Make Believe Mailer #135: BABYMETAL Interviews (MTV 81)

Early Chats With A J-pop Pioneer On The Global Stage

Last week, government body CEIPA announced plans to hold an event in Los Angeles this March spotlighting J-pop. Titled matsuri ‘25, it brings three of the biggest Japanese acts at home and globally — Ado, Atarashii Gakko! and YOASOBI — to the U.S. west coast for a night placing the country’s current wave of music as the center of attention. Held in conjunction with Goldenvoice, it’s a major moment for the Japanese music industry…and a sign of how seriously the government is going to promote it.

Yet none of it would have been possible without pioneers from the decade before who showed that it could happen. Among the biggest…if not the biggest from the period…was BABYMETAL. The idol-meets-metal trio enjoyed “what the fuck Japan” attention initially, as did so many acts from the early 2010s. They parlayed that, though, into becoming a group capable of filling arenas and playing festivals all over the world.

BABYMETAL’s success mirrors what has played out in the 2020s for other J-pop acts, yet a decade ago the atmosphere around it was different. The industry remained in a state of transition — subscription streaming remained niche, while even YouTube wouldn’t assert its overall dominance until 2016 — while even more importantly the government was largely flailing when it came to supporting culture. This was the age of “Cool Japan,” of government efforts to spread soft power that, to extend some grace towards it, built up foreign infrastructure but largely fell short of capitalizing on interest in Japanese entertainment, especially music. In a telling anecdote, members of Cool Japan approached BABYMETAL to ask them…how do yo do it?

Now, the government has actually taken an active role in assisting and establishing artists on the global stage, with CEIPA already doing in five months what Cool Japan failed to do in a decade. That’s a new and welcome development…but actual interest in Japanese pop has been bubbling up for a while. With a new era of attention coming into view, it’s important to credit artists who laid the groundwork for now. That story can’t be told without BABYMETAL.

This week, I’m pulling two interviews I did with the trio out of the digital ether. Both were conducted for MTV 81. The first happened in the summer of 2013, and is one of the first English-language chats with the outfit ever, as they hadn’t really received a lot of YouTube-powered attention yet. The second, done in 2015 (so ten years ago if you need an additional hook for why I’m sending this out now), happened after they blew up and started doing more international tours…but at a point where they were still very much new to the global stage.

Interview With BABYMETAL At Rock In Japan Festival 2013 (MTV 81)

This was my first visit to Rock In Japan Festival — technically the biggest summer fest of its kind in Japan, though one that doesn’t feel as big as a Fuji Rock or Summer Sonic — and an experience that in retrospect feels like the last days of a certain kind of digital-facing media lifestyle. My editor and I were given backstage passes as we’d be interviewing a variety of artists, meaning we could hang out in the artist “village” — and reap the benefits of the VIP life, which meant free pizza and juice served out of a halved pineapple. You would just stand around and like…Miyavi would start talking to you. Rivers Cuomo was performing that year as part of his Scott & Rivers side project…and he gave me the foreigner nod, the universal acknowledgement of “I see you” familiar to anyone in the non-Japanese community here.

At this point, BABYMETAL had gained some attention for its music videos, but they were still months away from really blowing up. Seeing them live explained why — at this juncture, they weren’t using a real band made up of metal lifers to add force to its performances, but rather performing to pre-recorded tracks while joined by dudes dressed as skeletons pretending to play instruments (example below, from different festival). It was cute and a welcome shift from the generally sugary idol sounds at the tent they played in, but it also felt flimsy. A year later, they’d boast the best live spectacle in Japanese music.

What I remember most about this interview is how young the trio were — not just them being literal children, but in how they talked about being jazzed to even perform here. Member YUIMETAL mentioned being inspired by the group Funky Monkey Babys playing the same fest previously, which has always stuck with me. After, they’d be much more leaning into the metal side of their personalities. Here, they were still kids listening to mainstream J-pop. This was a relatively short interview done backstage in about 25 minutes.

