Fox Day

Dave Grohl once said a three piece is a lethal combination in any rock band. The trifecta of kawaii queens that are Babymetal are now on the final run up to what looks like will be a triumphant beginning to a very successful world tour in support of new album Metal Resistance.

In this, the final instalment of the Wembley Celebration Series (small emo tear) I want to look at the current state of affairs as we approach the eve of Wembley, the release of Metal Resistance and what the future could hold for the band.

The follow up to a successful or well received debut album is always viewed as a tricky affair and this is even more so for a group like Babymetal. Having polarised the metal (and wider music) community they are not only battling against themselves in the quest to create something as musically successful but also fighting to legitimise their very existence by proving they are not a flash in the pan curiosity. Of the handful of reviews already out there, many have mentioned that the “WTF” punch from their self titled debut has dulled, or indeed is absent altogether. This leaves us with just the music in which to decide the all important question, are Babymetal here to stay?

Happily for me and no doubt many of you, the general consensus appears to be yes with the album being well received almost entirely across the board. Major metal outfits like Metal Hammer are going completely gaga over Metal Resistance and while some others have been more tempered in their praise almost everyone has had something good to say about the new album.

So, with a seemingly successful album days away from dropping the next big hurdle is their upcoming world tour. For a band that only really took off internationally from around mid 2014, to be kicking this tour off at Wembley Arena and closing it at the 50,000 capacity Tokyo Dome is impressive in the least. To put the tour into perspective, fellow Amuse stablemates Perfume (one of Asia’s most successful groups over the past decade) also embark on a tour of the US this year in support of their latest album Cosmic Explorer and are booked to play venues with an average capacity equal to that of Babymetal. Not only that but they are actually currently booked for less dates that the metal maestros (admittedly with their tour not starting until August it is possible further dates could be added).

To be internationally outgunning an era defining group with over 10 years behind them is a feat that should not be taken lightly and demonstrates the ongoing potential that Babymetal have for moving forward. I think the decisions made from even the early days of Babymetal’s success demonstrate that an American/European assault and hopeful success is very much a key aim for the group moving forward. With a strong album and successful tour to trade on this is entirely within their grasp and if they can go over well in media events and interviews, such as the potential appearance on the US’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert then we could see a further level of growth for the now six year old band.

Of course with increased and global frame will come new challenges for the band. They remain an acquired taste for many and so I think there will always be a level of niche to their appeal. The never ending debate about whether they are ‘true metal’ or quality metal is likely to roll on, potentially throughout their entire career. Some have tempered their view on this, such as That’s Not Metal podcast presenter Beez who upon the release of single Karate seemed both surprised and pleased that Babymetal had, in his words, ‘stepped up’ the quality of their output.

I have said a number of times over this series and across numerous threads that in order to become a more globally legitimised band Babymetal would need to develop a more mature direction. Not only because the girls are growing up but because the genre itself demands a certain level of this. From what I have heard of Metal Resistance (including the album teaser) this certainly appears to be case and they are reaping the benefits. When I say mature, I don’t mean this to be confused with seriousness but use mature to describe the depth and breadth of their sound rather than a strict indication of age or adultness. Metal as a genre is full of ridiculous, crazy and fun/not necessarily “adult” bands covering everything from death to pirate metal but any successful group requires quality and depth to their music to become more than just a novelty or one hit wonder.

Babymetal started life championing their new genre “kawaii metal” and while this continues to be the case I think a more appropriate description of them moving forward would be “tanoshii metal” (‘tanoshii' or ‘楽しい’ being the Japanese word for “fun”). Babymetal are a hugely enjoyable band who move away from the often dark seriousness that much of metal inhabits. There is a strong history of fun metal acts and Babymetal need to seize this direction. Listening to Babymetal is an enjoyable experience. The ups and downs of their music take you on an aural journey with each genre mix thrown at you. They do this while simultaneously being able to incorporate their numbers with important messages of unity, love and anti bullying. This is a potent medicine for a world currently on edge with the threat of terrorist attacks and global, financial economic stresses affecting all corners of the world.

Music is one of those antidotes that can help you unwind and forget those endless pressures. Going back to Mr Grohl, he once said of music that “When I listen to music it’s the simple, catchy songs that always get me. Whether it’s a Beatles song, a Motorhead song, an AC/DC song or a disco song. […] I feel like with rock music it all comes down to the song, just the song.” This is where people can extract the most from Babymetal. By just enjoying and opening yourself to the joy of it all there is so much to be gained. The girls are constantly smiling and the Kami Band are clearly enthralled, shredding away each night so why shouldn’t we as listeners tap into this joy?

YouTuber Boyinaband said in his ironically titled video Metal music is just noise that “To deny that someones music taste is legitimate, is to say that your musical experience isn’t as valid as mine”. This is the ultimate argument ender to all those who say that Babymetal are not “real metal” or are in some way lacking in authenticity. It in fact invalidates that same argument in any arena. As a society we place a huge value on the the broad concept of the “singer/songwriter”. We infer that if a performer has written the song they are performing that this is in some way automatically more genuine than if the performer hasn’t. Now while there is a degree of truth to this, it should not be, and in practice is not, a universally applicable rule.

Elton John, a globally successful and respected songwriter in fact never writes the lyrics to his songs, only the music. Further to this, his career began by responding to an advertisement for talent in UK music magazine NME (New Musical Express). This is not too dissimilar to how many “manufactured” (in the dirty sense of the word) began and yet he does not suffer any stigma for this at all. Babymetal by virtue of having been put together however, are regularly discredited and it will be of genuine interest to me to chart their career and how they are regarded in this manner, should the band continue to be successful for say another 5/10/20 years. In remains ridiculous to me that an artist such as Beyonce) can be so celebrated as authentic while Babymetal are punished, when her 2013 self titled album took 16 producers and 28 writers to create. It remains the big question, when (if ever) will Babymetal become metal (read “be considered authentic”)?

