With Babymetal being featured on "Kasuka na Hana" by Tatsuya Kitani (the Opening theme for Season 2 of the Anime Hell's Paradise: Jigokaraku)... I figured it would be a fun project to rank all of Babymetal's collaborations thus far. However, there is one major problem with this: Because Babymetal are the three vocalists for the greater Team Babymetal... and they largely do not contribute to the lyrics/composition of the songs - one could argue that every Babymetal song is - in fact - a collaboration.
However, that seems like a morass I do not want to fall into. So, to make it easier on myself - I will only be ranking songs where either Babymetal is a featured artist OR Babymetal is featuring another artist. There will be one exception to this nomenclature (which will be explained when we get there).
So, let's get to the criteria for ranking:
1) How collaborative is the collaboration. For example, if Babymetal is being featured - but only Su-Metal is on the recording - the collaboration will be dinged in the ranking. If an artist is featured on a Babymetal song but is integrated in a relatively minor way - that collaboration will be dinged.
2) How much I like the song. Because of criteria #1, there will be songs I personally enjoy ranked lower in the ranking than songs I do not like as much. Because, the second song is a better collaboration. This will be noted.
So, enough preamble. Let's start ranking. We will be going from the best collaboration to the worst.
1) Babymetal (featuring F. Hero) - Pa Pa Ya !!
One of five collaborations on the 16 song Metal Galaxy album, Babymetal brought Thai Rapper F. Hero in for a spicy summer song. What makes it a fascinating collaborative effort is more than just the triple language burst of Japanese, English and Thai. It is the fact that F. Hero is not only all over the song (all of the Male vocals in the song are him) but that he asked producer and Babymetal Manager Koba-Metal if he could add musical layers to the song. Listen closely to the rap portion where he brings in traditional thai instrumentations. A truly collaborative feature.
Has the collaboration been performed live: Yes. Multiple times.
2) Bring Me The Horizon (Featuring Babymetal) - Kingslayer
Originally from Bring Me The Horizon's Post Human: Survivor Horror EP from 2020, The song hits all the right notes. The EP - certainly influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic - was certainly a difficult album to make given covid protocols. But, that didn't stop BMTH from giving Babymetal a long runway in what the song could sound like. In particular, Oli from BMTH encouraged Team Babymetal to put in some Japanese lyrics... and it feels as much like a Babymetal song as a BMTH song. And, Moa (at the time, Babymetal was a duo) does get some vocal expressions in the song.
Has the collaboration been performed live: See video above.
3) Babymetal (featuring Polyphia) - Sunset Kiss
Technically - It is not all of Polyphia on the song - just the guitarists Tim Henson and Scott LePage (This will become important later). Furthermore, no one on the Polyphia team gets a credit on the song writing. And, yet, the song shows the importance of picking the right people for the right song. The musical portion is Polyphia. Babymetal is overlayed on top. It's a perfect, melancholic, city-popesque song.
Has the collaboration been performed live: Not yet.
4) F. Hero x Bodyslam x Babymetal - Leave It All Behind
The first (and only official) triple collaboration, The F. Hero track brings together Babymetal and Thai rock band Bodyslam. The difficulty of any collaboration is how to make all the parts fit together. Which is difficult with just Babymetal (how do you balance Su with Moa/Momo) and only gets more difficult when you add a 3rd vocalist. Yet... the mix of all the artists is brilliantly executed. (And, Su sings a bit in Thai).
Indian metal meets Japanese metal. Hindi, English and Japanese. Another perfect mixture of culture and sound. And, not unlike Leave it all Behind... Moa and Momo go all electronic for their bridge. (And, Su sings a bit in Hindi).
Written primarily by Jordan Fish (formerly on Bring Me the Horizon and also co-writer on Kingslayer) and Poppy... the song has similar energy to Kingslayer... but also brings in a vocal feature for Moa/Momo. Mostly in English with the exception of the Japanese bridge. Poppy is obviously highly prominent after the Japanese bridge... but can also be heard shadowing Su throughout the song.
7) Babymetal (Featuring Scott LePage and Tim Henson) - Brand New Day
A song I fell in love with immediately upon listening to Metal Galaxy... it only falls this far because Sunset Kiss (with LePage and Henson) is just a smidge better. It's gonna be OK, alright.
8) Jam Project (Featuring Babymetal) - Get No Satisfied!
