The Sudden Rise of BABYMETAL (industry plants?) 

Thanks to Ekster for sponsoring! Use my code PUNKROCKMBA to get up to 45% off: partner.ekster.com/ThePUNKROCKMBA

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.

"I'm excited to see what their next move is" One week later: BabyMetal and Electric Callboy release THE party song of the summer

Sudden rise? They've been huge for over a decade now...

I think an important part of being an "industry plant" is the perception of being deceived. Being idols is a key part of BabyMetal's identity and it is not something they hide. I suppose perhaps the language barrier adds a layer of "deception" for non-Japanese audiences

The baby metal experience 1st listen: “this is pretty weird, let’s listen to another one” 2nd listen: “yeah, this might not be for me” 3rd listen: “chocoreto chocoreto” Edit: OMG thank you for the 666 likes

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 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.

Sudden rise??? They've been pounding it out for over 10 years

And now, I can't wait for their collab with Electric Callboy! 🤘 Edit: song is already available and BABYMETAL's premiering the music video later 11pm. Let's daaance, new workout song unlocked lol can't stop head boppin'

The Japanese idol industry is huge. It's a topic that deserves it's own research for anybody that's interested. For instance there's even anime about idol music groups. We all know k-pop, but it was heavily inspired by Japanese idol groups.

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?

When these women perform they put out a TON of energy, and they have the biggest smiles on their faces while they do it. I don't think a plant, or someone that wasn't truly enjoying what they're doing could keep that up the whole way through a tour the way Babymetal does. Personally I love them. The music is good and the performances are entertaining.

What got me was the performance on First Take doing a piano only version of Monochrome. Those voices are incredible & RU-vid went crazy.

I saw them live once and at a festival. I can say that it was one of the biggest mosh pits that i ever seen sooo.... It looked prety metal to me.

I'm a metalhead going back to 1986 and I absolutely love this group. They have shown such a progression from their first cd to the latest. They may have been put together by a corporate entity, but they have also grown up in the Metal industry and have gained the respect of many within the genre. They were a huge injection of something different and have opened the gates for many to follow.

The fact that acts like Rob Zombie have defended them shows how metal they actually are. I love Baby Metal.

"seemingly over night"... That was one really long night since 2010.

what else is amazing about Babymetal is the fact that for the most part they are not played on the radio or even xm like some bands here are played. to understand their following is basically from RU-vid and word of mouth. what i love about them is when you go to a show to see them live you will all ages and ethnic groups. this appeals to a lot of people. last year they did almost a 100 shows traveling the world. how many bands here will do that many? whether a small 3000 person show to a stadium show they put 100% into the performance. they love their fans and it shows. a short video like this does leave out a lot of information but it is done good enough to have new people look harder into them.

I'm 40, I've seen A LOT of bands live. Babymetal are easily one of the tightest, energetic and fun bands I've ever seen.

To me, an industry plant is a band where you're not sure if they were created by a company or became popular by themselves. Also, they tend to act like they did it all theirselves when they didn't. But for idle groups, everyone knows they're created, so there's no controversy. Originally, I thought it's kind of funny while also awesome. That's why I liked it. Something like Gwar or Green Jello. Something so bizarre it make you giggle and mosh at the same time. Also, I thought their dancing was top notch and I like dancing personally. I'm one of those weirdos that likes hard metal and k-pop. Especially started liking k-pop the older I got. And then the metal is top notch.

Anything that makes introducing metal to my young kids easier is great in my book.

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.

With the metal scene being to stagnate at times, BABYMETAL is a breath of fresh air. The energy they bring to their music, live shows, and how new and exciting their songs are to the metal scene are unmatched. Their rise is well deserved. Good Music is Good Music regardless on how it's made.

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.

I literally was just googling them at 6:00 a.m. this morning because I saw their concert with Bring me the horizon

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

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

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.

BABYMETAL are industry plants, but the idea of industry plants doesn't really exist in Japan. No one in Japan is pretending that idol groups or BABYMETAL were formed organically

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.

