BABYMETAL

Babymetal (stylized as BABYMETAL) are a Japanese kawaii metal band.Originally consisting of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal", Yui Mizuno as "Yuimetal", and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal", the band was formed with the concept of a fusion of the heavy metal and Japanese idol genres.The band is managed by Kobametal from the Amuse talent agency.Their vocals are backed by heavy metal instrumentation played by the Kami Band during live performances. Initially formed in 2010 as a sub-unit of the Japanese idol group Sakura Gakuin, Babymetal became an independent act in 2013, following Nakamoto's departure from the former.Babymetal released their eponymous debut album in February 2014.Their second album Metal Resistance was released worldwide on April 1, 2016, charting well internationally for a Japanese band.Babymetal has also embarked on several tours, including the Babymetal World Tour 2014 held after the release of Babymetal, with a majority of their tour dates taking place outside of Asia. On October 19, 2018, Babymetal announced that Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal) decided to leave the band due to poor health, following her absence from live performances since December 2017.