Moa Is More! 😊 #kikuchimoa #babymetal #moametal

Babymetal, Japanese: ベビーメタル, is a Japanese kawaii metal band consisting of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal" and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal". 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.

The band was formed in 2010, with the original lineup of Su-metal, Moametal, and Yui Mizuno as "Yuimetal", with the concept of creating a fusion of the heavy metal and Japanese idol genres. Originally a sub-unit of the Japanese idol group Sakura Gakuin, Babymetal became an independent act in 2013, following Nakamoto's departure from Sakura Gakuin. Babymetal released their eponymous debut album in February 2014. Their second album Metal Resistance was released worldwide in April 2016. Babymetal has also embarked on several tours, with a majority of their tour dates taking place outside of Asia. The group released their third album Metal Galaxy in October 2019.

On October 19, 2018, Babymetal announced that Yui Mizuno had decided to leave the band due to poor health, following her absence from live performances since December 2017. Since her departure, the band has performed with backup dancers at live performances. In 2019, the band introduced three backup dancers called "Avengers".
Babymetal is credited for creating the kawaii metal genre, which combines elements from J-pop and heavy metal. This genre has introduced metal to new audiences, and many new kawaii metal bands such as Doll$Boxx and Deadlift Lolita have formed since Babymetal's debut. While most kawaii metal bands are based in Japan, the genre has begun to spread outside the country to places like South Korea, where kawaii metal bands like Pritz have formed. Furthermore, the reach of Babymetal's influence has stretched far beyond Japan. In 2016 Babymetal became the highest-charting Japanese band ever in the UK's Charts history with the release of their album Metal Resistance. In the US, Metal Resistance was the first Japanese album to chart in the Billboard Top 40 in over 50 years, where it reached #39 in its first week. The last Japanese artist to break the Top 40 was Kyu Sakamoto in 1963. In 2019 Babymetal became the first Asian act to top the Billboard Rock Albums chart with the release of their third studio album Metal Galaxy. Since the end of 2022 babymetal will continue as "The Other One"!
According to Kei "Kobametal" Kobayashi, the band's executive producer, the band was formed under the idea of a new type of metal, and the members of the band receive "divine messages" from the Fox God, though Nakamoto explained that the messages received were indirect, as they would be sent to Kobametal first. Additionally, he rejected the notion of the band being a "metal" or "pop" act, preferring "the one and only Babymetal." Kikuchi joked that the three members did not decide to join the band, as it was a destiny chosen by the Fox God, whose goal is said to have the band perform and spread their music all over the world.

Moa Kikuchi (菊地 最愛, born July 4, 1999), known by her stage name Moametal, is a Japanese musician, singer, 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.
Moa Kikuchi was signed to the talent agency Amuse, Inc. at the age of 8, after winning Semi-Grand Prix (becoming a runner-up) in the Ciao Girl Audition 2007 held by the company.

On August 2, 2010, at the age of 11, Kikuchi joined Sakura Gakuin, an idol group also managed by Amuse, Inc. She joined at the same time as another future Babymetal member, Yui Mizuno. Sakura Gakuin had not yet released its debut single.During their audition, Kikuchi and Mizuno performed a duo dance cover of "Over The Future" by Karen Girl's; two members of that group, Ayami Mutō and Suzuka Nakamoto, had also recently joined Sakura Gakuin.

Besides performing as a whole group, Sakura Gakuin members were also divided into smaller subgroups known as "clubs”. Each club had its own musical group that recorded its own songs. Kikuchi and Mizuno first became members of the "Baton Club" and its musical group Twinklestars. As backing singers and dancers, they were later teamed with lead singer Suzuka Nakamoto in a "Heavy Music" club with the associated music group being named Babymetal. Before the formation of this club, none of the three members knew what heavy metal was.

Babymetal became an independent recording group in 2013. Kikuchi "graduated" from Sakura Gakuin in 2015 and now performs with Babymetal exclusively. Kikuchi and Mizuno have a writing credit under the name "Black Babymetal" on the first Babymetal album in 2014, having written "Song 4" together during a bus trip. The second Babymetal album, Metal Resistance, was released in 2016. A third album, Metal Galaxy, followed in 2019.