is a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

by the Japanese heavy metal band

Babymetal (stylized in all caps) 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 instrume ...

. 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 ''

''. It is also the band's first solo audio release to be released commercially.

Background and release

Unlike previous tracks released by the band, which had her vocal recorded in segments within the songs, Nakamoto had her lines recorded in a single take several times. She had been told to sing and find a story within the music. By the time she had comprehended the story behind the lyrics, she grew capable of singing the entire song naturally. When

Mizuno () is a Japanese sports equipment and sportswear company, founded in Osaka in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno. Today, Mizuno is a global corporation which makes a wide variety of sports equipment and sportswear for badminton, baseball, boxing, cycling ...

and Kikuchi listened to her shouting "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" for the first time, they felt as if they had seen another cool side of her, surprised by the vocal power. Additionally, the single introduced the members to the whispering style of singing, with the A-side's "Kiero!" (Disappear!) and the B-side's "Uki Uki Midnight".

Kobametal , better known by his pseudonym Kobametal, is a Japanese music producer under the talent agency Amuse, Inc. He is best known as the producer of the kawaii metal group Babymetal. Biography Kobayashi's interest in heavy metal music started aroun ...

was inspired to use it to contrast traditional death growls. "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" was announced as a single on April 27, 2012, with a release date set for July 7, 2012. The single was released in two versions: a standard edition, available via CD and digital formats, and a physical limited ''Hedo-ban'' ("Head edition"), which contains a CD and a "neck corset" (actually a

cervical collar A cervical collar, also known as a neck brace, is a medical device used to support and immobilize a person's neck. It is also applied by emergency personnel to those who have had traumatic head or neck injuries, and can be used to treat chronic m ...

) for headbanging training. Both editions of the single feature the songs "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" and , along with instrumental versions (labeled as "Air Vocal ver."). The standard version contains an

enhanced CD Enhanced CD is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players. Formats that fall under the "enhanced CD" ca ...

with a bonus music video of "Babymetal Death", which can only be played on a computer. The artwork of the standard edition depicts a lyric in the song, specifically when the girl is headbanging with the corset, with the crimson-colored moon in the background, as well as the band name appearing at the top. The limited edition artwork depicts a temple scripture of the "Corset of Legend" with the song title spelled out in the middle. Before the physical international release of the song, its title was written ambiguously as either "Head Bangya!!" or "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!", the latter of which is officially used in the international re-release of ''

'' and all future releases. The music video uploaded to the band's YouTube channel initially had the former name, though it was switched to the latter in 2015; the version uploaded by

Toy's Factory is a Japanese record label founded in the late 1980s as a subsidiary of the entertainment company VAP, based in Japan. On May 30, 1990, it was established as an independent company. Toy's Factory, as of the first half of 2012, is the four ...

consistently retained the official title.

Composition

With music written and arranged by

Coaltar of the Deepers Coaltar of the Deepers are an alternative rock band from Japan. They formed in May 1991. Although primarily influenced by shoegaze and post-rock sound, their sound incorporates musical elements as diverse as thrash metal, electronica, neo-acoust ...

member Narasaki, "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" contains lyrics revolving around a girl on her fifteenth birthday, along with melancholy vocals, a backing track incorporating screams and double bass drums, finishing with an intense, emo-style melody. According to Nakamoto, the lyrics of the song did not initially have significance to her. After listener of the song explained how they had bought ''jū-hachi kippu'' tickets to see a concert far from home as stated in the song, she started to understand more of the theme. The B-side, "Uki Uki ★ Midnight", has been described by ''Barks'' as a sequel to the song " Doki Doki ☆ Morning". Arranged by

Yuyoyuppe , known professionally as , is a Japanese DJ, songwriter, producer, and singer, known for his Vocaloid music. Early life Takehiro Mamiya was born on September 25, 1989, when his parents were expecting a baby girl. He first learned to play the gu ...