On stage, BABYMETAL are pure, headbang-inducing energy. The teenage trio merge the seemingly disparate sounds of heavy metal and idol pop, creating music anchored both by throat-mauling screeches and cuddly choruses. Live, they jump all around the stage, joined by a band of people wearing skeleton costumes. And there is a lot of headbanging, natch.

Yet when MTV 81 meets up with BABYMETAL (consisting of Su-Metal, MoaMetal and YuiMetal) an hour before they were set to perform at Rock In Japan, they are far more kid-like. They are at times nervous, and also geeked to talk about their favorite musical artists.

How are you enjoying Rock In Japan so far?

SU-METAL: We haven’t been able to see any artists yet. It’s our first time at Rock In Japan, so the whole atmosphere is really exciting. And the food is really good!

MOAMETAL: It would be nice after our show if we could see some of the other bands playing here.

What music did you like when you were growing up?

SU-METAL: I started off listening to ballads when I was younger, lots of female singers. But in junior high school, I started learning English and began listening to more international artists. That’s also when I started checking out metal music. I’ve been receiving lots of metal CDs from fans, too!

MOAMETAL: I listen mostly to kawaii groups. I really like the group C-ute!

YUIMETAL: In my free time, I listen to Funky Monkey Babys, like on the bus or on the train.

We hear that you were recruited by the “fox god” to form BABYMETAL. Can you explain who the “fox god” is¹?

MOAMETAL: We’ve actually never met the fox god, but because of his blessing, we were able to become BABYMETAL.

SU-METAL: Up until our first single “Toki-Doki Morning,” we did not know that much about heavy metal music. The first time we heard the idea for BABYMETAL, we were like “what the?!” But then we’ve grown excited seeing where this would go, and to learn new things.

How are you guys feeling before your set today?

YUIMETAL: Last year, Funky Monkey Babys played this festival, so this year I’m going to harness Funky Monkey Babys’ power for our show. We are really looking forward to performing.

What are the challenges…and tricks…for performing for a large audience?

SU-METAL: Right now what we are saying to one another is “be relaxed.” And to put on a good show! At the same time, we are trying to not get too excited, because then the crowd becomes too excited and we lose balance. That said, when everyone gets into the music and is reacting well, it becomes really fun to perform to a larger crowd.

What’s the best way, in your opinion, to enjoy a BABYMETAL show?

YUIMETAL: Headbanging! Since it’s heavy metal, headbanging is only natural. Also, chants and lots of call-and-response between the artists and the audience.

Which do you like better – playing solo shows, or playing big festivals like this?

MOAMETAL: Both are fun, and each sort of show has plusses. At a one-man show, everyone becomes one – the fans know us well, the energy level is high. At fest though, there are lots of new listeners. It’s fun and challenging to perform to a new audience. It’s especially great to see people who don’t know BABYMETAL’s music that well starting to move along to our songs by the end of the set.

Next month, you will go to Jakarta to play at the Anime Festival Asia 2013. How are you preparing for that…and what do you want to do while you are there?

MOAMETAL: Last autumn, we went to Singapore. It was the first time we met our overseas fans. So now, we are looking forward to meeting even more people. That…and we are excited about eating lots of good food and seeing the sights.

Last, where else do you want BABYMETAL to travel to?

ALL: Ehhhhhh, that’s really hard! [they turn to each other to think about it] We want to go to America, for sure! And France too!²

Interview With BABYMETAL In 2015 (MTV 81)

Two years after our first chat at Rock In Japan, BABYMETAL had transformed into a sensation. The real breakout was in 2014, thanks to “Gimme Chocolate!!” which propelled them to an initial world tour including a bunch of fest dates. Once dancing around with goofy skeleton dudes on stage, they were now backed by a killer set of metal vets adding power to their shows. I saw them play at Summer Sonic 2014, and besides being miles better than the Rock In Japan gig, it was the rare set where you can see a group coming into its own, backed by absolute fervor from fans. It remains one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, and I can still summon the “wait what the fuck” feeling of watching BABYMETAL fans prepping to do the “wall of death” for the first time.