Babymetal's first Japanese anime opening song was done with ultimate Anime ensemble Jam Project... for Season 3 of One Punch Man. Jam Project (which consists of 5 permanent vocal members) was unsurprisingly able to just add vocal lines for 3 more singers in this major composition. But, all the members of Babymetal get their chance to shine and the interaction between the multiple vocalists is sublime.
Has the collaboration been performed live: No. But, here is Jam Project doing it live.
9) Babymetal x Electric Callboy - Ratatata
Both Babymetal and Electric Callboy call it a 50/50 collaboration... with each side pushing certain elements of the song. The music is played by the musicians of Electric Callboy... with all the vocalists getting to shine. Including Momo with her first recorded death vocal. A song that fits both bands well. Hits harder live though.
Has the collaboration been performed live: ManyManyTimes.
10) Babymetal (featuring Bloodywood) - Kon Kon
As opposed Bekhauf which goes full speed ahead... Kon Kon turns it down a smidge with folk instrumentation. The subtlety works on the studio track. It gets a bit lost live, however.
If released now, it would almost certainly have a featuring Dragonforce or featuring Herman Li and Sam Totman. As Lore goes, when the song was being written, it started to sound more and more like a Dragonforce song musically. So, Koba decided to ask Herman and Sam if they would perform guitars on the song. Which they did.
IDZ is one of my favorite Babymetal songs... and the Nemesis version (with Chris Arnott - formerly of Arch Enemy on guitar) is just that little bit heavier (both due to Chris' guitar and the mix). Babymetal's first "real" collaboration with the song being released on the IDZ single in January 2013.
Has the collaboration been performed live: No. But, here is my favorite live version of the song.
13) Babymetal x Slaughter to Prevail - Song 3
A song true to its name (a song that not only chants 1, 2, 3 over and over again - it last 3 minutes and 33 seconds). The music was written by Jack Simmons of StP with Momo-Metal being the pre-eminent Babymetal feature - in particular her extensive death growls. Alex Terrible shows up halfway through... as does Matt Heafy of Trivium (performing on Shamisen). In many ways, it could be considered a semi-return to Black Babymetal songs of yore. Appears on both Babymetal's Metal Forth and StP's Grizzly.
An interesting folk metal offering from Babymetal with support from Joakim Broden of Sabaton. The song is a bit repetitive and isn't really in Joakim's wheelhouse. But, he does sing in Japanese. And the breakdown is pretty nice.
Has the collaboration been performed live: No. But, Joakim did perform Meta Taro with Babymetal live in 2018. Here is a live version (with many large on screen Joakims).
All songs from here on have certain deficiencies that prevent them from going above the fuller collaborations above. I will note the deficiencies from a collaborative performance in the write ups. However, the collaborative deficiencies do not necessarily take away from the song itself.
15) Tatsuya Kitani (featuring Babymetal) - Kasuka Na Hana
Babymetal's second song for an anime (Opening song for Hell's Paradise: Jigokaraku), this time pairing up with Tatsuya Kitani. A fantastic vocal pairing of Tatsuya and Su. The only drawback... no Moa/Momo.
Music by Spiritbox, Lyrics by the Team Babymetal. Courtney Laplante shows up halfway through to bring in a different vocal spirit. Su is in great voice in a different style. Courtney is Courtney. Again, no Moa/Momo.
I wasn't sure where to place this song. However, given that it is the only song that is officially written by all 3 members of Babymetal (and Koba and Daidai from Paledusk along with Lil Uzi Vert)... it kind of has to be here. Daidai, who was the main man behind Metal Forth's KxAxWxAxIxI seemingly put everything into a blender here. It's a wild ride. I'm not sure it's much of a song though. It is interesting. Despite getting writing credits here, I do not here a single Moa or Momo moment though.
Has the collaboration been performed live: No.
18) Five Finger Death Punch (Featuring Babymetal) - The End (2025 version)
A re-recording of a relatively recent song by FFDP... it sounds exactly like you would expect a FFDP song to sound. However, Su fits her verses in well (and, she very well might have written the lyrics). I feel like she could have been boosted in the mix. The song did give Babymetal their first Billboard #1 song, however. (#1 US Mainstream Rock, #16 Rock Airplay). Alas, No Moa or Momo.
Has the collaboration been performed live: No (or, perhaps, not yet).
19) Babymetal (featuring Tom Morello) - Metali!
Metali! is an excellent song. The japanese instrumentation that calls back to Megitsune. Has a great kabuki theater bit in the middle with Momo (in her first Babymetal song). And, once Tom comes in, he does his thing while complementing the song. But, he is only here for half the song.