I have seen Babymetal live 3 times...and the last time(In Oslo), I stood next to Kobametal and was ecstatic. I told my wife that this is the guy behind all of this...just filming and taking pictures with almost nobody recognising him

Too many metal fans think that metal should only be super heavy riffs with a Grover voiced singer. Metal can be fun. Bands like Babymetal, Ghost and Electric Callboy is how the genre gets new fans.

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

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 during the pandemic. Back then, I was against them but then the song Distortion popped up and I got hooked on it. A few weeks later, I became a fan and I got to see them twice. Their shows are amazing!

Suzuka Nakamoto’s dad was in a punk band when he was young. Probably a huge reason Suzuka gravitates to rock verses pop/idol music. She would have been huge in Japan in the idol scene.

The wild style changes are almost a hallmark of modern Japanese metal. Maximum the Hormone is a good example of this.

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!

I think calling Babymetal 'industry plants' is entirely wrong, as that term carries a connotation of trying to trick someone. Babymetal aren't plants, they're just industry, and they've never pretended to be otherwise.

Their “backup” band is absolutely insane! Very talented musicians.

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.

I was always pretty neutral on Babymetal, but I saw them open for Dethklok and really enjoyed the show.

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.

THEY'RE AMAZING. The only reason they didn't blow up is cause we didn't know about them. I just found out about them CAUSE it Was finally recommended to me. I'M IN LOVE!

They have an electric callboy collab coming up

The fox god has spoken, next song is with Electric Callboy. Still 5 days to wait.

Just saw them at Sick New World and it was wild. Real good time. The band is so good. Good show.

im an old school metal fan and i've have definitely gone down the fox hole big time. i think they're great.

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.

15 years = overnight success.

I love them. Their live shows are a blast. Saw them last year on the Babyklok tour and they had the entire crowd going.

BABYMETAL is my second favorite band ever. I love their energy they bring to their music and live performances, their awesome and wholesome personalities and also Su has an absolutely amazing and captivating voice. Moa and Momo are also incredible performers with amazing singing voices and Momo can do really nice screams and growls too if you watch recent live videos. I listened to Kingslayer one time and became addicted to their music. Super hyped for the new sing with Electric Calloy later this month.

Megitsune is such an amazing song.

my friend had sent me a link as a joke, and i was into it. when they announced their first tour, i was there. went to the Fonda, and it was definitely an eclectic mix of people. metal heads, cosplayers, weebs, kids.... as i went to more shows, the crowd definitely became more metal head

Super excited to see what they have been working on with Electric Callboy. Next week cant arrive soon enough

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...

Funny enough, their “Fox sign” looks closer to the original Metal Hands than what we do today Dio created it after watching his mother (grandma maybe) do it as a superstitious was to scare off evil

It totally flew under my radar that most of their hit songs were written and arranged by Yuyoyuppe. He was one of two arguably best Vocaloid metal/scremo producers. I'm not too fond on his new project (N.I.C.K) but his older works (under Yuyoyuppe or Draw the Emotional) are totally worth listening.

Karate and Monochrome are absolute bangers. Great band.

I have a lot of respect for these gals. Their songs pretty cool.

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

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

The backing musicians of Babymetal are awesome

Finn likes BABYMETAL? Well how the turn tables. Feels like a proud dad moment

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.

My daughter LOVES Baby Metal and I enjoy their music as well. I took her to see them in concert and she had an absolute blast!

Fucking love Babymetal, I've seen them 3 times in Tokyo.

I wanna see them live so bad! They’re shows look so fun!! Actually started listening to them after watching the react channel

The idol metal rabbit hole runs deep. KAQRIYOTERROR is one of my current favorites.

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

I saw them live in Boston in 2017 or 18. It was so good.

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

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.

When they are endorsed by some of the bigger names in Metal, it shows they are doing good work. I for one think if they bring more to the genre then who cares. I don't listen to them, but I respect the work it takes to do what they do, singing while dancing around isn't easy and they make it look easy.

