In order to promote BABYMETAL's Major Single "Ijime, Dame, Zettai", Su-Metal representing BABYMETAL and Takeru Uwakimono representing SuG were interviewed together on Natalie Power Push to talk about the impressions of each other and possible collaboration. Since they played together in August of 2012 at Shibuya WWW, remained a nice friendship between the two. Read the full interview translated and the complete photoshoot below!
Su-Metal x Takeru, BABYMETAL x SuG exclusive interview for Natalie Power Push!
BABYMETAL's Major Single debut "Ijime, Dame, Zettai" was released on January 9, 2013. Additionally, in the summer of this year they appeared at the Idol event "Tokyo Idol Festival 2012", the girls have also increased their recognition with a performance at the "Summer Sonic 2012" festival, competing with artists of other genres like SuG and Tamurapan. Their first one-man live was performed at Shibuya O-East in Tokyo on October 6, to great success.
BABYMETAL had a conversation with Natalie Power Push about how they learned various things from senior rock artists. Su-Metal (Vocal and Dance) welcomed SuG's frontman Takeru (Vocals) whom she met in Tokyo at the Shibuya WWW first performance in August; they talked about their impressions of each other and the possibilities of a future collaboration.
- BABYMETAL is getting an iconic image different from the current mainstream
-Takeru san when was the first time you have learned about BABYMETAL?
Takeru: "Yuji san (Guitars) likes a Idol a lot. When he read in a music magazine that Sakura Gakuin was listed, Yuji said: 'These kids are doing club activities and there is a heavy metal one (BABYMETAL)' he explained (Laughs)"
-Takeru san, you are not familiar with Idols?
Takeru: "Not in detail. But I think that recent Idols look more human compared to the past. I think that past Idols were not so realistic, but recently I have felt close to those girls in ways like "I want to become like this" or "while doing something like this you can be yourself". But BABYMETAL has a different Iconic Idol image than the current Idol mainstream. I feel like they are organic, for example, it's hard to imagine that they rehearse everyday and eat lunch in their dressing room."
Su-Metal: (Laughs)
Takeru: "I feel like they are CGI or an animation."
-BABYMETAL doesn't talk very much at the lives, that may add to their strong image.
Su-Metal: "I agree, we don't have any MC."
Takeru: "Ah I see. Maybe is that too. So I think in the case of BABYMETAL, I feel strongly that rather than cheering for a girl to do her best, one has the impression that they are characters."
- SuG has a different image than just "singing and playing instruments"
-Su-Metal san, what is your impression on SuG?
Su-Metal: "It is very interesting, I enjoyed even watching their live videos. When I look at their audience it seems very messy, but I also see a sense of unity. Many genres scrambling together, I think that is an amazing thing to do."
-Among various bands, do you feel like SuG is a bit different?
Su-Metal: "Agree. I don't know many different bands, but SuG is doing something different rather than just 'singing and playing instruments'. I feel like I made a new discovery."
Takeru: "Did you see the live DVD? Which one did you see?"
Su-Metal: "VIP POP SHOW." (Released in March 2012)
Takeru: "Oh, that is our most overcrowded thing (Laughs). It's that where the guy of the news program comes up?"
Su-Metal: "That's right."
Takeru: "That fictitious news program came out as novel too."
-Interesting thing is that Takeru san wrote a novel as source story for the SuG album
Su-Metal: "Ehh?"
Takeru: "I wrote a novel to set the order of the songs of the album, I wrote the songs of the album after thinking about the story."
Su-Metal: "Awesome!"
- BABYMETAL is popular around the music industry
-Takeru san, do you remember your impression in front of the BABYMETAL fans at the live?
Takeru: "Their emotion was completely transmited to me. At the beginning I had a bit of a scary image, I thought that at the moment when I went out to the stage they would be like: 'Boo Boo!'. But that didn't happen at all. I had the impression I enjoyed a lot with their fans."
-I heard that Idol fans have some kind of flexibility, and many just cheer for the people who stand on stage. Perhaps there is a strong feeling to enjoy the same space together.
Takeru: "Well, I was surprised. So after the event, I thought that I would like to do it more often."
-The three: SuG, BABYMETAL and Tamurapan played togheter; I didn't feel that anyone had left until in fact you all had finishing performing.
Su-Metal: "Really?"
-All three have been doing something strange, like a royal road in the middle of the lake.
Althought you all are different genres.
Takeru: "SuG doesn't not feel that it is doing something strange like BABYMETAL though (Laughs)"
Su-Metal: (Laughs)
Takeuru: "When my friends came to see me they were SO EXCITED! My DJ friend is also very addicted to BABYMETAL, and when I went to see him he was like: 'I want to see Kimi To Anime Ga Mitai! I want to see the song!' I think that their popularity is getting very high around the music industry."
- I think Yuji would write a song in 2 days if he gets an offer.
-What would Takeru san do if BABYMETAL offered him to write music (for them)?
Takeru: "I would accept in 2 seconds"
Su-Metal: (Laughs)
-I wish it was that fast (Laughs)
Takeru: "I guess Yuji would probably would do it in 0.8 seconds (Laughs). Actually Yuji submitted songs to song competitions for Idols in the past. Then got an irrational reply saying: 'It's not good because it is too good for a song' (Laughs). It was a good song, perfect for a Single. It wasn't better than a SuG song (Laughs)."
-There was such a thing...
Takeru: "It seems that he has submitted several songs. If KREVA wants to recruit he may apply for it anonymously (Laughs). That guy, he perhaps has more than 100 songs in stock. SuG is composing with all members, but Yuji always makes a lot of songs. Because he likes Idols, I also make Idol songs. Actually, I'm thinking that the Single "sweeToxic" is made with a key for girls that can sing and I'm considerably influenced by Tokyo Girl's Style musically."
