Babymetal (album)

Babymetal
Babymetal studio album
Publication (s)	February 26, 2014
admission	2010-2014
Label (s)	BMD Fox Records, Toy's Factory
Format (s)	CD, DVD, download, vinyl
Genre (s)	Kawaii Metal ( Metal , J-Pop )
Title (number)	13
running time	54:55
occupation	Suzuka Nakamoto (lead vocals) Yui Mizuno (vocals) Moa Kikuchi (vocals) various studio musicians
production	Chibametal, Inabametal, Kobametal
chronology - Babymetal Metal Resistance (2016)
Single releases October 22, 2011 Doki Doki ☆ Morning March 7, 2012 Babymetal × Kiba of Akiba 4th July 2012 Headbangeeeeerrrrr !!!!! January 9, 2013 Ijime, lady, Zettai 19th June 2013 Megitsune May 31, 2015 Gimme Chocolate !!

Babymetal (written BABYMETAL) is the debut studio album by the Japanese metal band Babymetal of the same name . The album was first released in Japan on February 26, 2014. It reached number 4 in the Oricon album charts and contains, among other things, the commercially successful singles Gimme Chocolate !! , Ijime, Dame, Zettai and Megitsune . The international version was published in May / June 2015. Some of the songs had already appeared on albums by the idol pop group Sakura Gakuin , from which the band was formed. In general, the album Babymetal is considered to be a style defining for the subgenre Kawaii Metal .

Publication and promotion

The album was released in Japan on January 26, 2014 by Toy's Factory in three versions: a standard edition, a limited edition and the Apocalypse edition. The limited edition has the same content as the standard edition, but it comes with an additional DVD . It contains the band's previous music videos with audio commentary from the members, a live music video from Gimme Chocolate !! and footage with the performance at the Festival Summer Sonic 2013. Toy's Factory re-released the limited version five months later , with a special cover to commemorate the 2014 world tour. The Apocalypse edition of the album was only available on CD and contains alternatives Versions of the songs Akatsuki and Song 4 . The former was sung live on December 21, 2013 in the Makuhari Messe in Chiba . This edition was only available to people who had pre-ordered it on the band's special Apocalypse website.

In mid-2015 the album was released internationally by other record labels, on May 29 in Europe by earMusic and on June 16 in the USA by RAL and Sony Music Entertainment . Both the European and American editions contain two bonus tracks : a live version of Gimme Chocolate !! and the new song Road of Resistance . The limited version was also available in Europe, but without the audio commentary. To further promote the album, a music video for Road of Resistance was uploaded to YouTube in May 2015 , a live recording of a concert in the Saitama Super Arena .

Singles and other songs

Babymetal contains material that was created over a period of almost three and a half years. After the song Doki Doki ☆ Morning had been presented since November 2010 as part of concerts by the idol pop group Sakura Gakuin , it first appeared on March 23, 2011 on the album Sakura Gakuin 2010 Nendo: Message and finally on October 22, 2011 as a standalone Single . The release of Babymetal × Kiba of Akiba , a split single with the alternative metal band Kiba of Akiba , took place on March 7, 2012; on it is the song Iine! . Next up was the single Headbangeeeeerrrrr !!!!! on July 4, 2012. Ijime, Dame, Zettai , released on January 7, 2013, was the first single on a major label and the first song that was not included on a Sakura Gakuin album. Finally, on June 19, 2013, the single Megitsune was released , the first release after Babymetal had separated from Sakura Gakuin and had become an independent group. These five songs as well as five B-sides are included on the album.

Two songs, Akatsuki and Rondo of Nightmare , are sung solo by lead singer Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-metal). Two other songs, Onedari Daisakusen and Song 4, are sung together by Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal) and Moa Kikuchi (Moametal) in a duet under the stage name "Black Babymetal". Song 4 was composed by the two of them themselves.

Before the international album version was released, the new song Road of Resistance was digitally released on February 1, 2015 . This is a cooperation with Herman Li and Sam Totman from the British metal band DragonForce , who were involved in the production of the guitar tracks. Although Gimme Chocolate !! was only subsequently released as a single, this song helped the band to international breakthrough. Responsible for this is a music video that was recorded on December 21, 2013 at a concert in the Makuhari Messe and was viewed over 82 million times on YouTube by January 2018.

reception

source	rating
Rolling Stone Japan
The Japan Times	positive
Allmusic
Rock sound
Kerrang
laut.de

The album received positive reviews from Japanese music critics. Rolling Stone Japan described it as a work “full of quality, hardness, humor and cuteness” as well as a self-contained masterpiece that could undoubtedly be representative of 2014. The Japan Times wrote, “ Babymetal revels in the madness of both the idol scene and metal, but is far from being a joke. It's a whole lot better than many more serious metal albums. "

