VIDEO: J-pop Meets Heavy Metal with...BABYMETAL!

"Welcome to the mosh pit of Chaos"

Patrick Macias
February 12, 2012 10:10am PST (2/12/12)

Sunday seems a day as good as any to talk about BABYMETAL, so consider this: Originally formed in 2010, this 3-girl idol unit was conceived (possibly by demons)  as a mix of innocent schoolgirl J-pop and devil-horns ready heavy metal. Or at least, that's what I think what's going on. The introductory video below raises more questions that it answers.

  

 

I can’t prove this in a court of law, but I am willing to bet that their name, BABYMETAL (ベビーメタル) is a play on the Japanese pronunciation of “heavy metal” (ヘヴィメタル). Also, they're really young, almost baby-ish, if you will, so there’s that…

 

With gimmicks like these, and a slogan to the tune of "welcome to the mosh pit of Chaos", it’s no wonder  that the group has been steadily rising through the idol gauntlet in Japan, complete with stints at the Tokyo Idol Festival and on the hallowed grounds of Shinjuku Loft where many a hard metal act has rocked before.

 

Now, it’s your turn to be enchanted, bewitched, and possibly even sell your soul to BABYMETAL! Gaze upon the promotional video for their song Doki Doki☆Morning below, complete with conjuring circles and thrash guitar skeletons and wonder, "where can Japan possibly go from here?"

 

 

BABYMETAL on Facebook

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2/12/12 by WindsOfHate
this kind of advertising disgusts me
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2/12/12 by Rawelo
Why? Is it the mix of genres or what?
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2/12/12 by WindsOfHate
hmm making previews/trailers for a band or whatever this is... i love both jpop and metal and would not see impossible for a good sounding mixture of these genres but... these 3 girls are under 15 so i smell money and profit attempts only. Not the girls but the adults that have put em up for this.
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2/13/12 by panzerveps
Aye. Come back when they can play some instruments please...
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2/12/12 by zansabarshadow
I give this video two LOL's and four ROFL's.
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2/12/12 by harilo
now heres my question are they in that order lol
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2/12/12 by Duck_Waters
Hmm, kind of good. Curious who writes/produces.
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2/12/12 by DeliciousDeBlair
I'M JEALOUS THEY BEAT ME TO IT!!!!

But they're just WAY TOO HOT to hate!!!
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2/12/12 by Juansolous
Well this got my attention...
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2/12/12 by WesWolf
I liked it until they started singing.
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2/12/12 by c7a1
I like the parts where they don't sing
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2/12/12 by j-ren
My head is so full of duck right now.
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2/12/12 by Cavall
*Sees ages* ...only in Japan.
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2/12/12 by teclas
some times I'm ashamed of being an otaku.
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2/12/12 by bluehippofrag
why would you be ashamed of being a nerd?
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2/12/12 by NikkoriAka
Clearly being born with Metal as a last name is a Sign.
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2/12/12 by etherstorm
not really sure what to think of this, although the band in the back rocks, but the mix of young j-pop with metal still leaves something to be desired. i do see potential but still some work to be done(preferably more metal)
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2/12/12 by Assassinx89
ill stick to non-Japanese metal...
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2/12/12 by Bankii
I don't know about you guys, but i certainly HATE it. I don't know if it's the desperate attempt to try and create a new genre or the fact that they tried to make a bearable sound by inserting pop into metal.

