Karate (song)

Last updated
"Karate"
Single by Babymetal
from the album Metal Resistance
LanguageJapanese
ReleasedFebruary 26, 2016 (2016-02-26)
Genre
Length4:23
Label
Songwriter(s) Yuyoyuppe
Producer(s)
Babymetal singles chronology
"Gimme Chocolate!!"
(2015)		"Karate"
(2016)		"Distortion"
(2018)
Music video
"Karate" on YouTube

"Karate" (stylized in all caps) is a song by the Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal from their second studio album, Metal Resistance . The song was released to active rock radio as an airplay-only single in the United States on February 26, 2016.

Contents

Background and release

"Karate" was first included in a teaser for the album Metal Resistance and its own music video, which was uploaded to YouTube on February 25, 2016. Currently, the official music video has gained over 77 million views on YouTube. The song was officially released as a digital single the next day, available as an instant download upon pre-ordering the album on the iTunes Store. [1] Additionally, the song received airplay via the Nippon Broadcasting System program MC Plus. [2]

Moa Kikuchi expressed that "Karate" is her favorite song, explaining how "karate has a courtesy: "Start with a bow and end with a bow." This is something important we value in our lives, because we never forget courtesy and a feeling of gratitude wherever we go." [3] [4]

Composition

According to Suzuka Nakamoto, "Karate" is reminiscent of the song "Megitsune", which "is popular among international fans. [The song] has not only Babymetal vibes, but also has Japanese elements. Its lyrics portray a strong will to go on, no matter what happens in your life." [3] The song is a nu metal song that contains elements of metalcore. [5] [6] Composed by Yuyoyuppe and arranged under the name Yuppemetal, [7] "Karate" also features djent-like riffs, and a J-pop melody. [6] [8] Loudwire's Graham Hartmann described the song as "incredibly charming. Instrumentally, it’s also heavy as hell. The song’s main riff is way low on the sonic spectrum, chugging away in a no-nonsense djent fashion." [9]

Kikuchi explained that the lyrics are about never giving up and always moving forward, no matter what difficulties need to be endured. Furthermore, Yui Mizuno described how the dance moves were made to help express the message of the song, as most of the lyrics were in Japanese. [10]

Reception

"Karate" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Lars Gotrich of NPR Music described the song as "catchy and grandiose" praising Nakamoto's vocal performance, comparing her to Evanescence lead vocalist Amy Lee. [6] Jon Hadusek from Consequence of Sound called the song, as well as "From Dusk Till Dawn" essential tracks from the album. [11] While reviewing Metal Resistance, Jordan Bassett of NME praised the song, describing it as "fast and furious until jangling, arpeggiated guitar alters the rhythm." [12] Hartmann praised the song's chorus, calling it "one of the catchiest pieces [Babymetal] has crafted to date." [9]

"Karate" peaked at number two on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart on the issue dated March 19, 2016, spending fourteen weeks on the chart. [13] The song debuted at number 24 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, for the week of March 12, 2016. After the release of the band's second album Metal Resistance , in the week of May 7, 2016, the song peaked at number 17, [14] spending a total of twelve weeks on the chart. [13]

On May 26, 2016, it was announced by WWE's Triple H on Twitter that the song, along with A Day to Remember's "Paranoia", would be used as one of the official theme songs of NXT TakeOver: The End. [15] [16]

Music video

Directed by Daisuke Ninomiya, [17] the music video for "Karate" was released on 18 March 2016. [18]

Lars Gotrich of NPR Music described the video:

"Backed by a band now clad in deep purple and black warrior gear, the trio battles with martial arts masters and ghosts in white robes and studded face covers. After being briefly struck down, the three young women rise up together and hold up fox signs and pull them to their hearts. It's a tender moment, delivered with the ever-present wink." [6]

Mizuno explained that the choreography shown in the video was inspired by the martial arts moves seen in karate, and was "one of the ways to kind of break the language barrier" due to the Japanese lyrics. [10]

Nakamoto described the white figures in the video as representing their former selves, expressing the desire to break down barriers by fighting themselves to move forward. While working on the choreography for the song, the band members watched a variety of videos with karate, such The Karate Kid , adapting some of the moves into their dance. [19]

