Headbanger (Babymetal song)

Headbangers
Babymetal
publication	4th July 2012
length	4:03
Genre (s)	Thrash metal , melodic death metal , kawaii metal
Author (s)	Edometal, Nakametal, Narasaki
Producer (s)	Kobametal
Publisher (s)	Toy's Factory
Label	Jūonbu Records
album	Babymetal

Headbanger ( Japanese ヘ ド バ ン ギ ャ ー ！！ , Hedobangyā !! , written on official English-language publications Headbangeeeeerrrrr !!!!! ) is a song by the Japanese metal band Babymetal . It was released in Japan on July 4, 2012 and is the band's third single . The song can be found on both the debut album Babymetal , released two years later, and on the album Sakura Gakuin 2012 Nendo: My Generation by Sakura Gakuin . The B-side of the single is the song Uki Uki ★ Midnight .

publication

The single was released in two versions on July 4, 2012: a standard edition available as CD and download, and the limited “head” edition, which included a “neck corset” (actually a cervical support ) for “ headbanging training”. The limited edition CD also contains a short bonus music video for Babymetal Death that can only be played on a computer. Only those who wore the neck corset could attend a promotion event that took place on July 21, 2012 in Rockmaykan in Meguro .

composition

Headbanger's music was composed by Narasaki, the singer and guitarist of the alternative rock band Coaltar of the Deepers . Stylistically she combines Thrash Metal with elements of Melodic Death Metal and J-Pop . The backing track contains screams and double bass as well as an emo- inspired melody at the end. At Headbanger , the lead vocals of Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-metal) were recorded for the first time in a single take instead of segment by segment as in all previous releases, so she had to internalize the story. The slightly melancholy lyrics are about a girl who visits a metal concert for the first time on her 15th birthday, is carried away by the atmosphere and headbangs heavily. In Japanese, the number 15 is usually used in the form jūgo ( 十五 , corresponds to 10 + 5), in the song, however, in the rare form ichigo ( 一 五 , corresponds to 1 + 5). This is derived from the ichigo ( 一 期 , "unique experience").

Uki Uki ★ Midnight ( ウ キ ウ キ ★ ミ ッ ド ナ イ ト , Uki Uki Midonaito , dt. " Happy midnight") combines metalcore and dubstep , enriched with a pop melody and death growls . Interestingly, the bridge contains elements of the English lullaby Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star . The text is about a midnight party and an appetite for octopuses. Nakamoto referred to the song as sort of a continuation of Babymetal's first single, Doki Doki Morning , as both deal with the hectic life of a teenager.

Chart placements

Charts	Highest ranking
Japan ( Oricon )	20th
Japan ( Billboard )	19th

Music video

The music video was produced by Hidenobu Tanabe, who was named Best Director of 2012 at the Space Shower Music Video Awards . The video tells the story of a 15 year old (Nakamoto) who worships the metal god in her room. Then a mysterious box appears from the sky, in which she finds a legendary neck corset. Suddenly the corset jumps out of her hands and wraps around her neck, whereupon she begins to headbang violently. Later they are joined by Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal) and Moa Kikuchi (Moametal), who dance wildly around them. By March 2019, the video on YouTube had been viewed over 16 million times.

Live performances

Headbanger is often played at Babymetal concerts. In contrast to other metal bands, the three members use their own variant of headbanging , the "baby headbanging": While they are jumping slightly, they swing their heads from shoulder to shoulder. In another variant, the " dogeza headbanging", you kneel down and bow deeply.

Instead of Nakamoto, Mizuno and Kikuchi took over part of the lead vocals at two concerts on the Babymetal World Tour 2014 to celebrate their 15th birthday: Mizuno on July 1, 2014 in La Cigale in Paris , Kikuchi two days later in the Live Music Hall in Cologne . During the breakdown after the first chorus, Nakamoto ceremonially handed over the microphone and took over the choreography part of the respective colleague. At two concerts on December 2nd and 3rd, 2017, which took place in the Hiroshima Green Arena on the occasion of Nakamoto's 20th birthday, she replaced the word ichigo ( 一 五 , “fifteen”) with hatachi ( 二十 歳 , “20 years old").

Track list

No.	title	Songwriter	length
1.	Headbanger ( ヘ ド バ ン ギ ャ ー ！！ )	Edometal, Nakametal, Narasaki	4:03
2.	Uki Uki ★ Midnight ( ウ キ ウ キ ★ ミ ッ ド ナ イ ト )	Ryu-Metal, Fuji-Metal, Nakata Caos, Team-K	3:20
3.	Headbanger ( Air Vocal Ver. )		4:02
4th	Uki Uki ★ Midnight (Air Vocal Ver.)		3:19
Overall length:			14:44

Contributors

• Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-Metal): lead vocals
• Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal): vocals
• Moa Kikuchi (Moametal): Singing
• Kei Kobayashi (Kobametal): Executive Producer
• Shion Hirota (Edometal): Text
• Norikazu Nakayama (Nakametal): text
• Nobuki Narasaki (Narametal): composition, arrangement
• Shinichi Fujita (Fuji-Metal): Text
• Ryugi Yokoi (Ryu-Metal): Text
• Nakata Caos: text
• Shuhei Takahashi (Team-K): Composition
• Kazuki Higashihara (Team-K): Composition
• Takehiro Mamiya (Yuyoyuppe): arrangement

Web links

• Headbanger on YouTube

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} BABY METAL 、 「扇風 機 ヘ ド バ ン」 「土 下座 ヘ ド バ ン」 が 舞 い い 踊 る ミ ュ ー ジ ッ ク ビ デ オ が 完成. Barks, June 21, 2012, accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
2. ↑ ^{a b} BABYMETAL is going to release first solo CD “Headbangeeeeerrrrr !!!!!” on July 4. In this movie you might witness the legendary corset !? Kawaii Girl Japan, June 27, 2012, archived from the original on October 9, 2014 ; accessed on January 20, 2018 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b c} BABYMETAL 全 楽 曲解 説. In: Hedoban, No. 1, pp. 74-75. Shinko Music Entertainment, Chiyoda, July 2013, ISBN 978-4-401-63846-8 .
4. ↑ Headbangeeeeerrrrr !!!!! In: Babymetal Translations Unofficial. Du-Metal, July 29, 2013, accessed January 20, 2018 . 
5. ↑ BABYMETAL 「ヘ ド バ ン ギ ャ ー !!」 で SU-METAL に 神 降臨. Natalie, June 21, 2012; accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
6. ↑ BABYMETAL│ 芸 能人 イ ン タ ビ ュ ー. De ☆ View, July 6, 2012, accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
7. ↑ BABYMETAL の 作品. Oricon , accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
8. ↑ ス ペ シ ャ 「MVA」 大 賞 は き ゃ り ー 、 サ カ ナ 、 ワ ン オ ク. March 13, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2018 (Japanese). 
9. ↑ Noboru Yamamoto: Hotwave (interview). TV Saitama , June 19, 2013.
10. ↑ BABYMETAL - Paris / France 2014 - Headbanger !! YUIMETAL Ver. (Remastered). YouTube , January 20, 2016, accessed January 20, 2018 . 
11. ↑ Babymetal - Headbanger !! (Moametal version!). YouTube , July 7, 2014, accessed January 20, 2018 . 
12. ↑ BABYMETAL 、 新 た な 時代 の 幕 開 け 飾 っ た SU-METAL 凱旋 公演 2DAYS. Natalie, December 3, 2017, accessed January 20, 2018 (Japanese).