Headbanger!!!!!!

Ten days ago, Babymetal released a new version of their song ヘドバンギャー！！(known in English speaking countries as Headbanger). So, I have decided to discuss the song, the path to the new version, and what it says in the longer term for Babymetal.

Headbanger was first performed on June 23, 2012 before being released independently by Juonbu Records (their initial imprint while a part of the idol group Sakura Gakuin - Babymetal being the name given to the group from the Juonbu (Heavy Music) club) via distribution from Toy's Factory a week later. The song was their third single (following Doki Doki Morning (which reached a peak of 80 on the Japan Top Independent Albums and Singles chart) and the Babymetal/Kiba of Akiba split single/EP which featured Babymetal's song iine (It's Good) and Kiba of Akiba's Party @ the BBS along with Babymetal's reimagining of Kiba's "Animation With You") titled "Kimi to Anime Ga Mitai - Answers for Animation With You" and Kiba's own reinterpretation of Babymetal's Doki Doki Morning (which reached #46 on the Oricon single charts and #50 on the Billboard Japan single charts). The Split single was released on March 7th as the 5th single from the second Sakura Gakuin album, Sakura Gakuin Nendo 2011: Friends.

Headbanger, released on July 4, 2012 (the birthday of Moa Kikuchi - aka Moa-Metal) would reach #19 on the Billboard Japan single charts and #20 on the Oricon single charts and would be their final release that was also released as a part of Sakura Gakuin (the first single off of Sakura Gakuin Nendo 2012: My Generation) as well as the final single released independently (with Babymetal officially signing with Toy's Factory for their next single Ijime, Dame, Zettai).


The song was composed and arranged by Coalters of the Deep's Narasaki with lyrics by Shion Hirota (Edometal) and Norikazu Nakayama (Nakametal). The song's lyrics describe the evolution of a young girl going to her first concert on her fifteenth birthday. The song (and video) were recorded when lead singer Su-Metal was 14 with Yui-Metal and Moa-Metal both being 12 at the time of recording (but 13 at the time of release). 

While the video does not specifically show Su-Metal going to a show and being swept up by the crowd into euphoria directly, it does show the transformation indirectly from her school uniform to a more "metal" uniform and how the "show" transforms her in her room (aka the dancing on the bed scene). It also introduces the "first" Kami of Babymetal's career, the God of Headbanging. (Although many will just think of it as a reference to the Ring, it was probably unintentional).

The song utilizes a number of different elements musically and vocally, including music-box like musical embellishments, a whispered vocal (Ki-E-Ro), and a lot of "death metal" vocals (which are done by outside (likely male) voices.

Headbanger was also the first song performed live with a backing band at Legend I (with the first Kami band of Leda Cygnus (G), Shiren (G), Ryo (B) and Shin (D) on October 6, 2012.



However, I am of the opinion that as important as the above performance is (for a multitude of reasons)... it is not the best performance of the song during this era. In fact, the best version, perhaps because it is so raw and untethered, is their final performance of this song as a member of Sakura Gakuin, during the graduation ceremony of Nendo 2012 (in March 2013) - the final performance of not only Babymetal in the SG universe but also the final performance of Suzuka Nakamoto as a member of Sakura Gakuin. While there is no band, the performance is incredible.


Now, throughout the years, Babymetal has had a number of different moments with this song. The techno version "The Night of 15 Mix" which debuted on Su-Metal's 15th birthday (Yes, the singing is not live. Don't worry about it):



Then, there are the 15 year old hand-off versions done in 2014 - Yui-Metal on July 1st in Paris France (about 2 weeks after turning 15) and Moa-Metal on July 3rd in Cologne, Germany. (one day before turning 15). Or the Hatachi (20th Birthday) versions - First by Su-Metal at her birthday concerts in her hometown of Hiroshima in December 2017 (and the first concerts without Yui). Then Moa, in her town of birth Nagoya on July 6 and 7th of 2019. And, finally, Momo-Metal the day before her 21st birthday (having become an official member of Babymetal after already turning 20) at Yokahama Arena in Kanagawa Prefecture, where she had lived since moving from Fukuoka Prefecture at the age of 3.

So, with this live performance, there was evidence that Momo could potentially actually do some gutturals - which she had already performed live in Metali during the 2023 tour and would later do on the Babymetal x Electric Callboy song "Ratatata" and then on the Babymetal x Slaughter to Prevail song "Song 3." Thus leading to the new 15th Night Version of Headbanger.


Let's talk about the music first. The song is completely re-recorded with credited performances by Narasaki on Guitar, Akahisa Otani on Bass, and Shuhei Kamada on Drums. Now, Babymetal has always been somewhat secretive as to who is playing on their albums, with their last album Metal Forth being the first to list the musical performers - with the only drum performance being credited being that of David Freidrich of Electric Callboy on Ratatata. (Amusingly, someone has credited Chad Smith, Yoyoka Soma, and Nyango Star as appearing on the album). It has been reported in various places that the drums on Babymetal albums have been done by Drum Machines... so this may be the first Babymetal (non-collaborative studio release) to have real drums. The mix is very different, with an increased emphasis on the guitars rather than the synths. In addition, the solo is different, the synths are different in part, and... of course, the vocals are different. Most importantly, the guttural vocals are all done by Momo-Metal... perhaps a path forward for what Babymetal may explore on their next album.

Now, the video is, on the one hand, a playful reimagining of the original video. From the prayers at the beginning of the video to the possessed cervical collar (aka neck brace) to a large portion of the video showing the dance moves critical to the live performance of the song. On the other hand, the song is also an homage to their career thus far. Let us start with the fact that the video was released on January, 5, 2026 at 3:15pm JST. Or... for a more elementary reading, it was released on 1/5 at 15:15 JST. This is not the only instance where the video plays with the 1 5 (ichi-go) references. In the surveillance video scenes, the time code numbers are always 1s or 5, while the Camera goes from 11 to 15 to 55. 

There are also subtle nods to Japanese customs (the praying/saying itadakimasu before eating) as well as Babymetal History (Manager Koba-Metal mopping the stage at Download 2016.) The Babymetal Long Jackets may be influenced by Rob Halford with whom they shared the stage in 2016.


Then there are more subtle and perhaps unknown things that happened. I happened to read a post (which I cannot find) which stated that the video was filmed on 11/28/25... 15 years after Babymetal made their live debut at the first Sakura Gakuin Festival. The video was filmed at Drive in Nanakoshi (a Vending Machine Restaurant with a video game area) in Fujioka City - which likely serves as a tribute to former Kami Guitarist Mikio Fujioka who passed away on 1/5/2018 from his injuries from a fall at the end of 2017. The Drive in is very close Shichikoyama Burial Mounds (a part of the Shiraishi Burial Mounds - A Japanese Historical Site)... which could be how the ghost finds its way through the video games. Whether or not the ghost is representative of Mikio is, I guess, a personal interpretation.

So, there is our path to the 15th night version of Headbanger... may there be another 15 Babymetal years to come.

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