This chat — held at the Shibuya offices of Toy’s Factory, and lasting longer than the quick backstage chat two years earlier — was a chance to reflect on the wild year they had. I generally really enjoy talking to artists who suddenly find themselves suddenly extremely popular and learning about how they navigate it…and what they do when they tour abroad.

It has been an extremely busy year for the teenage trio BABYMETAL. The group, which caught attention in Japan several years ago by blending the peppy sounds of idol pop with heavy metal, went viral in the West thanks to the live music video for their song “Gimme Chocolate!!” Currently sitting at over 25 million views³, the clip attracted constant media attention and allowed the group of SU-METAL, MOAMETAL and YUIMETAL to play festivals and solo shows around the globe, including in the United State, England, Germany and many more. Along the way, they even met members of famous metal bands such as Slayer, Anthrax and Metallica.

And now, after constant travel in 2014, BABYMETAL are prepped to do it again this summer. Starting in May, they’ll embark on a second world tour, with stops in countries they’ve never been to before such as Mexico, Switzerland and Italy, along with return trips to many nations. They cap it off with an appearance at England’s famous Reading/Leeds festival in August.

Before they packed their bags, MTV 81 caught up with the group to talk about the last year, how they are preparing for their next tour and hats made out of tortilla chips.

When we caught up with you at the ROCK IN JAPAN festival two years ago, BABYMETAL had only played one international show in Singapore, and you told MTV 81 all the places you wanted to go. Well, BABYMETAL managed to go to all of those places in the past 12 months. How did the last year feel for each of you?

MOAMETAL: It has been really exciting to get the chance to go overseas. It has been a good experience for me to travel so much. I really, really liked Germany.

SU-METAL: My favorite moment was at the Sonisphere Festival in England, a heavy metal fest. There were around 50,000 metal fans in attendance, so I was a little bit scared to perform at first. But as the crowd’s energy started to build up, and they started yelling stuff like “come on” and cheering us on, it became a lot of fun for us.

YUIMETAL: We get lots of fan letters from people all over the world. It gives us the opportunity to exchange ideas and make friends with people from all over the world. When I’m on tour, I get the chance to talk with camerapeople and translators, and become friends with them. And I’m fascinated by other countries...I’m happy that with my experience with BABYMETAL I’m able to see the world, and it has really made me interested in seeing more of it.

All this traveling, how has your English gotten?

YUIMETAL: Errrrr, we are still studying. SU-METAL is the best [laughs].

SU-METAL: No, no, no [laughs]. Right now we just study English in school, just a little bit.

BABYMETAL started getting lots of attention overseas last year with the video for “Gimmie Chocolate!!” Was there a moment when you realized how big it had gotten?

SU-METAL: Before we went out on tour, we would look at all the comments on YouTube. We were surprised at all the different languages the comment were written in. When we got on the road, seeing how people had learned Japanese just to sing along with our songs was a great feeling for us.

On your last world tour, what were your favorite moments from the experience?

YUIMETAL: All of the shows were fun, of course, but being able to see lots of sights in every country we visited was also great. In Germany, we went to Cologne and saw the Cologne Cathedral. It had a lot of stairs, and we all decided to climb to the very top, but it was really tiring. But we did together, and the view at the top was beautiful.

And we went to Universal Studios in California! We got a year-long passport for it.

What was your favorite ride?

YUIMETAL: (thinking) Hmmm, what was the character? He was green and famous. Not Sheck….not Shick….not Bobby.

SU-METAL: Shrek!

YUIMETAL: (very excited) Shrek! I loved that ride, it was so fun.

What was your favorite memory, SU-METAL?

SU-METAL: In New York, at the airport, there were people waiting for us to get off the plane and say hi. That was incredible. And when we were walking around the city, people would say “hey, your BABYMETAL!” That doesn’t really happen in Japan frequently, so it made me feel happy.

MOAMETAL: It was great seeing sights I’d only seen on TV before in person. But I loved [American supermarket chain] Whole Foods. It was such a huge store, and they had a big underground area. And so much food. The salad bar was massive, every time we went we would load up.⁴

[During this, SU-METAL gives YUIMETAL a bottle of water, the latter opening it and playfully making fun of the former, both laughing]

Besides going to Whole Foods, when you go abroad you tend to meet a lot of famous members of heavy metal bands, such as Anthrax, Slayer and Metallica. What are those meetings like for you?

