metal scene or the idol scene... It matters little to none. The caring rises.
Baby Metal. A flash in the pants.
I don’t give a shit about what kind of garage some band came out of. ..if they’re good I listen. And BabyMetal is good, so I listen. A lot.
Man 2014 was such an innocent time.
Seeing them break it outside Japan is amazing. Metal is the universal language hehe
I can't explain it but Kingslayer makes me so happy. I don't understand but I tear up (in a good way). WTF is that about?
The Baby Metal rabbit hole lead me to Hanabie, which for me, is pretty much final boss level of Japanese metal/metalcore/hardcore.
Instead of worrying about "industry plants", I wish that energy could be spent normalizing the fact a lot of musicians are strictly performers, not songwriters. I feel like there have been so many post-hardcore/metalcore/deathcore records written solely by either the band's guitarist or drummer, if they weren't straight ghost-written by the producer.
There's definitely not (as much of?) a stigma for such stuff in Japan. Ryo Kinoshita has been very open about Yosh from Survive Said The Profit being his lyrical/songwriting partner.
BM were an idol group aimed at the Japanese audience. I doubt the international success was part of the original vision so no, it wasn't planned, they just rolled with it. There are lots of really good musicians in Japan who don't get as much international exposure as they deserve. Tour well produced, well played stadium metal act and you are going to get an audience. They put on a fun show. The Kami band has done a lot to legitimize them musically and taken them places they wouldn't be accepted doing mimed choreo to a backing track.
Su is a great vocalist, and the band slays. They have their market, and I am glad they have been so successful. Unfortunately, I think you are fetishizing them. Also, thanks for introducing me to the term about a year back. I have a good therapist if you need...
I get the reference you made now.
Having followed this band since I was a wee lad and growing up with the band
They deserve this, hands down.
if you watch a baby metal concert and does not think its the most metal thing in the world, you dont know what metal is
Babymetal are amazing and they really proved themselves over the years. I still remember discovering them in high school and was a fan ever since. Broken By The Scream is another band in this style that deserves more attention as well as they are more like a metalcore/deathcore/djent version of Babymetal but with four vocalists, two who sing, one who screams, and one who growls.
Monochrome 100% favorite the guitar and drums just hits me so hard everytime
While I would agree that they are manufactured, they are in no way industry plants. how could anyone have predicted that a crossover between Japanese Idle and Metal would become popular. It's just too bizarre of a combo to believe that it would become popular outside of Japan, yet it happened.
It seems that there are not many RUclips channels outside Japan that delve into Japanese music at the grassroots level. Most of the information about the scene seems to come from Japanese blogs and websites. While there are some Japanese channels that discuss metal music on RUclips, it can be challenging to find them if you don't search using Japanese keywords. This may be why some metal fans in the West don't have a clear understanding of how metal is evolving within Japan.
IMO, the single best thing they did for the metal scene as a whole, they demonstrated girls can enjoy and dance to metal.
The second best thing, is they are reaching kids and giving them something other than rap as musical inspiration.
The Fox God aspect is a gimmick in the minds of people who follow Christianity. However, if you watch some the live shows out of Japan, it's no gimmick. Many of those in attendance are straight up, there to worship, as if in church. That is the secret to the crowd participation you see in those shows. I have watched a lot of analysts and reactors, no one mentions it.
The key they used to unlock old school metalheads in the states, is the shear talent of the musicians in the band. If you want to gain respect from this group of people, you have to have chops. If you don't, you will be treated accordingly. It's what sold me on the band. From your story, you as well.
All in all, it's a fiery tale scenario for everyone involved. They are the biggest band to ever come out of Japan.
This video is like 8 years late lol
I’m a huge fan of a Korean idol group named Dreamcatcher that has rock and edm influence that is pretty foreign to the industry and the ladies. They embraced it and are soaring now with truly great performances all around the world.
Another Korean true rock girl group that came together like most groups do is Rolling Quartz. Just a couple of recs for people looking to expand their interests.
I've seen thousands of sets and toured on Warped and other tours... Babymetal is so far into their own league above other bands it's ridiculous.
I'm gonna let you finish, but su metal is an absolute god and I'll lose all respect for you if you don't get it.
It's that good. Everyone in the band is in the conversation for being best at what they do. Drums, lighting, set design, all of it.
It's worth every penny to see them.
EDIT - ok phew, you seem to get it. I think the girls have actually fallen in love with the genre as time has gone on.
16:20 tbh lol players are pretty often nerdy metalheads so good target for Babymetal :D
Babymetal honestly is a great entry point for folks who normally just stay int he j-k-pop world and wouldn't have sought the genre out. I am certain there are handfuls of folks who were converted to metal after hearing them. The metal and rock scene owes a ton to them, Poppy, and Electric Callboy for bringing in fresh faces into the scene. I am glad they all aren't being written off as a gimmick or joke bands anymore.
This was a good commentary & summary on the rise of Babymetal for those who aren't familiar overall, however my one criticism would be the omission of the fact that the metal spirits era coincided the medical absence of Yui-metal, who eventually after a year away departed the group entirely before their newest album.