Miko, Metalverse princess in the spotlight

Metalverse, BABYMETAL's baby sister, dropped this new, official MV a couple of days ago. This song wasn't featured in their debut concert, but the footage is from a 'live' show I don't know when. It's nice to hear some new stuff regardless.

Metalverse songs that aren't covers of BABYMETAL's have so far played a baby sister role. They're lighter, poppier, and maybe more playfully feminine, despite the heavy backing instruments that keep 'metal' justified in the name.

This song, 'Naked Princess', puts the focus on lead singer, Miko. The other four making up her team (it'll take me more time to remember their names and tell them apart) don't look like they're wearing headsets, so maybe they have a backing vocal track instead? Miko displays her range in this one. She does vocal fry -- which SU-METAL does not -- breaks the melodic line with a rhythmic verse, and crescendos effortlessly on a high note. She is literally in the spotlight as a great talent around which the band is built.

While they aren't apparently singing, her teammates are still a lot of fun. Coordinated and energetic, they frame their lead well. In contrast to their older sister band whose dance moves are grounded, powerful and heroic, Metalverse dance tends to be airier, and more ladylike. A hand to the cheek with a cute face tilt, skipping while wearing a crown made with raised fingers, and that mid-song pause as courtiers presenting their princess, these are fun little girl games that set them apart from OG BABYMETAL.

There are no subtitles, so I can't comment on the lyrics, but from the title alone, I guess it's the story of the 'Emperor's New Clothes', perhaps a social commentary on the emptiness of modern materialism. I checked the translation and, yes, it's that plus the advice to be your unadorned, authentic naked self. Makes sense.

I remember speculating what Metalverse was before their debut, and I think my initial guess was correct. Metalverse is Sakura Gakuin gone metal. *pats self on back.

Leave It All Behind: A dark 'Shake It Off'

A surprise drop today. F. Hero's "Leave It All Behind" in collaboration with Babymetal and Bodyslam. I don't know Bodyslam at all, but they provide the heavy instrumentation and some vocal bits.

The title pretty much says everything. It's a song about moving on after a disaster. Indeed the MV is set in an apocalyptic wasteland, meteor shower inbound representing circumstances beyond one's control. It's a barren land strewn with rubble. Dark clouds overhang, all shadows and gloom. Babymetal dance on a thick disk resembling a concrete chopping block, but only they and the other performers are well-lit as beacons of hope in troubled times. It can't get any worse for the Titanic run aground behind F Hero, with not a drop of water anywhere to float your boat.

Musically, it's a fun song throwing Thai, Japanese and English lyrics into a blender, and as always Babymetal picks up the catchy chorus split between Su, Moa and Momo, our favourite cheerleaders offering bright happy vibes that ward off the darkness. F Hero provides the angst and frustration though his lines are those of a Drill Sergeant yelling at his recruits to get off their butts and get back into the fray. Bodyslam's lead vocalist brings the melancholy, balancing off Su and F Hero's extreme tonal qualities. 

But this song falls flat in how literal the lyrics are. It could be a language thing, though, as maybe the English subtitles don't translate well enough, while the lyrics may hit harder for people who actually understand Thai and Japanese better than me.

Overall, while this collab isn't the crazy fun that 'Kingslayer' was, it still attempts to be uplifting and motivational. But, I haven't yet picked up an earworm of a hook, so this drop goes into my 'have to get used to it to appreciate it' category.

Horiginal Beef Noodles

Serendipitous discovery of this amazingly generous serving of beef noodles in gravy. This is from the amusingly named 'Horiginal Beef Noodles' located in the Koufu food court of Vista Point, Woodlands. Not a place I generally frequent, but there I was.

For just $6 you get beef slices, tripe, tendon, a beef ball, a beef hand roll that had an underlying ngoh hiang flavour, and probably one other thing that has slipped my memory. A rich, hearty beef broth on the side, and you can help yourself to the honest to goodness genuine chinchalok dipping sauce (with bits of raw onion thrown in) which you can see in the saucer just peeking over the bowl on the left. There's a choice of noodle, but the best option is kway teow, a broad, flat rice noodle, which provides just the right texture that brings out the best mouthfeel for the beef.

Maybe I went at the right time because although the place was packed with lunchtime diners, the turnover was fairly rapid. I very quickly found a table for four all to myself for the duration of the meal. Luxurious.

If I ever go back there, I have my sights fixed on the ox-tail soup and rice combo. It's been so long since I've had any.