Related Research Articles
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, featuring double kick and blast beat techniques; minor keys or atonality; abrupt tempo, key, and time signature changes; and chromatic chord progressions. The lyrical themes of death metal may include slasher film-style violence, political conflict, religion, nature, philosophy, true crime and science fiction.
In Japan, music includes a wide array of distinct genres, both traditional and modern. The word for "music" in Japanese is 音楽 (ongaku), combining the kanji 音 on (sound) with the kanji 楽 gaku. Japan is the world's largest market for music on physical media and the second-largest overall music market, with a retail value of US$2.7 billion in 2017.
Kawaii(Japanese: かわいい or 可愛い, [kawaiꜜi]; "cute" or "adorable") is a Japanese cultural phenomenon which emphasizes cuteness, childlike innocence, charm, and simplicity. Kawaii culture began to flourish in the 1970s, driven by youth culture and the rise of cute characters in manga and anime and merchandise, exemplified by the creation of Hello Kitty by Sanrio in 1974. The kawaii aesthetic is characterized by soft or pastel colors, rounded shapes, and features which evoke vulnerability, such as big eyes and small mouths, and has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, influencing entertainment, fashion, advertising, and product design.
A number of heavy metal genres have developed since the emergence of heavy metal during the late 1960s and early 1970s. At times, heavy metal genres may overlap or are difficult to distinguish, but they can be identified by a number of traits. They may differ in terms of instrumentation, tempo, song structure, vocal style, lyrics, guitar playing style, drumming style, and so on.
Japanese popular culture includes Japanese cinema, cuisine, television programs, anime, manga, video games, music, and doujinshi, all of which retain older artistic and literary traditions; many of their themes and styles of presentation can be traced to traditional art forms. Contemporary forms of popular culture, much like the traditional forms, are not only forms of entertainment but also factors that distinguish contemporary Japan from the rest of the modern world. There is a large industry of music, films, and the products of a huge comic book industry, among other forms of entertainment. Game centers, bowling alleys, and karaoke parlors are well-known hangout places for teens while older people may play shogi or go in specialized parlors. Since the end of the US occupation of Japan in 1952, Japanese popular culture has been influenced by American media. However, rather than being dominated by American products, Japan localised these influences by appropriating and absorbing foreign influences into local media industries. Today, Japanese popular culture stands as one of the most prominent and influential popular cultures around the world.
Kiriko Takemura, known professionally as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, is a Japanese tarento, singer, and model. Her public image is associated with Japan's kawaii and decora culture, centered in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo. Kyary's music is produced by musician Yasutaka Nakata of electronic music duo Capsule.
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.
Suzuka Nakamoto, known by her stage name Su-metal, is a Japanese musician, singer, and songwriter. She is best known as a member of the kawaii metal band Babymetal. She is represented by the talent agency Amuse, Inc. and has been a member of three musical groups formed by the company: Karen Girl's, Sakura Gakuin, and Babymetal.
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 band Babymetal and a former member of the idol group Sakura Gakuin.
"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.
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.
Kawaii metal is a musical genre that blends elements of heavy metal and J-pop that was pioneered in Japan in the early 2010s. The genre combines both Eastern and Western influences that appeal to both cultures. A typical kawaii metal composition combines the instrumentation found in various types of heavy metal music with J-pop melodies and a Japanese idol aesthetic. Kawaii metal's lyrical topics often contain kawaii themes.
Bish, stylized as BiSH, was a Japanese alternative idol girl group that was founded in 2015 by their manager Junnosuke Watanabe. The group was conceived as a successor to Bis, an idol group managed by Watanabe that disbanded in 2014. They disbanded in June 2023.
Future bass is a style of electronic dance music which developed in the 2010s that mixes elements of dubstep and trap with warmer, less abrasive rhythms. The genre was pioneered by producers such as Rustie, Hudson Mohawke, Lido, San Holo and Cashmere Cat, and it was popularised in the mid to late-2010s by artists such as Flume, Martin Garrix, Illenium, Louis the Child and Mura Masa. 2016 was seen as the breakout year for the genre.
Ladybaby is a Japanese kawaii metal musical group, which originally consisted of aspiring photographic models Rie Kaneko and Rei Kuromiya, as well as Ladybeard, the bearded crossdressing persona of Australian male professional wrestler Richard Magarey. On August 1, 2016, the group rebranded itself after Ladybeard's withdrawal from the group, going by "The Idol Formerly Known as Ladybaby", until they returned to the original Ladybaby moniker in 2018.
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.
Richard Magarey is an Australian stuntman, professional wrestler, singer and online streamer, known for his bearded crossdressing persona named Ladybeard. He is currently vocalist of the band Babybeard, formerly with the band Ladybaby and Deadlift Lolita.
Necronomidol was a Japanese idol heavy metal group, formed in 2014. They have been on more than three international tours and have performed in over 12 countries.
Seiko Oomori is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Her musical career began in the underground music culture of Tokyo's Kōenji neighborhood, briefly playing in the punk band Kuchuu Moranko before going solo and releasing two independent albums until signing with major record label Avex Trax in 2014. Oomori's music style is influenced by idol culture and punk rock among other clashing musical styles, and she is considered one of the early pioneers of the "anti-idol" and alternative idol scenes led by groups like BiS that would eventually give way to the more popular Kawaii metal movement, utilizing shock value and performance art throughout the early parts of her career.
An alternative idol is a term used by overseas J-pop fans to describe idols that differ from the traditional Japanese idol scene typically by having a darker image and performing heavier genres of music. Alternative idols came about in the early 2010s after the formation of Bis popularized mixing alternative rock with typical idol pop music.
References
- 1 2 3 4 White, G Andrew (25 December 2019). "The rise of kawaii metal this decade". JRock News. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- ↑ Tiamat, Bethany. "Guide to Metal Subgenres". Beat. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- ↑ Orsini, Lauren (3 March 2017). "Japan's Only Crossdressing Death-Metal Vocalist Forms Bodybuilding Idol Group 'Deadlift Lolita'". Forbes.
- ↑ "Feature: Deathrabbits". Homicidols. 17 December 2015.
- ↑ Herron-Wheeler, Addison (20 March 2015). "FRUITPOCHETTE Are Another JPop/Metal Sensation". Metal Injection.
- ↑ Sutherland, Sam. "Anti-Idol".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ↑ FLINT, DAVID. "Feature: The Rise and Rise of Kawaii Metal". The Reprobate. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.