The ratings were generally positive abroad as well. Allmusic said: “ Babymetal is obviously not an album for metalheads who like to follow the clear definition of what makes metal metal, or for J-pop fans who are afraid of massive guitar riffs. But those who don't really care about the rules and just want to jump around like idiots to the brightest and most absurd music imaginable will find exactly what they never dared to ask with Babymetal's brilliant debut. " Rock Sound said the album offered" tons of fun "and it was" completely and completely absurd, but when was that ever something bad? "

Kerrang described the music as "cynical and manufactured, but absolutely brilliant" and stated that the band used "the fine line between genius and madness as a skipping rope". Metal Obsession was of the opinion: “This band was created for the target group 'Music that your Japanese friend, who actually doesn't like Metal, would like'. (...) It is a unique album by a unique band that made no compromises and created an enchanting and pretty hard sound contrast. She made metal cute without losing any sharpness, which you can't say about any other band ”. laut.de praised the quality density and the entertainment value; Babymetal works " just as well at the bony Sonisphere Festival [...] as as a provocation in the children's room" and devalues ​​"even current pop goddesses like Lady Gaga into unimaginative bores ".

In July 2016 the readers of Metal Hammer voted Babymetal as the best album of the 21st century.

Track list

Japanese edition
No.	title	music	text	length
1.	Babymetal Death	Kitsune of Metal God	Kitsune of Metal God	5:46
2.	Megitsune ( メ ギ ツ ネ )	Norimetal	Mk-metal • Norimetal	4:07
3.	Gimme Chocolate !! ( ギ ミ チ ョ コ ！！ )	Takeshi Ueda	Mk-metal • Kxbxmetal	3:50
4th	Iine! ( い い ね！ )	Mish-mosh	Nakata Caos	4:08
5.	Akatsuki ( 紅月 )	Tsubometal	Nakametal • Tsubometal	5:25
6th	Doki Doki ☆ Morning ( ド キ ド キ ☆ モ ー ニ ン グ )	Norizō • Motonari Murakawa	Nakametal	3:44
7th	Onedari Daisakusen ( お ね だ り 大作 戦 )	Team-K	Nakata Caos • Ryu-metal • Fuji-metal	3:15
8th.	Song 4 ( 4 の 歌 , Yon no uta)	Black Babymetal	Black Babymetal	4:01
9.	Uki Uki ★ Midnight ( ウ キ ・ ウ キ ★ ミ ッ ド ナ イ ト )	Team-K	Ryu-metal • Fuji-metal • Nakata Caos	3:17
10.	Catch Me If You Can	Narasaki	Edometal	3:53
11.	Rondo of Nightmare ( 悪 夢 の 輪 舞曲 , Akumu no rondo)	Yuyo soup	Yuyo soup	3:33
12.	Headbangeeeeerrrrr !!!!! ( ヘ ド バ ン ギ ャ ー ！！ )	Narasaki	Edometal • Nakametal	3:53
13.	Ijime, lady, Zettai ( イ ジ メ 、 ダ メ 、 ゼ ッ タ イ )	Kxbxmetal • Tsubometal • Takemetal	Nakametal • Tsubometal	6:04
Overall length:				54:55

International bonus tracks
No.	title	music	text	length
14th	Road of Resistance	Mish-Mosh • Norimetal • Kyt-metal	Kitsune of Metal God • Mk-metal • Kxbxmetal	5:20
15th	Gimme Chocolate !! (live at O2 Academy Brixton )	Takeshi Ueda	Mk-metal • Kxbxmetal	5:04
Overall length:				65:19

Contributors

(Information according to the booklets of the album and the singles)

Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-metal): lead vocals Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal): vocals, lyrics, music Moa Kikuchi (Moametal): vocals, lyrics, music Kei Kobayashi (Kobametal, Kxbxmetal, Kitsune of Metal God): producer , management, lyrics, music, arrangement Hitometal: Management Chibametal: Executive Producer Inabametal: Executive Producer Millennium Japan: producer Miki Watanabe (Mk-metal): Text Norikazu Nakayama (Norimetal, Nakata Caos, Nakametal): text, music Tatsuya Tsubono (Tsubometal): text, music Ryugi Yokoi (Ryu-metal): text Shinichi Fujita (Fuji-metal): Text Shion Hirota (Edometal): Text Takehiro Mamiya (Yuyoyuppe): text, arrangement, mix Takeshi Ueda: text, music

Nobuaki Miyasaka (Mish-Mosh): Music Sari Miyasaka (Mish-Mosh): Music Norizo: music Motonari Murakawa: music, arrangement Shuhei Takahashi (Team-K): Music Kazuki Higashihara (Team-K): Music Nobuki Narasaki: Music Takeru Yōda (Takemetal): Music Keiji Kusama (Kyt-metal): Music Daiki Kasho: arrangement, sound engineer Kyoto: arrangement SOH (O! SD): arrangement, guitar Tatsuo: arrangement, programming , guitar, bass Narametal: arrangement Herman Li : guitar Sam Totman : guitar Leda: Bass

