Have I ever mentioned the solid work ethic the BABYMETAL team has? 'From Me to U' has finally dropped since it's been teased for weeks now. This new track -- which will feature in the next BM album, 'Metal Forth' -- is another collab, this time with new-ish metal vocalist, Poppy, with whom BM has a lot in common... being ladies in metal, at the very least. I know little of Poppy, so this song is my first official intro to this new artist vying for a place on my playlist.
FMtU hits hard and fast, delivering waves of energy that will keep the crowd jumping from beginning to end. Thematically, energy transfer is BM's hallmark in crowd interaction. They provide boatloads of energy from the stage to the audience, and the crowd gives it right back, closing the energy loop which blows the roof off every BM concert venue. Everyone is drenched in sweat, ears ringing, grinning from ear to ear in the aftermath of the explosion. This track -- need I say more -- too, is pure energy. Wow!
Musically, FMtU leans more towards metal, supported with EDM and pop elements. SU and Poppy share verses, while interspersing lines within the chorus. Between SU's melodic tones and Poppy's screams, the compromise makes it difficult for me to immediately pick out parts I can sing along to. Perhaps I don't need to. Keeping my mouth shut and headbanging appreciatively is all this song really asks for.
One issue I have is that SU's voice sounds over-processed with too much electronic overlay. Given the futuristic setting of the video -- it looks like they are street level in the city outside the windows of the Ratatata set -- perhaps her voice was supposed to sound synthesized. Still, it's a pity to mask out her natural talent. SU sings mostly in English and her enunciation has evolved so much that she sounds like a native speaker now. That's impressive!
As for Poppy, she isn't at all poppy like her name or appearance suggests. She screams all the way through, providing a hard edge to the energy pouring forth. She represents the 'rage' SU sings about in the chorus, while simultaneously singing sweetly about 'killing the enemy'. Yikes!
The visuals suggest a video game environment. Halfway through, the neon city is destroyed and collapses in flames. A huge monster rises up to confront the BM trio dancing on the last remaining circular platform. This scene reminds me of some boss battle scenarios from Path of Exile and Diablo 4. Is this the enemy SU intends to kill? Apparently not. It screams in Poppy's voice, so it's her avatar, or something. All four artists (boss monster representing Poppy) are finally together in the closing shots, beautifully synced up... and no enemy in sight.
Ok, I won't think too much about it. Overall, this track is another banger of a collab. It's a crowd energiser and great for a frenetic cardio workout. With more as yet unreleased tracks in the run up to new album, we wait with bated breath for the next drop.