Kikuchi added that "karate is obviously a form of martial arts that originated from Japan, so it’s something that she’s very proud of that they are now representing this culture that came from Japan through their music, and it’s a way for more people outside of Japan also to learn what karate is all about." [10]

Gotrich praised the music video:

"Where past music videos have played up the presumed silliness of three Japanese girls flashing the fox sign and doing coordinated dance moves to heavy riffage, the stark and stylish visuals for "Karate" reflect a more dramatic tone." [6]

The music video would later join the Loudwire Battle Royale Hall of Fame, after spending five straight weeks at number one based on fan votes. [20]

Live performances

"Karate" premiered at Yokohama Arena on December 12, 2015, during the final dates of the Babymetal World Tour 2015, [18] [21] [22] and was added to the setlist of the Babymetal World Tour 2016, performed on the first tour date at Wembley Arena. [23] The song had its first televised performance at TV Asahi's Music Station on April 22, 2016. [24] [25] The song's choreography contained interpolations of karate moves, as shown in the music video. [19]

Credits and personnel

Chart performance

Chart (2016)Peak
position
Japan ( Billboard ) [14] 17
US World Digital Songs (Billboard) [13] 2

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
United StatesFebruary 26, 2016 [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babymetal</span> Japanese kawaii metal band

Babymetal is a Japanese kawaii metal band consisting of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal", Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal" and Momoko Okazaki as "Momometal". The band is produced by Kobametal from the Amuse talent agency. Their vocals are backed by heavy metal instrumentation, performed by a group of session musicians known as the "Kami Band" at performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moa Kikuchi</span> Japanese musician

Moa Kikuchi, known by her stage name Moametal, is a Japanese musician, singer, and dancer. She is represented by the talent agency Amuse, Inc. She is a member of the kawaii metal group Babymetal and a former member of the idol group Sakura Gakuin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yui Mizuno</span> Japanese singer

Yui Mizuno, formerly known by her stage name Yuimetal, is a Japanese musician, singer, and dancer. She is a former member of the kawaii metal group Babymetal and the idol group Sakura Gakuin. In October 2018, she left Babymetal due to an undisclosed illness. She is managed by the Amuse, Inc. talent agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megitsune</span> 2013 single by Babymetal

"Megitsune" is the second major label single by the Japanese kawaii metal band Babymetal. It was released in Japan on June 19, 2013 as the fifth single from the album Babymetal. It is also the first single released independently from the idol group Sakura Gakuin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ijime, Dame, Zettai</span> 2013 single by Babymetal

"Ijime, Dame, Zettai" is the debut major label single by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. It was released in Japan on January 9, 2013, as the fourth overall single from the album Babymetal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Headbanger (Babymetal song)</span> 2012 single by Babymetal

"Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" is a single by the Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. Released in Japan on July 4, 2012 in promotion for the album Sakura Gakuin 2012 Nendo: My Generation, the single serves as the third single from the debut album Babymetal. It is also the band's first solo audio release to be released commercially.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babymetal / Kiba of Akiba</span> 2012 single by Babymetal and Kiba of Akiba

"Babymetal / Kiba of Akiba" is a joint single by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal and otailish death pop band Kiba of Akiba. The single was first released in Japan on March 7, 2012 to promote the album Sakura Gakuin 2011 Nendo: Friends.

<i>Babymetal</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Babymetal

Babymetal is the debut studio album by Japanese heavy metal idol group Babymetal. It was first released on February 26, 2014, in Japan through BMD Fox Records, and was re-released on May 29, 2015, in Europe through earMusic, and June 16, 2015, in the United States through RED Associated Labels (RAL) and Sony Music Entertainment. Music from the album dates back to the origins of the band in 2010, and incorporates tracks from their earliest released singles, back when the band was a sub-unit of the Japanese idol group Sakura Gakuin.

<i>Live: Legend I, D, Z Apocalypse</i>

Live: Legend I, D, Z Apocalypse is the first video album by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. The album contains live footage of three shows, entitled Legend "I", Legend "D", and Legend "Z", respectively (spelling out the initials of "Ijime, Dame, Zettai"), performed in Tokyo from late 2012 to early 2013. The album was released for general sale in Blu-ray format on November 20, 2013.