YUIMETAL: We met [Metallica guitarist] Kirk Hammett at the Heavy Montreal festival, but we had a chance to meet him again outside the festival. It wasn’t before a show, so he was wearing regular clothes. Later, we went to a Metallica show and saw him in his whole get-up for the concert, and we realized the gap between the two worlds.

With Anthrax, during our show, I saw one of the members of the band waving at me. I was like, “ahhhh, he remembered me!” That was a nice experience.

Did any of those bands give you heavy metal advice?

YUIMETAL: We didn’t get advice per se, but we had a chance to watch their shows and learn from those. Generally, it was the way they would rile up the audience and build up energy. But when we saw Slayer sticking out their tongues while playing, we thought that looked cool. We might try to incorporate that into our show.

In the past, you worked with the group DragonForce on the song “Road To Resistance.” What was it like working with those guys?

YUIMETAL: It was the first time we worked with melodic speed metal group. At first, I couldn’t believe how fast it was. Just seeing that happen was a pretty amazing experience.

BABYMETAL is about to set off on another world tour, starting this May. How are you preparing?

SU-METAL: Right now we are in the middle of building up our energy, of building up our bodies for touring. When we rehearse, we do full rehearsals, just practice the show from start to finish. That gets us energized.

MOAMETAL: We dance a lot [laughs].

On your next tour, what are you most excited to do?

MOAMETAL: In a movie I like called Despicable Me 2, they eat Mexican food, and at one point they have a hat made out of tortilla chips, and the dip is full of sauce. When we go to Mexico we want to see if we can find one of those chip hats.

[group talks amongst selves trying to remember all the places they are going on the upcoming world tour, talking about places they could maybe go]

YUIMETAL: We are going to a lot of countries for the first time, so we are excited to discover lots of new things. Specifically, it might be nice to see Niagara Falls.

What are the challenges of being on the road so much? How do you cope with traveling so much?

YUIMETAL: Eating a lot and sleeping a lot, that’s the first important thing we keep in mind. During our performances though, we always try to push ourselves beyond our own boundaries. We get energy from the crowd, and push past our limits.

Are you hoping to meet anyone at your upcoming festival gigs?

SU-METAL: There’s a Japanese classic violinist named Taro Hakase we’d love to meet. He works in a completely different genre than us, but we would love to work with him in the future. That’s something we’ve talked about before. We have the “kawaii” and rock elements, it would be fun to throw in classical as while.

Plus I’m just a huge fan of his!

After this upcoming tour, what’s next for BABYMETAL?

MOAMETAL: Only the Fox God knows what the plans are for us next...but when it comes to personal plans, the three of us want to go to a swimming pool together during the summer.

YUIMETAL: We will have lots of homework to finish up during the summer break, but once we do all of that, I really want us to go to a lake or a river and have a barbecue together.

SU-METAL: We are about to start our world tour, and visit a lot of places. However, even in my free time, I want to travel to even more countries in my free time. I really love traveling.

What your dream for BABYMETAL in the future?

SU-METAL: BABYMETAL is a combination of idol music and metal music, so it is a really new sound. Our hope in the future is we want more people to listen to our sound, and we want what BABYMETAL does to be its own genre.

Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
Twitter — @mbmelodies
Check out the Best Of 2025 Spotify Playlist here!

1. One of the only stipulations present in every BABYMETAL interview I’ve done is you have to ask one question about the “fox god.” Sometimes you have to play ball, and thankfully it was the only time the band leaned into its fantasy side (some artists will kayfabe the whole interview as a character, which usually is the worst kind of interview).

2. lolz well they certainly exceeded expectations here.

3. Over 200 million now…virality was quite different back in the day!

4. Whole Foods fascinates J-pop artists…Perfume expressed something similar when I interviewed them after its first show in LA. It’s a great hot bar, I get it!