Japan’s kawaii-metal band Babymetal has officially welcomed a new member. Speaking to Metal Hammer for an interview, Momometal recently opened up about how she felt becoming a part of the trio.
Momometal’s confirmation as a member took place at Yokohama’s Pia Arena on April 1 of this year. Despite having been with the band as a backing dancer for years, she told Metal Hammer that she had concerns:
“I was most anxious about if I would be accepted or not. A lot of thoughts ran through my head, and I knew that to try and be suddenly accepted through the course of Babymetal’s long history was going to be very difficult. I honestly had absolutely no confidence whatsoever and couldn’t quite really believe that I’d be an official member until the exact moment of the announcement. I remember I was so nervous that I was slightly shaking.”
Speaking on the fans’ response, Momometal continued:
“The moment it was announced, it totally blew me away that the fans roared and shouted with such excitement, and not only did I feel relieved, but it was also as if our fans were relieved, and to me, it felt like they had been waiting for this moment to happen for such a long time.”
Feeling the fans’ excitement, Momometal also admitted that moment helped build her confidence.
With the departure of Yuimetal in 2018, Babymetal was down one member. Momometal’s official addition means the return of the band to its trio format.
Babymetal’s latest studio album, titled ‘The Other One’ is available now. The band will be performing as part of this year’s Louder Than Life festival, which will take place in Louisville, Kentucky, from September 21 until September 24.
The rest of their interview can be found in the latest issue of Metal Hammer, which also includes a special Babymetal poster for fans.