Now Viewing: babymetalTag type: Copyright Tag refers to images referencing the popular Japanese pop idol/metal band. The band formed in 2010 and spun off from the bigger idol group Sakura_Gakuin. It consisted of 3 members: Nakamoto_Suzuka/Su-metal, Mizuno_Yui/Yuimetal, and Kikuchi_Moa/Moametal. All three girls are members of Sakura Gakuin as well. Yui eventually withdrew from the group in October 2018, due to recurring health issues. However, Babymetal remained a trio. Starting in 2019, Kobametal selected three singers dubbed 'the Avengers' to act as the third member, Sayashi Riho, Fujihira Kano, and Okazaki Momoko. The concept behind the band's unusual fusion of the upbeat cuteness of idol pop music and the heavy intensity of metal was devised by Kobayashi Kei, or also known as Kobametal, the producer of the band. The band's name is a reference to this unusual genre blend: it's a pun on heavy metal. The Japanese pronunciation of the word English word baby sounds like heavy. Furthermore, Baby indicates cuteness as well as a newborn, so the band can be referred to as a" "newborn metal." Kobametal said that the name came to him as a divine revelation. The band has its roots in the anime Zettai Karen Children. At the time, Suzuka was part of the Karen Girls, a trio of idols assembled to sing the songs for the anime. When Kobametal saw the group's final performance together in 2009, he came up with the idea of creating a group based around Nakamoto. Kobametal selected the younger Mizuno and Kikuchi to join Babymetal because he wanted two younger girls to act as a contrast to Nakamoto. However, his band concept took a few years to come to fruition. Meanwhile, Suzuka, Mizuno, and Kikuchi sang in Sakura Gakuin, an idol group that is structured like a school with its members being part of various groups or 'clubs.' The group that would become Babymetal was the Heavy Music Club. Prior to joining the band, the girls were unfamiliar with metal and were surprised when they heard the concept behind the band. The band made their debut at Sakura Gakuin's first solo concert on November 28, 2010 and their first song, "Doki Doki Morning," also appeared on a Sakura Gakuin CD, Sakura Gakuin 2010nendo: Message. The band began to distinguish itself from its parent group once the music video for "Doki Doki Morning" was uploaded online on October 2011. The video was a limited DVD release, but upon being uploaded online, it became very popular and the band became popular in its own right as well as receiving recognition and support from older and popular metal groups/musicians. The band went on to perform at Japan's biggest rock festival, Summer Sonic, August 12 and were the youngest performers there. On Spring 2013, lead singer Nakamoto graduated from the junior high division of Sakura Gakuin, but management decided to continue Babymetal with Nakamoto as lead singer. The band released their first album, named after themselves separate from Gakuin on February 26, 2014, which was certified gold. The girls often wear red and black. In their performances, they are generally accompanied by musicians wearing costumes that obscure their physical features. The background musicians are called the Kami Band. The girls do the singing and dancing while the costume-wearing musicians play the instruments. They also have a different take on the common 'sign of the horns' used by metal musicians and fans; instead of flashing the sign of the horns, the girls use the hand gesture of the fox, which originated as a misunderstanding. Kobametal showed the girls the metal horns sign, but they misinterpreted it as the fox hand gesture, and rather than correct them, he decided the band should continue to use the fox sign. It also doubles as a reference to the band's divine inspiration. The band's line up was the same until December 2017, when Yui began suffering from health issues that led to her having to withdraw from the band in October 2018. That same year, Kami band lead guitarist Fujioka Mikio passed away. These back to back tragedies led to the band dubbing 2018 the Dark side period. In spite of the loss of one of its original members, the band still kept the trio format that it had started with by having a rotating group of singers/dancers known as the Avengers to act as the group's third member. Eventually, one of the Avengers, Okazaki Momoko, who made the most Avengers appearances, was promoted to being a full time member. Members: Nakamoto_Suzuka Mizuno_Yui Kikuchi_Moa Avengers: Sayashi_Riho Fujihira_Kano Okazaki_Momoko became a full member on April 1, 2023. Kami Band: Ohmura Takayoshi Leda Cygnus Boh Aoyama Hideki Anthony Barone Chris Kelly CJ Masciantonio Clint Tustin Fujioka Mikio Spun off from: Sakura_Gakuin Other Wiki Information Last updated: 10/10/25 7:25 AM by jojosstand This entry is not locked and you can edit it as you see fit. |
     
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