10. Divine Attack (Shingeki) (The Other One, 2023)
As the first single from upcoming fourth album The Other One, Divine Attack (Shingeki) is a taste of what we can expect from Babymetal’s next era. With its huge, surging chorus, it’s already an anthem-in-waiting, but as the band’s first song to feature lyrics written by Su-metal, it raises more intriguing questions. Does this mean secretive leader/producer Kobametal is finally loosening his notoriously tight reins on the band? Time will tell!
9. Syncopation (Metal Resistance - Japan only, 2016)
Although Syncopation only featured on the Japanese version of second album Metal Resistance, it’s become a firm fan favourite. It’s easy to see why: opening with bubbling guitar, which rises into the perfect blend of melody and brutality with a massive chorus, it’s a perfectly crafted Babymetal banger.
8. Karate (Metal Resistance, 2016)
Their slickest genre fusion yet, Karate opens with a chunky nu metal riff, before Su-Metal’s captivating minor vocal line comes in, switching to a major key for what might just be the band’s best-ever chorus. Listening to this triggers your cells to make 100% more serotonin. Fact. Altogether now: ‘Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-ohhhhh!’
7. Ijime, Dame, Zettai (Babymetal, 2014)
Babymetal would often close out their sets with Ijime, Dame, Zettai back in the early days. Loosely translated as ‘no more bullying’, there’s a heartfelt message behind the track’s spiralling, weightless melodic speed metal and cutesy chorus. Confirmation even back then that there was more behind the band’s bewildering sonic assault than mere novelty value.
6. Metal Kingdom, (The Other One, 2023)
When Babymetal dropped the live music video for new single Metal Kingdom at the beginning of the last month, the hype was immediate. While the band are well known now for their retina-sizzling shows, everything about it seemed to take everything to the next level – Su-metal sitting on an iron GOT-esque throne, the atmospheric build up, the hooded dancers, the stadium-sized electronics and anthemic “Ohhh-ohhh-ohhhhhs”. Inciting genuine goosebumps, it feels like the band are gearing up for their biggest era yet.
5. Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!! (Babymetal, 2014)
Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!! is probably the battiest song on this list. Starting out with a kaleidoscopic chime and frenzied chants before pelting head-first into a full-on power metal sprint, it never lets up. Released in the band’s early days when the then trio were still in the nascent stages of their own metal journey, it’s a song that’s literally about discovering the power of heavy music. The band even gave away neck braces with copies of the single. Super considerate of them.
4. Monochrome (The Other One, 2023)
It says a lot about the consistent evolution of Babymetal that a single less than four months old is this high up on the countdown. Driven by an airy, gleaming riff most metalcore bands would kill for, Monochrome feels different in tone to anything that’s come before. A beautiful ode to finding light in the darkness (“We will illuminate the world in rainbow colors. Just smile”), it’s testament to their ability to melt the heart of even the most grizzled metalhead.
3. Road Of Resistance (Babymetal, 2014)
Teaming up with Dragonforce was bound to turn up the power metal ante and raise the tempo, but no one could have predicted how insanely fast the fretwork would be. After hours of rehearsals from both camps, their performance of the song at 2016’s Golden Gods awards was a triumph.
2. Megitsune (Babymetal, 2014)
Imagine, if you will, Glastonbury 2019. A large, curious and distinctly non-metal crowd have gathered to witness Babymetal’s performance with no idea of what to expect. That is until opener Megitsune hits them like a slap in the face with the perfect introduction to the band’s barmy synthesis of hyperactive J-Pop and thunderous death metal. Translated as ‘female fox’, it’s also the track that best sums up the contradiction at the core of their music: Babymetal may look cute, but their music will rip your face off.
1. Akatsuki (Babymetal, 2014)
OK, we’ll admit it. When we requested that Babymetal fans vote for their favourite song, we expected maybe the gargantuan Gimme Chocolate!! or Karate to top the list, certainly not Akatsuki, a debut album cut that is a big deal to Babymetal fans in Japan but arguably far lesser known outside their homeland. But then, why not? After all, Akatsuki is everything you’d want from a Babymetal song. Switching between irrepressible pop hooks, a rampaging hypermetal assault and lacerating solos, listening to it is like being sucked through a fluorescent, spike-lined wind tunnel. The band have undoubtedly evolved and improved since they recorded Akatsuki - these days their ideas are bolder and more spectacular, while Su-metal’s vocals have come on leaps and bounds - but there’s an innocent, early magic to it that captures everything the band stand for. Hectic, ludicrous, and defiantly brilliant, it’s quintessential Babymetal.