Chart placements

Charts	Top ranking	Weeks
Chart placements
Germany (GfK)	95 (1 week)	1
Japan (Oricon)	4th (... Where.)	...
Austria (Ö3)	69 (1 week)	1
United States (Billboard)	187 (1 week)	1

Awards

year	Award	category	result
2015	7th CD Shop Awards	Grand Prix	Won

Overview of publications

region	date	format	Label	Editions	Catalog no.
Japan	Jan. 26, 2014	CD, digital, DVD	BMD Fox Records • Toy's Factory	Standard • limited	TFCC-86461 TFCC-86460
		CD		"Apocalypse" limited	PPTF-8058
	July 26, 2014	CD, DVD		limited (re-release)	TFCC-86460
Europe	May 29, 2015	CD, digital, DVD	earMusic	Standard • limited	EMU02103957 EMU02104001
United States	June 16, 2015	CD, digital	RAL • Sony Music Entertainment	default	RAL0096922
Japan	17th June 2015	vinyl	BMD Fox Records • Toy's Factory		TFJC-38024
United States	Jan 15, 2016		RAL • Sony Music Entertainment		RAL0509692
Japan	Sep 14 2016	CD, DVD	BMD Fox Records • Toy's Factory	"Visiting Japan Commemoration" (limited)	TFCC-86571

Web links

• Babymetal at Discogs
• Babymetal on MusicBrainz

Individual evidence

1. ↑ BABYMETAL の ア ル バ ム 初 回 盤 が 限定 仕 様 で ア ン コ ー ル プ レ ス. Tower Records, July 8, 2014, accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
2. ↑ ド ・ キ ・ ド ・ キ ☆ モ ー ニ ン グ. Sakura Gakuin , October 22, 2011, accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
3. ↑ さ く ら 学院 重音 部 こ と BABY METAL 、 キ バ オ ブ ア キ バ と の ス プ リ ッ ト 盤 が 登場. Tower Records, February 9, 2012, accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
4. ↑ BABYMETAL 、 初 の 単 独 CD シ ン グ ル “ヘ ド バ ン ギ ャ ー !!” 発 売 決定. Tower Records, April 27, 2012, accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
5. ↑ BABYMETAL 世 直 し メ タ ル ソ ン グ 「イ ジ メ 、 ダ メ 、 ゼ ッ タ イ」 全貌 解禁. musicman.net, December 4, 2012, accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
6. ↑ BABYMETAL 、 新 作 ア ー ト ワ ー ク で 妖 艶 メ ギ ツ ネ 姿 に. Natalie, May 10, 2013, accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
7. ↑ BABYMETAL's New Song 'Road Of Resistance' Featuring DRAGONFORCE Members: Audio Preview. blabbermouth.net , January 5, 2015, accessed January 20, 2018 . 
8. ↑ ^{a b} Kazumi Namba: BABYMETAL. Rolling Stone Japan , March 9, 2015, accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
9. ↑ ^{a b} Patrick St. Michel: Babymetal “Babymetal”. The Japan Times , March 18, 2014, accessed January 20, 2018 . 
10. ↑ ^{a b} Sandra Tim: BABYMETAL - BABYMETAL. Allmusic , February 2014, accessed on January 20, 2018 . 
11. ^ ^{A b} Sarah O'Connor: BABYMETAL review. In: Rock Sound , issue 201, July 2015, p. 76.
12. ^ ^{A b} Paul Travers: BABYMETAL review. In Kerrang , issue 1567, July 2015.
13. ↑ ^{a b} Ulf Kubanke: In contrast, Lady Gaga seems like an unimaginative boring woman. laut.de , May 2015, accessed on January 20, 2018 . 
14. ^ Tristan Peterson: Album Reviews: Babymetal - Babymetal. Metal Obsession, April 9, 2014, accessed January 20, 2018 . 
15. ↑ In a Metal Hammer poll, Babymetal's debut album was voted as the greatest album of the 21st century. teamrock.com, July 27, 2016, accessed January 20, 2018 . 
16. ↑ "Black Babymetal" is the stage name for the duo Mizuno / Kikuchi (without Nakamoto).
17. ↑ Although the word 輪 舞曲 is usually read as rinbukyoku , the booklet contains a note that it should be read as rondo .
18. ^ Babymetal. GfK Entertainment Charts , accessed on January 20, 2018 . 
19. ↑ BABYMETAL の 作品. Oricon , accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
20. ^ Babymetal. austriancharts.at, accessed on January 20, 2018 . 
21. ^ Babymetal charts history. Billboard , accessed January 20, 2018 . 
22. ↑ BABYMETAL が CD シ ョ ッ プ 大 賞！ SU-METAL 「す ご く ド キ ド キ」. Natalie, March 9, 2015, accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese).