Japanese kawaii metal phenomenon Babymetal have just shared their new single Starlight, perhaps their most efficient tightrope walk between ferocious heaviness and earworm melody to date. The song, which is accompanied by a stark and foreboding new music video, represents another step in the development of the group’s expanding storyline about an unknown DARK SIDE, a legend of seven metal spirits: THE CHOSEN SEVEN.
The video arrives just ahead of the Japanese leg of Babymetal’s World Tour, which includes the band’s own “DARK NIGHT CARNIVAL” festival on October 28, held at Saitama Super Arena, and their first performances in Australia for Good Things Festival on December 7, 8 and 9. The Japanese tour marks a new beginning, as longtime band member Yuimetal has chosen to leave the group after an extended absence from touring. The new tour dates will mark a rebirth for Babymetal, in which members Su-Metal and Moametal will form the core. More info and a statement from the band can be found at their website.
A portion of Starlight is also included in the trailer for Babymetal’s impending graphic novel Apocrypha: The Legend of BABYMETAL, which explores the unknown mythology of the band. In the story, a mission from the Fox God– an entity frequently highlighted in Babymetal’s music and performances – takes three reincarnating protagonists on a time-traveling journey from prehistoric Kyoto to modern day New York City. Now available for preorder online via Amazon, ASMART, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million, the standard edition of the book will be in comic book stores and bookstores on October 30, 2018.
Starlight arrives on the heels of the group’s bombastic Distortion single that dropped this past spring. Distortion will be receiving a long-awaited physical release via 12” single on Record Store Day’s Black Friday event. The new vinyl edition will feature the original version of the song on side A, with a live version documented at this year’s Download Festival (a video of which has just been made available) on the flip. The band’s incredible live production was recently documented on the DVD release Legend -S – Baptism XX, which has just been re-released on digital platforms.
Formed in 2010 in Japan, Babymetal is a-of-a-kind metal dance unit. Their unique hybrid of visceral metal histrionics, infectious vocal melodies, and tightly choreographed dance performances propelled their debut album Babymetal onto the Billboard charts. Upon release of their second album METAL RESISTANCE, Babymetal became the highest-charting Japanese band ever on UK’s Official Albums Chart (landing at number fifteen), in addition to reaching the 39th spot on the U.S. Billboard Chart, rendering it the first album by a Japanese artist to break into the chart’s top 40 in more than 50 years.
TOURING AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2018
DECEMBER 7 – GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL, MELBOURNE
DECEMBER 8 – GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL, SYDNEY
DECEMBER 9 – GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL, BRISBANE