Whatever it is, it sucks.
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2/12/12 by picky33
so it's a bunch of preteen pop girls singing over a metal-ish background. it definitely earns the baby part
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2/12/12 by Myobi01
I'm not so interested but they'll make money a lot at that the young age
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2/12/12 by Badninja5557
yup that's true i agree with u on that one.
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2/12/12 by animecrazy14
You guys just ruined music.
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2/12/12 by Badninja5557
lol yea the fact of them doing something like that this is too disturbing _>_... walks away.
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2/12/12 by madboa22
..........Sooooooo is everything i thought it would be between a j-pop and heavy metal fusion ....sighs ...yup so thats it okay can i get a refund on my 5mins of life that was wasted! Dang ........guess not i wish the well but i won't feeding , thanks! ......(cuteness sales ) i guess hehe
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2/12/12 by Badninja5557
umm.. O>O Wow! .. sounds interesting lol
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2/12/12 by Akinorev
I dont know about this, but I think a lot of Pedobears will like it...
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2/12/12 by OmegaRevan
Needs more work.
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2/12/12 by BaraTwoswords
Ayuh, that struck me as kind of a schitzo mash up. If it had been done by 17-18 year olds, young adults, I think I'd frankly laugh and blow them off as either/both wannabe J-Pop or Metal acts. But, since they are frankly kids, my first impulse is to go easy & say, "Well, they are trying hard." and give them a pass. But getting an "E" for Effort grade in the music world won't last in the public eye long. So I say leave the rocking out to those that have earned the right by living the life of hard knocks & stick to being kids.
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2/12/12 by juanmasta
um no words for this
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2/12/12 by JelloBear
Woah, they're young. The music isn't bad though.
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2/12/12 by L3g3nd5
I am torn between being awed by the amazing advertising stunt that this is. To the fact that I am disgusted, they are freaking 12 years old in a metal bad. Then thinking is this really metal. All the metal looks like it’s edited in. This is just some cheese jpop stuf. WTF Japan. (still awed by the advertising stunt though.)
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2/12/12 by nightbane112
Either it's me or they trying to make heavy metal look cute >_>
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2/12/12 by kaenna
OMFG. Mind blaech wanted
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2/12/12 by dark_ghost
Well I enjoy the music I don't know about the singing.
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2/12/12 by DaisyPhantom
That's kick-ass!!
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2/12/12 by sasuke2464
i am possibly in love with them lol this is what i call real music
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2/12/12 by cratercreator
Their singing, dancing and over all styling is nothing more than pop. And pretty bad pop at that. They need a gimmick because without one they could never hold their own in the competitive music world.
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2/12/12 by IniquitySyco
Go-go attention grabbing style! I won't go and hate on this though just it isn't that bad ass to me. The instrumentals alone aren't what make metal what it is, and the vocals completely take away the sound metal brings. That being said I'd find it very interesting to see how people can get in the mood to mosh to this band, but I am judging it based on the 2 videos linked here so I could be wrong. I just know that personally I woudn't be able get in a mosh mood with this. It'd be like moshing to the atrocity Korn's latest album brought to metal, given they are nu-metal lol.

This music is def kind of entertaining though if you feel like getting a laugh. If they get some more metal vocals I might end up liking it more, but as is it's basically got the same place as various bands i listen to they make me laugh and my friends want to shoot themselves in the nether regions. The reactions I'll get by showing this to my friends will make my distaste for the music well worth it cause then I'll get to irritate my friends. My reason for such a strong distaste could be that I'm a metalhead though. I will hold off on my final judgements til I hear more songs by them maybe it'll get better?
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2/12/12 by kevadu
You know, I don't care if you put 12 year olds in a metal band. I just care about the music, not the image, and besides I've heard some Vocaloid-metal songs where the producers have made young female voices *work* with the metal.

But this is just bad. It isn't metal, it's a stupid gimmick.
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2/12/12 by theanimeprincess
J-pop and Heavy Metal dont mix. I don't think this will work out well.
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2/12/12 by andydono
I'll be blunt, this mixed genre is craptastic.
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2/12/12 by charlie256
Well I liked it, still undecided on how well that mashup works, the metal and jpop stuff seem a bit separated, but that might be due to the band being fairly new? Hard to say, anyways seems to do well enough as I like the music.
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2/12/12 by charlie256
still confused though about the 3 pictures of the singers, are they passed out drunk or is it an advert of 3 dead people, so to speak? Either way seems really strange, if not disturbing, videos seemed fine enough though, far as japan goes.
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2/12/12 by YoYuri
This is something only Japan could produce. I don't have a problem with 12/14 year olds in a metal band - need I remind you people we have Disney and Nick in this country? I'd rather have them with metal in the back than the crap those 2 entertainment venues create.

