BABYMETAL

BABYMETAL are a Japanese metal group formed in 2010 as the “Heavy Music Club” of idol group Sakura Gakuin. Conceived by producer KOBAMETAL, the project pioneered kawaii metal by combining J-pop melodies and synchronised choreography with heavy metal instrumentation. Their music has since expanded across power metal, metalcore, electronic dance music, and other styles, supported live by the Kami Band and a theatrical identity centred on the mythical Fox God.

Originally comprising SU-METAL, MOAMETAL, and YUIMETAL, the group continued as a duo following YUIMETAL’s departure in 2018 before MOMOMETAL officially joined in April 2023. Their international breakthrough came in 2014, when ‘Gimme Chocolate!!’ went viral and the group made their UK debut at Sonisphere Festival, followed by a sold-out London headline show. They became the first Japanese act to headline Wembley Arena in 2016 and, in 2025, the first Japanese group to sell out London’s The O2 as headliners.

Their 2025 album ‘METAL FORTH’ brought together collaborators including Poppy, Electric Callboy, Spiritbox, Bloodywood, and Tom Morello, and debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200, making BABYMETAL the first all-Japanese group to reach its top ten. From their idol origins to major international arenas, BABYMETAL have become one of Japan’s most prominent global metal acts, challenging conventional boundaries between pop and heavy music.