<i>Live: Legend 1999 & 1997 Apocalypse</i> 2014 live video album by Babymetal

Live: Legend 1999 & 1997 Apocalypse is the second live video release by the Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. The album contains live footage of two shows, entitled Legend "1999" and Legend "1997", performed in Japan in 2013. It was released in 2-disc DVD and Blu-ray formats on October 29, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doki Doki Morning</span> 2011 single by Babymetal

"Doki Doki Morning" is a song by the Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. The song was released in Japan as an independent DVD single on October 22, 2011, serving as the first single off the debut album Babymetal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road of Resistance</span> 2015 single by Babymetal

"Road of Resistance" is a song by the Japanese Kawaii metal band Babymetal. The song was released worldwide as a digital single on February 1, 2015 by Toy's Factory, serving as the lead single off the international re-release of the album Babymetal, as well the opening track from Metal Resistance. The official live music video gaining over 34 million views on YouTube.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gimme Chocolate!!</span> 2015 single by Babymetal

"Gimme Chocolate!!" is a song by the Japanese kawaii metal band Babymetal from their self-titled debut album. Though it was not released as a single in Japan, the song became an international success, with its music video gaining over 180 million views on YouTube. Later, it was released via earMusic in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2015 as a digital single.

<i>Metal Resistance</i> 2016 studio album by Babymetal

Metal Resistance is the second studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. It was first released on March 29, 2016, in Japan through BMD Fox Records, and on April 1, 2016, worldwide through earMusic, RED Associated Labels (RAL), and Sony Music Entertainment. Most work for the album began in 2014, shortly after the release of the band's debut album Babymetal. The members of the band describe the album as more diverse in heavy metal, with the recurring theme acquired while on tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babymetal World Tour 2016: Legend Metal Resistance</span> 2016 concert tour by Babymetal

The Babymetal World Tour 2016: Legend Metal Resistance was the third worldwide concert tour by Japanese band Babymetal. Supporting their second album Metal Resistance (2016), the tour ran from April 2, 2016 to September 20, 2016, taking place in Japan, the United States, and several countries in Europe. The tour commenced the day after the worldwide release of Metal Resistance on April 1, 2016.

<i>Live at Wembley</i> (Babymetal album)

Live at Wembley: Babymetal World Tour 2016 Kicks Off at The SSE Arena, Wembley is the second live album and fifth video album by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. The album contains footage from the Babymetal World Tour 2016: Legend Metal Resistance and was released on November 23, 2016 in Japan by BMD Fox Records and Toy's Factory, and on December 9, 2016 in the United Kingdom by earMusic. The album features the live performance at Wembley Arena on April 2, 2016, kicking off the band's world tour.

<i>Legend S: Baptism XX</i> 2018 live video album by Babymetal

Legend S: Baptism XX is the seventh live video album by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal, released in Japan on August 1, 2018, through BMD Fox Records and Toy's Factory. It contains footage from the shows of the same name at Hiroshima Green Arena in December 2017.

<i>Metal Galaxy</i> 2019 studio album by Babymetal

Metal Galaxy is the third studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. It was first released in Japan on October 8, 2019, with an international release following on October 11, 2019. The album was released through BMD Fox Records in Japan, in Europe under earMusic, and elsewhere under Babymetal Records. Produced by the band's manager Kobametal, the record is a concept album of an "odyssey to the Metal Galaxy" and contains elements of music from various parts of the world. It is also the first to contain guest performances from other artists, as well as their first release to not feature founding member Yuimetal. Due to Yuimetal's poor health, the band performed with one backup dancer to form a trio alongside Su-metal and Moametal. The band began a world tour in support of the album in September 2019, with support from Avatar and The Hu in the United States and Bring Me the Horizon in Japan.

<i>Legend – Metal Galaxy</i> 2020 live album by Babymetal

Legend – Metal Galaxy is the ninth live video album by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. The video contains footage from a pair of performances at Makuhari Messe in January 2020 as part of the Metal Galaxy World Tour, and was released on September 9, 2020 in Japan by BMD Fox Records and Toy's Factory. A pair of live albums were also released the same day, being available through streaming platforms and digital download internationally.