I'm stuck somewhere between WTF and O.O - but it's not entirely bad...now if the girls were playing the instruments AND singing..this would be an entirely different comment.
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2/12/12 by PaperMoon12
Really japan
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2/12/12 by crunchyskylion
This is metal? No this is cast off 80's era Slayer with mildly auto-tuned J-Pop layered on top. Add cute but, oh shocking, red and black outfits (that are oddly cute on them) and shove it into the world. That 'fox sigh' is getting over-used as well.
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2/12/12 by vk999
is anyone else bothered by the fact that kids like them are playing something like heavy metal, and are being advertised like that?
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2/12/12 by Dracojen
don't know what to really say about this...oh i know WTF is this stuff
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2/12/12 by kenkorrupt
It's interesting, but it isn't anything more than choreography... It's like most 'groups', who don't write their own music or play any instruments. It has entertainment value, but I would sooner have a chuckle, before I would bang my head to this.
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2/12/12 by Proximately
I... I... have no words. xD
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2/12/12 by pewpewv3
Maximum the hormone have been doing this for years and they have been doing it way better.. :)
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2/12/12 by RufueZen
Well, it certainly is different.
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2/12/12 by joelis
surprisingly enough I sorta like it
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2/12/12 by pirththee
Shoujo Rammstein Lol.
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2/12/12 by mitsuotaku
I've never been able to go "HNNNG" and be scared at the same time so... Good job on that I guess...
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2/12/12 by ShadowKurama
I understand the mixed responses of them being bad and good. I'm going to say that I'm a fan of this.
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2/12/12 by Yusa-pyan
sooo kawaii!!!
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2/12/12 by oneu2
I think I just had a brain aneurysm. This feels like something Disney would try to do. Scrannah Montana anyone? Ugh ugh and ugh I'm in hell............
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2/12/12 by Banshee103
0.o They don't even play the music. Therefore not metal.
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2/12/12 by Texas84
That's awesome. But their name should be DethLoli.
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2/12/12 by peterdegrootst
this is in my newly formed category of straannngeee
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2/12/12 by becauseshutup
ohh yeaa! I read about this on wtfjapan xD
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2/12/12 by Skr1be
WOW, lots of people here are sitting on some really high horses, hope you don't get a nosebleed from being up so high. Judgmental people really are the worst. Anyway, wonder if these girls are going to sign an OP/ED for Beelzebub, it only makes too much sense.
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2/12/12 by OkyDooky
Dude, seriously. Everything you just said. Yes.
I'm just glad Japan is finally growing up (except for their ages >_>), growing some balls, FINALLY understanding the concept of metal, and furthering the Metalocalypse around the globe. I say "Fuck Yeah" to this! \m/
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2/13/12 by NihonMonkey
dude check out 2sides1brain that have been around for about 8 or 9 years and try again. or just search for jrock. lol
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2/12/12 by mizurahisakura
that is some really bizzare stuff.
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2/12/12 by munchthis
my brain just ain't working, I can't seem to come up with a witty comment to this.
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2/12/12 by MAC-ATTACK
i like it for the metal, but kind-of hate the pop interludes
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2/12/12 by luvikuto
i like them. it's great that i feel the concept behind it is that, heavy metal shouldn't be limited to just teens and grown ups. but...they're too cute, they act too cute, and whatever they do is cute.
they should've call them tantrum metal r something.
heavy metal to me, is about expressing myself, my pain and frustration in a heavy, loud way that i don't even care whether i'm looking cute r censoring myself.
they don't do that. they know they're cute, they capitalize on it. and i'm pretty sure if i could understand Japanese, they don't go all out. then again if they did, that would be so wrong so....
i like looking at them, especially on their interviews, but i wouldn't go all crazy and obsess with them the way i do....let say....kim hyun joong.
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2/12/12 by forestgirlasha
just feel like i should comment but don't even know what to say about this
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2/12/12 by slipxout
Pedobear would approve this
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2/12/12 by curryudon
I never liked metal, but this just cracks me up so much that I'll have to get their album. Look at the way they skip onto the stage! Like evil bunnies!
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2/12/12 by pika-pika-shuuichi
I've been a fan of them, and their main group, Sakura Gakuin (as BABYMETAL is only a sub-group), before their video pretty much went viral. I first heard this on Sakura Gakuin's first album when it came out. (I preordered it online.) I listened to all the songs and this one stood out as the best one to me. This is coming from someone who listened to the song for the first time without the music video, and without some random articles to sway my opinion. The song itself, while it may not be for everyone, is good. The PV is very unique but that's a big part of why I like it. I only wish people could stop being so objective and actually give the song an unbiased listen. Though, I do understand it's hard to do that now, with this video spreading like wildfire... But if you just try, I'm sure at least some of you will actually like the song, should you give it a chance. And if any of you do like the song, please purchase Sakura Gakuin's first album, which this track is on.
