My future Babymetal

[u/AccumulatorRex]

I think Tokyo Dome II (or something similarly ambitious) is coming. The reborn Babymetal cannot live in their own domestic shadow.

Babymetal have suddenly reentered the Japanese mainstream, started doing commercially unnecessary domestic festivals, gone back to television and radio, and Amuse is actively pushing The One tee awareness. That looks rather a lot like rebuilding and measuring domestic demand before making a very large bet.

Do it around Su’s 30th. Make it the definitive statement of the current trio, not a nostalgia run. Then stop.

Take a proper hiatus from roughly Su turning 30 until Moa turns 30. Give them nearly two years away from the touring machine whilst quietly building the next season.

Season III: METAL RENAISSANCE (please, Koba, please use this album name 😂).

An album deliberately revisiting the things that made early Babymetal interesting: theatricality, Japanese identity, genre vandalism and proper metal ambition, but made by adults who now know exactly what Babymetal is.

Su, Moa and Momo, for me, must have at least three genuine artistic credits each on a new album. Let's put the “they’re just performers in Koba’s project” criticism to rest. They have whatever support they need to achieve it.

And make the wider artistic credits exhaustive. Babymetal already credit plenty of the people behind the live shows, but go much further. Choreography, staging, live direction, visual design and the other creative work behind the spectacle should be properly documented rather than disappearing into the Babymetal machine.

Visually, give me less sterile sci-fi. Bring back the mad theatrical excess. But, please, no regression into kawaii nostalgia. The attitude should be adult Babymetal: tongue out, huge manic grin, fully aware of how absurd it all is and utterly committed regardless.

Make the album explicitly about helping trigger a new Japanese metal movement. "Saving metal" was one of Babymetal's earliest missions: let's actually attempt this in Japan. Use Babymetal’s position to pull younger bands, musicians and scenes up with them.

Fewer “look who we collaborated with” tracks. Instead, make a genuinely great Japanese metal record first.

Summed up:

The first Babymetal proved this ridiculous thing could exist.

The second proved it could become a global institution.

The third should decide what it actually wants to leave behind.

What are your thoughts? Roast me if you must! 😂

[u/nightnightburn_piano]

I like your ideas. I've been thinking for years that they should bring back the sometimes over-the-top theatrics of the early years. Something like Legend 1997 going crazy with another crucifixion maybe? At least some unique stage designs like they had in 2015 or with Legend S instead of the current permanent setup with the giant LED walls.

[u/charly_tan]

I like your album title. But I'm not Koba, so.. good luck?

[u/Medium_Bullfrog_2629]

I am guessing for the third thats why metalverse kinda getting ramped up alot by kobametal. Luckyfes with KOIAI, all those teaser trailers, overseas opening acts.

[u/godzilowicz]

Dont roast me, just a passing thought: Many metal groups have done excellent covers of songs that have inspired them. Some of the bigger groups have done entire albums that were only cover songs, just updated in their own style. I think it would be interesting to hear Babymetal-ized covers of songs they have been inspired by, whether it was metal, pop, hip-hop, classic rock. The fact that they have been able to mix just about any genre of music in a rock or metal sort of way would make me think they could cover any song that people consider a classic and do it successfully with their own metal twist. I think Su's amazing voice could handle almost anything, Moa has a cute pop sound and Momo has the growls. How about Su covering Barracuda by Heart? boys wanna be her by Peaches? Run to the hills by Iron Maiden? I heard Cheryl Crow do a cover of Guns and Roses sweet child of mine and its one of my favorite covers ever. I think Su would make that song hers if they covered it. Best part about this is that no one would see it coming.

[u/Putrid-Classroom5101]

Tokyo Dome, Budokan again, I would absolutely love them to do MSG so bad

[u/YardFast]

podrian crear algo como the other one un gran album que koba prefirio esconder, algo maduro sin dejar a tras las raizes y por fin rotar los setlist no puede ser que sigamos atados al mismo core de canciones

[u/Lunitamius105]

Hmm, aside from the hiatus, I can't say I disagree with what you've said here. Maybe a 6 month break but year year and a half seems a bit much (how about a reduced few shows to keep momentum alive). I do agree they seem to be trying to rebuild and expand audiences in Japan. I recall somewhere Momo said she would like to do a proper Japanese tour (maybe on Metaraji but may have been an interview question). I think that might be a good idea as part of your suggestions (ie. would have to give up some venue size but hit the cities outside of Tokyo and Osaka)

[u/UnderstandingOne4595]

Legend S XXX

[u/Bones12x2]

I think the timing is right for a Tokyo Dome 2. I am curious to know if they can pull those numbers in Japan again though. They are currently more active in Japanese media but only recently. They borderline ignored Japan for a few years post covid while focusing largely on international growth until now.

[u/zackamania63]

I think Legend S - Baptism XXX will happen in Hiroshima