If you haven't heard of Baby Metal, you've probably been
living under a rock, like me. Or you have four very active kids who drive you
nuts in a good way, like me. Or maybe you work full time at a soul-sucking job with lovable co-workers, like me. Or you are just old, and can't keep up with the
new memes and the new slang and the new music, like me. Or maybe you are
writing a novel and giving every spare minute and ounce of your life force to
it, like me.
So I
just gave you five completely plausible outs right there. But no more excuses!
You need to hear this shit.
Baby
Metal is described as "kawaii metal." What does that mean, people?
It's a combination of Japanese pop and, well, metal. The "Kami band"
was originally fronted by three idols--adorable girls who dance and sing. You
might not think a fusion of polar opposites could work, but music has no
limits, people. And in this case, it more than works. It smacks. I mean, it's
lit. At least, I think so, and apparently, I'm not the only one. Their top
songs have millions of views on YouTube. And even critics can be counted as
fans.
On the
2019 release of Metal Galaxy:
"It’s well-documented on this site that
I love me some Babymetal, but even I’m surprised at their longevity. For a
group still considered a gimmick band by many, they remain incredibly popular,
and not just in their native Japan. They sold out a headlining show at the Los
Angeles Forum on their current tour — a venue where Metallica and the Foo
Fighters play. Even with the core vocal trio reduced to a duo after Yuimetal
(aka Yui Mizuno)’s departure last year, the idol metal band doesn’t appear to
be going anywhere anytime soon." -Jeff Trippel, Metalsucks.net
So
yeah. After watching about three videos, I became an instant fan. Baby Metal currently has three albums--the self-titled
debut (2014), Metal Resistance (2016), and Metal Galaxy. If you poke around
on YouTube, you'll find live performances from all over the world.
I
like all kinds of metal in small doses, but I prefer fast metal. Admittedly, I
may have been predisposed to liking Baby Metal from various anime intros and
outros, like those in Death Note. "Distortion"
is by far my favorite song, but the video, reminiscent of Shadow of the
Colossus, lends itself to the song's impact. "Karate" also stands out.
There
seems to be a theme around me lately of songs about stars, as in, suns. For a
week or more, Bad Suns song "Starjumper" is running in my head. And I
love it. And after listening to Metal Galaxy, I have to say
"Starlight" is my most favoritest song. It's the perfect song to
write a seventh revision to.
J.
L. Dodd
Sources:
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