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2/12/12 by sakaki_chan
Thanks for that, i will be making that purchase ;D and I completely agree with you about people. I'm getting so tired of this "Wtf Japan?!" If you love anime, japan and Japanese related stuff then you should well know by now that they have a unique way of doing things, which make them all the more better for it! My first reaction to watching this a while back was not "Wtf Japan, omg lol roflmao" or anything like that. Honestly, it was more like, "wow! This is different.... and quite clever... Cute but with excellent rock.... I need to hear it again."
Just because something is different and not what you're used to doesn't mean it's wrong or stupid. And who cares what age they are? How many western stars have popped up in the years under the age of 15... A few thats for sure! Somehow it's an issue because they are Japanese? Geez....
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2/12/12 by sakaki_chan
I saw this ages ago..... the more I heard it, the more it grew on me and now I love it XD
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2/12/12 by lorreen
Actually, I kinda like it.
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2/12/12 by orimitsu
YAWN... this is very old news....
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2/12/12 by ginkou-san
nice dancing, nice singing, but not that kind of genre. im okay if they pick metal, but can't they at least make the jpop part a bit cooler? the japanese 'must' for cuteness is killing me
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2/12/12 by SakuraFubuki
ummm wow... wth.... they are only 12 and 14 years old...
and combination of rock and pop dont work...
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2/12/12 by Fushichou
I don't know. I liked the song because it was different.The infusion was just a little bit wonky but still I thought it was ok. But in some way this to also reminds of something that a certain company that, shall I say, mass produces pop stars like candy would almost do.That aside, for the sake of argument I would be willing to give them a go and see how it works for them. I love HEAVY metal and do like some but not all pop.It is different and a bit crazy, But I too can see my 15 year old daughter and her friend doing this as well in almost the same style.
So yeah I will lend my ears to their sounds, And keep an open mind about it.
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2/12/12 by coast_rider
This is ashley simpson level dancing. Seriously, not a single one of them was even playing an instrument, just jumping around like they have absolutely no idea what metal is. I won't start on the fox sign, just ugh.
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2/13/12 by opt403
It's a good idea, but the implementation does not please me.
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2/13/12 by scwirpeo
i think ill stick with American metal the heavy kind my neighbors listen too even if they don't want to
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2/13/12 by chibi_haruhi
nope nope nope
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2/13/12 by mimosa_usagi
I think this could have been done better.
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2/13/12 by Izanagidonutz
They need to make so many Videogame and anime opening themes.....like RIGHT NOW.
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2/13/12 by blue-y
They are so young!!!! :o The photos of the members are epic!
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2/13/12 by ghost1598
This could work ...maybe
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2/13/12 by charlie256
Watched this yesterday, and again just now, and watching it makes me laugh, sounds pretty decent though. Also, just because I feel the need to start a riot :P I will mention that one of those girls is already legal in Japan and the other 2 within a year, so hardly out of place there. someone needs to make a sticker to label some kinds of otaku things "only in japan" but yea still hilarious for me anyways :D
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2/13/12 by otakucutie
I'm kinda hoping this will be made fun off in Metalocalypse if that show is even still on it.
>.> I hate to admit it its kinda catchy and its not bad for me its like listening to two songs at the same time....
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2/13/12 by Rusoku
its alright lol they are still pretty young so there are lots of room for improvement over the years lol
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2/13/12 by GathTheHitman
makes me have have sad face
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2/13/12 by Butonz17
No Japan. This is not brutal.
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2/13/12 by DirEnGay
Oh fuck off, Japan really knows how to ruin everything.
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2/13/12 by Animus625
I don't like the ad, but the music is pretty catchy. I don't like how the ad is self-proclaiming popularity and the hipster-esque "don't be left behind" line
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2/13/12 by fooshui
i am terrified for the future of music...
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2/13/12 by zepol216
too cute and as metal as hydrogen....
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2/13/12 by YPSweet
I like her voice but it does worry me that the girls are so young. Heavy metal at that young age can't be a good influence on themselves and other kids their age who's watching them on TV.
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