-Well, then Yuji offering music to BABYMETAL is not just a dream.
Takeru: "I think perhaps he would write songs in 2 days (Laughs). So definitely an album song or a single song."
Su-Metal: "I'm glad. Thank you very much!"
-When this article is released, 2 days after Yuji will have finished a song...
Takeru: "He will even send it without permision."
Su-Metal: "Really?"
Takeru: "No, because the guy is serious (Laughs). I mean, 'Not good because it is too good for a song', broke my heart little bit, so I guess it will be a great encouragement (Laughs)."
- What if SuG offers a song for BABYMETAL
-Su-Metal san, if SuG wants to make a song, would you have any hope about this song?
Su-Metal: "BABYMETAL has fierce songs to sing with a raising voice, and also pretty cute songs. That's why I would like to sing a song that is in the middle of that. But I would also like to do more cool songs."
Takeru: "I think that's good enough. It's actually pretty serious. So yeah, it seems interesting that you like songs with strong conceptual colors rather than just Metal. I think it would be cute if you had tiny instruments like guitar and bass and singing like the ZO-3."
Su-Metal: "Do you have that guitar?"
Takeru: "Yes. I used to play with a ZO-3 in the past. I guess everyone can easily play them."
Su-Metal: "Really?"
Takeru: "I think you can play a simple song with simple notes."
Su-Metal: "It might be just right if the two (Yuimetal and Moametal) had one (Laughs)."
Takeru: "Certainly (Laughs)"
-Do you think that it would be cool if Su-Metal san would have Yuimetal san and Moametal san at her side with guitars?
Takeru: "I would put Marshall guitar amps on stage for the lives. For example, with chords progresion (B,A,B,G) and the lyrics may also be guitar instructional metal songs to learn from them."
Su-Metal: "That sounds interesting (Laughs)"
-Everyone at BABYMETAL playing the guitar, the audience would remember the chords together.
Su-Metal: "Sounds good. At BABYMETAL lives audiences in the 'singalong' parts, there is no call & response to get back to the audience. So I think I would like to do something like that."
Takeru: "It looks interesting as well. I think BABYMETAL should do it more freely."
- You can do the Kitsune sign.
-Takeru-san, is there anything that worries you about BABYMETAL?
Takeru: "There is, there is. That Maloik sign is a Kitsune sign. Yuji has been doing that too. Suddenly he said 'Kitsune dao!' and I thougth: 'What is this guy saying?' (Laughs)"
Su-Metal: "(Laughs) That's right. At first we were shown a picture of the Maloik sign, however I said 'It's a Kitsune (Fox), kawaii!' while making a lot of noise, so the staff said 'Well, you can do the Kitsune sign'. And that was the beginning."
Takeru: "I see. It was a completely organic reaction. I would have never thought about that myself."
Su-Metal: "BABYMETAL is quite like that. While I was singing in the recordings, Yuimetal and Moametal were dancing playfully like 'This is funny!' and then the choreography was adopted. In addition, in 'Head Bangya!!', there are various Metal terminologies in the song that were explained by the staff. I understood, however the other two ended up with a blank face (Laughs)"
Takeru: "Having the feeling that you are doing it naturally is very interesting. I thought that it was like an animation. There is not much sense of reality, this is so strange."
Su-Metal: "Listening to the songs I feel like 'This is funny!' because I feel entertained, enjoying naturally. Since I don't know the genre, I feel like doing this music is fun and the dancing is fun."
- Those two are headbanging since elementary school.
Takeru: "I have a fundamental question. How old are you?"
Su-Metal: "I'm a 3rd grade Junior High School student now."
Takeru: "And the other two?"
Su-Metal: "The two are in 1st grade Junior High School now."
Takeru: "Oh, I see. So back then they were elmentary schoolers. Those two are headbanging since elementary school."
Su-Metal: (Laughs)
Takeru: "I wonder what kind of adult you will be. Because it's completely different going to Junior High Shool as a normal student than doing so while hiding from people."
Su-Metal: "I don't know. I usually go to school normally, and I also study during my break times. I'm a Junior High School student who gets a little bit nervous, I guess just like everyone also does it normally."
- It's funny to hear stories from teenagers.
Takeru: "Where are you from?"
Su-Metal: "I'm from Hiroshima. I used to go to school in Hiroshima before, but now I live in Tokyo since April of this year."
Takeru: "I see. There are many kids that are Idols now, is that normal?"
-There are Idols who are from many other locations and there are many who go to Tokyo.
Takeru: "It's a fresh experience itself. I didn't have the opportunity to do such long distance travel at such age."
Su-Metal: "That's right."
Takeru: "It's funny to hear stories from teenagers like her."
-It's nice that you are not the only one interested in BABYMETAL. I hope that Yuji really gets to write songs as result of this talk.
Su-Metal: "That's right!"
Takeru: "I get scared when SuG becomes serious."
-I also would like to see you co-starring live.
Takeru: "Well, next year she may say, 'Ehhh, SuG, what!?' (Laughs)"
Su-Metal: "That's not true!!" (Laughs)"
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Interview & Photos: Natalie Power Push
Translation by: Hitoshi Sugioka
Style editors: Daniel Fuentes & Maik Gianino.
Read: BABYMETAL x SuG x Tamurapan at Shibuya WWW show report, click here.
Write a comment
Akira (Sunday, 20 November 2016 10:02)
Thank you very much! I didn't know the interview and I'm Japanese! It's enjoyable in Japanese and also in English. Beautiful Su-Metal adding her charm to each part of the interview makes it special. Also, the part about the guitars and singalong is like flying to the future. Awesome!