<i>The Other One</i> (Babymetal album) 2023 studio album by Babymetal

The Other One is the fourth studio album by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal. It was released on March 24, 2023, by Babymetal Records, Amuse, Toy's Factory, Cooking Vinyl America, and 5B Records. Babymetal announced the album on October 11, 2022, and revealed it as a concept album. It is the group's last album as a duo, with Momoko Okazaki (Momometal) joining the band shortly after the album's release.

References

  1. ↑ "セイヤソイヤ！BABYMETAL「KARATE」先行配信開始". Natalie Music (in Japanese). Natasha Inc. February 26, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  2. ↑ Hisanori Yoshida (February 25, 2016). "世界展開するBABYMETALの新曲「KARATE」 今夜の「ミュ～コミ＋プラス」で日本初オンエア！". Yoppy. Nippon Broadcasting System . Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Babymetal Talk World Tour, New 'Metal Resistance' Album & Meeting Ariana Grande". Billboard . Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  4. ↑ "BABYMETAL Talk Metal Resistance – YouTube". YouTube. April 27, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  5. ↑ Gav Lloyd. "Babymetal 'Metal Resistance'". Rock Sound . Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Songs We Love: Babymetal, 'Karate' : NPR". NPR Music . April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  7. ↑ "BABYMETAL "METAL RESISTANCE" 発売; ゆよゆっぺオフィシャルHP" (in Japanese). Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  8. ↑ Yusuke Mochizuki. "新たな道を切り開き続ける、BABYMETAL次章の幕開け!!". Grind House. Grind House. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  9. 1 2 Graham Hartmann (February 26, 2016). "BabyMetal Unleash Infectious New Song 'KARATE'". Loudwire . Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 "Once Upon a Time, Babymetal's Members Admit They Were 'Afraid' of Metal". Billboard. May 4, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  11. ↑ "BABYMETAL – METAL RESISTANCE; Album Reviews; Consequence of Sound". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  12. ↑ Jordan Bassett. "NME Reviews – Babymetal – 'Metal Resistance'". NME . Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 "Chart Search | Billboard". Billboard . Archived from the original on 2018-10-30. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
  14. 1 2 "Japanese Music: Top Japanese Songs Chart│Billboard". Billboard Japan . Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  15. ↑ BABYMETAL、米プロレス団体WWEの大会テーマソングに採用 Archived 2016-05-26 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese)
  16. ↑ H, Triple (25 May 2016). "#NXTTakeOver will feature the kick-ass sound of #NXTLoud artists @WhereisADTR & @BABYMETAL_JAPAN. #WeAreNXTpic.twitter.com/d9NJbQMkPw" . Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  17. ↑ "ミュージックビデオサーチ｜スペースシャワーTV". SPACE SHOWER TV (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  18. 1 2 "BABYMETAL、「KARATE」MV公開。「この3人で突き進んでいきたい」". Barks (in Japanese). Japan Music Network Inc. March 18, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  19. 1 2 "Watch Babymetal Demonstrate 'Karate' Dance Moves". Rolling Stone . April 27, 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  20. ↑ Chad Childers (April 29, 2016). "Battle Royale: Babymetal's 'Karate' Clip Enters Hall of Fame". Loudwire . Retrieved 2016-05-01.
  21. ↑ "BABYMETAL unveil brand new song 'Karate'; Upset". Upset Magazine. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Babymetal Premieres Video for New Song 'The One': Exclusive". Billboard . March 26, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  23. ↑ "BABYMETAL、ウェンブリーアリーナを揺らす; BABYMETAL; BARKS音楽ニュース". Barks (in Japanese). April 3, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  24. ↑ "本日MステでBABYMETALが新曲『KARATE』を披露！弘中アナ「頭から離れません」タモリの反応は……？ – 耳マン". 33man (in Japanese). April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  25. ↑ "BABYMETAL、来週4/22放送のMステに出演決定！". GekiRock (in Japanese). GekiRock Entertainment Inc. April 15, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  26. ↑ "BABYMETAL Debut First Single 'KARATE' Off Sophomore Album, Out 4/1". BroadwayWorld.com. 2016-02-26. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.