Authenticity in music has often been generally described as the difference between someone doing something for the art or for the money. Songwriters are generally considered artists where as ‘manufactured’ groups are generally considered puppets of labels out to make fast cash. The glaring problem with this is that it invalidates the experience of both the listener and performer. Even if Amuse were a straight up cynical, moneymaking enterprise with no interest in Babymetal other than their profitability, this should not and does not invalidate Su, Moa or Yui’s artistic connection to their art nor our emotional connection as listeners to their music.

This concept remains the biggest challenge the band have to overcome however it will not be this alone. As with all bands ongoing musical inventiveness will be a challenge as they look to continue to innovate and perform in a way that moves them forward. As with any global success they will come under increased media scrutiny as well, especially if they become a more mainstream success in the States. This is something that the girls may find difficult as people want to know more about them. Being female in itself will present hurdles in a world still struggling with gender equality, especially in a musical genre viewed as male/masculine dominated. As you look to the comments on their newer videos and on forums discussing the band the girls are becoming more the direct focus of sexually charged comments.

Before they were indirectly subject to the inevitable array of comments that are often found on Japanese content involving young girls suggesting that viewers of their material have unsavoury motives. Now however, with the girls maturing and of legal age of consent in many areas of the world, particularly the UK and Europe, the comments are becoming more direct, about the girls themselves. This of course isn’t unique to Babymetal or Japanese acts and is something that groups like Paramore, Evanescence and Hey Violet whom have all be mentioned during this series have suffered purely by having a female presence.

Amuse have thus far taken an extremely protective attitude towards their young stars and so to date there has been little to indicate these outward pressures will have any lasting effect on the group. This is of course pleasing but there is one other area that will put pressure on the group that they can not control, us the fans.

There have already been three major examples of this in the debates over Yui-metal’s weight and the reactions to the Metal Resistance unofficial trailer and Karate official video. These demonstrate that for a niche band like Babymetal, who have a strong vocal minority of fiercely loyal and demanding fans, the pressure can be very high. We dissect all aspects of the group to a minute degree, meaning they are under the constant pressure to hold up to this magnification. This can be focusing on their physical attributes, their lack of social media, our perception of how to treat their material (i.e. leaks) or our expectations of what they should be outputting (i.e. videos) as well as any number of other things.

The Karate debate was a telling one. Many were left disappointed by the Karate video as the standard we now hold Babymetal to is so incredibly high and many, both consciously and subconsciously demand their output meet these expectations. While those left unsatisfied with Karate mainly continue to support the group this pressure has been known to fell bands in the past and I plan to discuss this specific topic in more length when writing about Karate later in the year.

These are of course general comments to highlight behaviour and I in no way pass any kind of judgement on how people have reacted to any of the bands output or discussed any aspects of the girls. I have contributed to many of these discussions and it is a natural evolution of the fandom as the band has grown. I have agreed and disagreed with comments, but everyone’s opinions are their own and it is part of what makes a great community that these debates go on. No band gets very far without the passion of their fans and on this measure alone Babymetal are already superstars.

Moving forward though, it is immensely pleasing to be able to say the future looks bright for Babymetal. While I’ve discussed challenges for the band, these many or may not prove to be big hurdles and there will be challenges I’ve not considered here to contend with as well (such as the willingness of the girls to continue for example). With Metal Resistance currently racking up positive reviews, fans enthralled at the prospect of Wembley and all the upcoming tour dates things couldn’t be better set for 2016 to be a watershed year for the group. They look like pushing through the ‘kawaii curiosity’ barrier into being considered a genuine metal entity, creating exciting, challenging, appealing and fun music. If they can continue to offer this fun, purposeful, genre splicing, huge riffed musical buffet then they are bound to maintain their moment and interest long into the future.

With all of that said all that’s left now is Wembley. I hope you’ve enjoyed my thoughts both today and over the past 15 weeks of the Wembley Celebration Series. Having come to close however there is only one more thing left to say… in true Babymetal style, until next time… See You!!

——————————————————————————————————————

I’d like to take this opportunity to say a huge and sincere thank you to everyone who has read, commented and up voted throughout this series. It has been a joy to research and write and I’ve loved interacting with you all in the comments each week!

As previously discussed I will be kicking of a new series (likely to be called the Resistance Review Series) in the future to look at the tracks in Metal Resistance so I look forward to discussing those tracks with you all as well! I will be taking a few weeks off to rest and digest the new album but will be looking to return with the new series likely some time in May.

In the interim if you have enjoyed these articles and are also a fan of Sakura Gakuin, I will be doing a shorter series of similar style articles over on the /r/SakuraGakuin thread over the next month so keep an eye out for that!

Thank you once again and have a blast if you’re going to Wembley!

Kitsune’s up!

You can find the earlier instalments of this series here:

Part 1 Babymetal Birth, Babymetal Death

Part 2 Megitsune

Part 3 Gimmie Chocolate

Part 4 iine!

Part 5 Akatsuki

Part 6 Doki Doki Morning

Part 7 Onedari Daisakusen

Part 8 Song 4

Part 9 Uki Uki Midnight

Part 10 Catch Me If You Can

Part 11 Rondo of Nightmare

Part 12 Headbangya

Part 13 Ijime, Dame, Zettai

Part 14 Road of Resistance