, the song contains elements of metalcore and dubstep, along with segments of pop melodies and death growls. Notably, the bridge contains elements of the English lullaby "

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is a popular English lullaby. The lyrics are from an early-19th-century English poem written by Jane Taylor, "The Star". The poem, which is in couplet form, was first published in 1806 in '' Rhymes for the Nurser ...

". Nakamoto described the lyrics, along with those of "Doki Doki ☆ Morning" as two parts of one peaceful day in the life of a teenage girl, although a connection was not discovered at first.

Critical reception

Kazumi Nanba of ''

Rolling Stone Japan ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its c ...

'' said that the group gained popularity by relying much on its gimmicks, commenting on the song's combination of the "Vwoh!" death growls and the "cute chanting shouts".

Music video

Directed by , who would be named Best Director of that year (2012) at the

Space Shower Music Video Awards Space Shower Music Awards (old name: SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards, abbr. to SPACE SHOWER MVA) are an annual set of music awards sponsored by Japanese Space Shower TV is a Japanese music television channel operated by Space Shower Networks, In ...

, the music video was first released to the

YouTube channel on June 20, 2012. It narrated a story of a 15-year-old girl who found a legendary neck corset in a mysterious box that fell upon her from above. The box is visually similar to the cover of the limited edition of the single. All of a sudden, the corset jumps out of her hands, wraps around her neck and turns her into "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!". According to Mizuno, the members of the band wore their heaviest makeup for the "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" music video, while Kikuchi felt the fake eyelashes used were pulling down on her eyelids. A video was not released for "Uki Uki ★ Midnight" with the availability of the single, though Kikuchi initially desired one, with a scene of eating squid arms, analogous to the line "Squid arms, squid arms, I want to eat squid arms". In 2013, a music video was released as part of a bonus DVD for the limited "Z" edition of the single

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''. Background and release The single was first announced after the con ...

. The video features the live performance of the song from Legend: Corset Festival on July 21, 2012, interspersed with behind-the-scenes footage of the band members and close-ups of the three members singing the lines of the song.

Tekina Remix

During the live performances Legend "D" Su-metal Seitansai at

Akasaka Blitz was a music venue in Minato, Tokyo, which opened in April 1996, and was owned and operated by Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. On September 22, 2020, the venue was permanently shut down due to COVID-19. As part of a redevelopment plan th ...

on December 20, 2012, and Legend "1997" Su-metal Seitansai at

Makuhari Messe is a Japanese convention center outside Tokyo, located in the Mihama-ku ward of Chiba City, in the northwest corner of Chiba Prefecture. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, it is accessible by Tokyo's commuter rail system. ''Makuhari'' is the name of ...

on December 21, 2012, a remix titled "Night of 15 mix." was performed, containing more elements of electronic music. The former took place on Suzuka Nakamoto's actual fifteenth birthday, while the latter was the opening song for the concert. Remixed by DJ'Tekina//Something, the song was later released as part of Social Reform promotional editions of the single "

",

and later appeared on DJ'Tekina//Something's

remix album A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (''Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 2007 ...

''Kawa-EDM'' (2016), re-subtitled as "Tekina Remix".

Live performances

"Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" was first performed at the Pop'n Idol 02 venue at Zepp Tokyo on June 23, 2012. To promote the release of the single, the band performed the song during their promotional event at Tower Records/Tsuyata stores, first at Namba Rockets,

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

on July 7, and at ell.Size,

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

on July 8. On July 14, the band performed in the concert Uki Uki ☆ Afternoon at Tower Records,

Shibuya Shibuya ( 渋谷区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station. As of April 1 ...

as a part of the Tower Records event ''No Music, No Idol?''. The band also played the concert Legend: Corset Festival at Meguro Rock May Kan on July 21, 2012, where the song "Uki Uki ★ Midnight" was first performed live, and fans accepted into the concert were required to wear the corsets. Yui Mizuno and Moa Kikuchi also performed some of the lead parts of “Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!” for their fifteenth birthdays, although not on the exact days; Mizuno's performance was on July 1, 2014 at

La Cigale La Cigale (; English: ''The Cicada'') is a theatre located at 120, boulevard de Rochechouart near Place Pigalle, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. The theatre is part of a complex connected to the Le Trabendo concert venue and the Boule Noir ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

and Kikuchi's was on July 3, 2014 at the Live Music Hall in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

, respectively, during the

Babymetal World Tour 2014 The Babymetal World Tour 2014 (stylized in all caps) was the first worldwide concert tour by Japanese band Babymetal. Supporting their eponymous debut album, the tour ran from 23 June 2014 to 20 December 2014, taking place in Japan, the United ...

