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.

Throwback to the early days with Doki Doki Morning

Welcome to early BABYMETAL, really a reference point as to how much the band has grown up and into the performers who released their fourth album just a month ago. This video release is ten years old, but even then it already features quite some quality production values for its time.

The concept fusing bubblegum pop with heavy metal instrumentation shouldn't have worked. It's crazy making the headline performers be younger than the legal age allowed at the venues they are performing in (assuming alcohol is being served). It makes no sense to have children's voices leading the brutal accompaniment, and definitely no business turning the whole thing into this addictive, cutesy, feel-good fusion of metal, rap, and pop all thrown into this delicious, incongruous sonic rojak (spicy mixed salad) of a song. It works so well, and the big mystery with BABYMETAL and their penchant for experimenting with genres like a mad scientist pouring test-tubes of multi-coloured chemicals into each other to find the most explosive combos is HOW does it work?

In this video, the Halloween theme does a lot to bridge the gap. In the midst of a face-melting opening riff, the girls emerge from the depths, lurching to a zombie rave before reverting to their 'human' selves, singing about how difficult it is to get up in the morning, yet being all excited to grow up and see what life has to offer. Maybe they shouldn't have been partying all night in you-know-where, then.

Musically, the swapping between the genres should have been jarring, if not for the instrumental transitions that skillfully smooth and blend the disparate styles so seamlessly that each has its time to shine. The metal packs a solid punch, the rap sounds bright and light in contrast to the metal, the pre-chorus builds anticipation (musically and lyrically), and the pop chorus lifts the spirit as much as it lifts the feet. This song deserves to be everyone's wake-up alarm -- who wouldn't want a dopamine hit first thing in the morning?

But the secret ingredient that makes the whole thing work is... work. We know the band is already seriously accomplished, but the girls aren't just freshly picked off the street. SU, MOA, and YUI have been in training to be professional entertainers for years even before this video got put together. Naturally gifted, yes, but also putting in hours of after-school training, rehearsals, and performances both 'live' and on music video as members of Sakura Gakuin, which is whole 'nother rabbit hole to explore.

BABYMETAL works because each component member could very well have their own highly successful solo career, but their choice to synergise their strengths instead, learning and growing together over these years, fully committed to developing BABYMETAL as a legit sub-genre in itself is how something that shouldn't work works. And the world is a much better place for it.