Great video. I remember just checking them out when their first few singles were released. Haven’t listened to them much recently but it’s cool that they’ve managed to keep going

They went from doing food court side stages to arenas. They deserve everything.

Fast forward to today after their collab with Electric Callboy...wowee what a banger!

I worked at a record store in 2014-2015 and we got in a bunch of signed Babymetal CD booklets for promo and I sold the leftovers for $250-350 each on eBay to people all around the world, they did not come up out of nowhere, they’ve been super popular for a long time

4:44 Megitsune is a banger!! 😃😃

I've seen them live twice and enjoyed both shows. First time was in 2019 when they toured with Avatar and the second time was their recent tour with Dethklok.

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.

They also gave a platform to bands like Band Maid.

The idea that anyone believes that Babymetal was manufactured by the industry to be as marketable as possible is completely ridiculous. If they wanted to manufacture a group to be as marketable as possible then they wouldn't have created one so unique. There was no intention or expectation that Babymetal would blow up to become as popular as they eventually did in the beginning. They were created with the idea that they would be just another subgroup of Sakura Gakuin just like Twinklestars, Mini-pati or Sleepiece. Oh you never heard of them? That's because they were never meant to become famous! The fact that Babymetal did is solely a result of Suzuka's talent.

Nice to see video about newer band

The question asked here was answered by your recent video on "Rockism"

I first saw them and thought, "Oh, they're really pretty." Su-Metal's voice is beautiful, too. Looking up the lyrics, they're pretty deep. Gimme Chocolate is about body image in girls, where they'd diet and be afraid to eat foods they enjoy for fear of being seen as fat. Megitsune is about how women are always pressured to be seen as happy and cheerful and never showing their real emotional state. As they go on, the lyrics become far more metal-based and layered, so they clearly took a lot of inspiration and lessons from the western bands that they toured with. I actually really love how they were willing to learn and adapt without losing their identity as a group. BABYMETAL has a good thing going and I hope they keep getting better.

Heard Baby Metal on Kingslayer by BMTH . And I thought they sounded awesome. I was pleasantly surprised.

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.

These girls have been a blessing to the music scene, never seen such a harder-working band ever, seeing them live must be the best experience ever and their story is incredible, protect these young ladies and just let them do what they enjoy doing.

I saw baby metal with Dethklok in Phoenix last October and I immediately fell in love. Their act was SO FUN! The whole crowd was involved, singing along. Tbh I think there might have been more people there for Babymetal, than Dethklok lol. Truly killer act, I would go see them again in a heartbeat.

Finn “Wikipedia Breakdown stretched into 10 mins for monetization” McKenty

Sudden rise?????

I'll never understand "industry plant." As soon as someone is signed to a label whether they've been working towards it or it happens out of nowhere, they're just another item for sale on that store's shelf that they can adjust as they see fit

I remember hearing Megitsune and it blew my mind - it was like a band that made music that sounded like all the good anime openers.

I've been thinking about this recently: it is actually good to have "the business" manage more things like that. Bands in the 1990s were basically doing music only and the label would manage everything else. Right now, artists cannot just be artists. They barely have the time to make any art. In the Bollywood world, they segment these things: you have the actor pretty face that dances and lipsync the song, and on the other side you have the artist that made the songs. Both are present in the marketing. So this way, each person can focus doing what they love the most. As another commenter said, I don't see any problem with "industry plants" per se, just when they try to craft a fake "indie" origin story. Big movies/games requires lots of people to make, each person have his own skillset. The color grading guy doesn't have to worry about having to make stupid tiktoks to promote the movie. Someone that likes doing this is doing specifically that. This way, everybody can do what they enjoy the most and as a team release something amazing.

I first heard a BABYMETAL when a friend of mine saw them on tour with the red hot chili peppers. Then the single karate blew up and that's how I found out about them I think they're a good group they're fun and energetic.

Damn dude. After the Not-so-great video you did on Babymetal in the past, this was refreshingly surprising. I'm sitting here saying to myself, "He finally gets it! What took you so long?!" 😂

They sound much different nowadays.

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 😆