A gentle introduction to BABYMETAL pt. 2

Moving slightly backwards in time, this video features SU-METAL and MOAMETAL as a duet. This being The First Take, the same rules apply. One take is all they get.

The song is 'Monochrome', featured on BABYMETAL's latest album, 'The Other One', released almost a month ago.

SU takes the spotlight, showcasing her crisp, controlled vocals. She isn't just singing, she's performing, putting full emotion into her powerful, piercing belts. Her voice catches in the exact same spot in the first two verses, like someone who is trying hard to hold it in, but can't. There's a cry in there but not a selfish, attention-seeking one. It's more personal, perhaps reflective of the loss of someone or something, or perhaps of certain sacrifices she might have made along the way. Without the metal backing, SU turns 'Monochrome' wistful and ethereal, and beautiful to listen to.

MOA plays the stoic in her facial expression and vocal tone. Her grounded supporting 'oh oh's give the song gravity, while SU's voice soars. Between these two opposing forces, my heart rent like string cheese on a pizza slice pulled upwards and away from its base, leaving me an emotional wreck the first few times I heard this version. Their official lyric video is beautiful too, but it didn't hit as hard in the feels.

Every BABYMETAL song is a sort of story. By the last verse, SU sings of accepting change and lets go (at least that's what I'm getting from the subtitles). Melancholy night turns to day full of promise and hope. Their songs are positive and uplifting, though in this new album, the songs are less playful, less full of youthful idealism. SU and MOA are, after all, young adults now, and their sensibilities have matured, as they should. Babies no longer, but they are still BABYMETAL.

A gentle introduction to BABYMETAL pt. 1

I'm seriously late to the party. The girls have grown up so much, being in the business for over 10 years now. Thankfully, they have some new material released within the past month which I can review, then perhaps consider how much further down the 'fox hole' I want to delve into.

First, some context. The band has been described as pioneering the 'kawaii metal' genre. The formula was clearly explosive, but the talent agency that put the band together just went with it. Take three super talented multiple-threat pre-teens and make them front a band comprising some of the best talents in Japanese hardcore metal, infusing the hard driving beats with the melodies of idol pop. While the band members themselves are mostly session musicians, a few have stayed with the group on a semi-permanent basis. The mainstays who give the band the name 'BABYMETAL' are SU-METAL (lead vocalist) and MOAMETAL who flanks the lead with supporting vocals and dance. The original third member, YUIMETAL took the other flank, but left a few years ago due to poor health. She was a solid and much revered foundational part of the band, and greatly missed by fans today.

This video (above) is atypical of their music. On The First Take music artists of stature perform with their voices alone, accompanied by a simple unplugged music backing  Here, performers leave their bands and choreography behind so that the audience can focus on just the vocal presentation in isolation -- and record that performance in a single take. (Edit: oops, no. The featured guest can arrange their performance however they want, but it's all shot in just one take).

The video above is entitled 'The One - Unfinished ver.' which is a tribute to their huge international fanbase collectively known as the One. It is 'unfinished' as it is only a snippet of the full version. This video is significant as it features one of the first recorded appearances of MOMOMETAL as the recently confirmed third member of the group, finally returning BABYMETAL to its original trio status. While SU-METAL still sings lead here, the focus seems to be on MOAMETAL and MOMOMETAL who provide a beautiful backing harmony which we seldom appreciate, lost as it often gets in the sound and fury of their usual full metal performances, packed with so much frenetic choreography and theatrical spectacle. Also because of the loss of YUIMETAL, MOA up to this point has had no consistent partner to harmonise with.

Like the title of the song, the two-part harmony indeed blends as one, like their voices were made for each other. This harmonic base provides SU-METAL a platform for her voice to soar as she belts out a song of affirmation and identity. On one hand it pulls in the fanbase for whom the song is written, but it also welcomes MOMOMETAL into the band with an anthem of sisterly solidarity. And perhaps the song is 'unfinished' to symbolize the beginning of a new journey for this trio of amazing vocal talent.

In part 2, we will review the previous First Take release, 'Monochrome - piano ver.' by BABYMETAL.