. In both instances, Su-metal ceremoniously handed over her microphone during the

breakdown Breakdown may refer to: Breaking down *Breakdown (vehicle), failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that it cannot be operated *Chemical decomposition, also called chemical breakdown, the breakdown of a substance into simpler components *Decompo ...

after the first chorus and then took over the singer's position in the choreography. In the Legend S: Baptism XX show at the

Hiroshima Green Arena is an indoor arena located in Hiroshima, Japan. The original arena was built sometime shortly after World War II. The arena was rebuilt for the 1994 Asian Games. It hosted some of the group games for the 2006 FIVB Men's World Championship and ...

, which took place in the month of Nakamoto's twentieth birthday, most references to were replaced with . Unlike in contemporary heavy metal performances, the members of the band dance to "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" with a variation of

headbanging Headbanging is the action of violently shaking one's head in rhythm with music. It is common in the contemporary rock, punk and heavy metal music genres, where headbanging is often used by musicians on stage. Headbanging is also common in tradit ...

called "baby headbanging", where the three lightly jump while swing their heads from shoulder to shoulder. A second variation known as "

dogeza is an element of traditional Japanese etiquette which involves kneeling directly on the ground and bowing to prostrate oneself while touching one's head to the floor.Leaman, Olive''Friendship East and West: philosophical perspectives''p. 74 It ...

headbanging" involves kneeling and bowing deeply. Su-metal considered the unison of choreography for "Uki Uki ★ Midnight" to be difficult and strange, with elements of monster-like movements, falling asleep in the real world, and once more in a dream world.

Track listing

Notes * The standard edition contains an

with bonus footage, including a music video for the song "Babymetal Death".

Credits and personnel

Recording and management * Recorded and mixed at S.O.L.I.D. Sound Lab and Heartbeat Recording Studio * Mastered at Parasight Mastering Personnel * Suzuka Nakamoto (SU-METAL) –

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

* Yui Mizuno (YUIMETAL) – background vocals, additional lead vocals * Moa Kikuchi (MOAMETAL) – background vocals, additional lead vocals * Millennium Japan (millennium JAPAN) – production * Maxilla Inc. (maxilla inc.) – production * Tucky – mastering * Shion Hirota () – lyrics * Norikazu Nakayama () – lyrics * Ryugi Yokoi (RYU-METAL) – lyrics * Shinichi Fujita (FUJI-METAL) – lyrics * Narasaki (NARASAKI) – music * Shuhei Takahashi (TEAM-K) – music * Kazuki Higashihara (TEAM-K) – music * Narametal (NARAMETAL) – arrangement * Takehiro Mamiya ( / YUYOYUPPEMETAL) – arrangement,

audio mixing Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aesthetic, ...

, bonus video * Seiji Toda –

recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, ...

, audio mixing * Machimetal (MACHIMETAL) – bonus video * Johnmetal (JOHNMETAL) – bonus video * Todametal (TODAMETAL) – bonus video * Shumetal (SHUMETAL) – bonus video * Tianmetal (TIANMETAL) – bonus video * Shiometal (SHIOMETAL) – bonus video * Mathieumetal (MATHIEUMETAL) – bonus video * Rikometal (RIKOMETAL) – bonus video

Charts

Release history

References

External links

Review by ''Rolling Stone Japan Edition''

Discography
– Babymetal official website {{Authority control Babymetal songs Toy's Factory singles 2012 singles Japanese-language songs Songs about birthdays