Has the collaboration been performed live: Surprisingly, no. But, Babymetal performs it a lot.
20) Tak Matsumoto Group (featuring Babymetal) - Eternal Flames
Koba has always stated that he wanted to do an 80s metal/hard rock song. But... Babymetal could never do it. But, when you take a band made of Tak Matsumoto (B'z), Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Jack Blades (Night Ranger/Damn Yankees) and Matt Sorum (Guns N Roses/Velvet Revolver)... You get an 80s song. I like the song... the harmonizing between Eric and Su is quite good. But... no Moa/Momo.
The song that introduced me to Babymetal and brought me into the Fox Hole. Alissa is the counterbalance to Su in the "Power" segments... certainly a nice contrast in a song about the struggles of oneself. But, as a collaboration... there isn't enough there. But, Moa is highly present which is nice. And, perhaps in the future, they could do it live with Momo in Alissa's place.
Has the collaboration been performed live: No. But, here is a live version from the year of release.
22) Babymetal (featuring Tak Matsumoto) - Da Da Dance
The opening song to Metal Galaxy, and it is a classic Babymetal dance number. As a collab, Tak puts down a tasty solo. But, that's it. It's a good solo... but not much of a collab.
Babymetal x Rob Halford - Painkiller/Breaking the Law (Alternative Press Music Awards 2016)
Babymetal doesn't do a lot of covers. But, this special one time Awards collaboration is a great one. Su flipping to a higher register on Painkiller is pretty great.
And, this is the only cover they have ever performed live at a Babymetal show - the final show of their opening slot for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in London in 2016. With Chad Smith on Drums.
Seikima II vs. Babymetal - El Dorado
On the second date of their two man-show, Seikima II and Babymetal performed the Seikima II classic El Dorado.
Babymetal - Kimi to Anime Ga Mitai (Answers to Animation with You)
It's not exactly a cover or a collaboration. The lyrics are different from the original. But, the music is the original Kiba of Akiba track. You can even here an occasional Kiba of Akiba vocal.
No, the collaboration has never been performed live.
Today was the last day of work for one of my co-workers. After 29 years at our place of business, Dawn has bid us all a fond farewell. As any decision to leave your long-time work, the decision could not have been an easy one. After all, one's job is not only a place to earn money to live... it is also a place to see your friends and acquaintances. After all, one is at work for at least 40 hours a week. One likely sees your workmates more often than you see your friends outside of work. Potentially more than you see your extended family. Even, potentially, more than one sees their immediate family. I have worked alongside Dawn for the entire 21 years I have worked at this place of business... although not always on the same shift and not with the same days off. I don't recall the first time I met Dawn, but I certainly do remember that she was a giver. A giver of hugs. A giver of candy. A giver of kindness. A guiding light of goodness that one wanted to reciprocate and to give ...
A few days ago, I made the decision to try to get all hyped up for the upcoming Christmas holiday. There were a few things I was able to take out of a downstairs closet and place on the staircase. The larger issue was getting the fake plastic Christmas tree out of one of the loft closets. Now, the actual retrieval of said tree was not particularly difficult. I knew which closet it was in, so opening the door and taking it out was trivial. However... it wasn't that easy. At least, not emotionally. For in that closet was a multitude of physical objects that put me in a bit of a tailspin. First, it was the realization that there were even more paintings by my mother that I had forgotten about. In fact, there were a large number of items that were taken from my mother's apartment after her death in 2015. Large plastic crates of pictures and memories that from just a brief look included such things as a newspaper clipping of my grandmother's obituary, a collection of player...
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. - George Orwell, 1984 For the past week, I have been wanting to write about things that have nothing to do with the politics of the day. I wanted to write a post on Babymetal's new version of Headbanger ... how it updates the song, how it incorporates Momo-Metal. How the video pays homage to the original video (from 13 years ago)... while also potentially paying tribute to a deceased member of the Kami Band (Mikio Fujioka). And, other fun tidbit surrounding the numbers 1 and 5 (of which I will not go crazy on now, for perhaps after I write this post... I'll be able to get my mind straight). I also wanted to talk about Ado's absolutely unhinged version of her first single Usseewa on the series The First Take - five years after hitting #1 in Japan with the song. And, what her rise in popularity in the West may mean for future Japanese artists. (And, again, perhaps I w...
Comments
Post a Comment