BABYMETAL Debut First Single 'KARATE' Off Sophomore Album, Out 4/1

BABYMETAL--2015's breakout all-girl-fronted Japanese heavy metal/teen-pop hybrid group--partnered with BBC Radio and SiriusXM's Liquid Metal this week (2/25) to premiere their lead single, titled "KARATE," from the groups forthcoming sophomore album METAL RESISTANCE, set for release April 1 (also known as the "FOX DAY") on RAL/Sony Music Entertainment (in the U.S.).

"KARATE"--delivered to Active Rock Radio this week in the U.S.--is available now as an instant grat track when you pre-order METAL RESISTANCE on iTunes and available to stream on Spotify. METAL RESISTANCE is also available now to pre-order via BABYMETAL's webstore as a standalone CD and special pre-order bundles.

"KARATE," performed for the first time last year at Yokohama Arena in Japan, features the call out phrase "Seiya, soiya," with a stirring chorus and melody sure to resonate with fans.

To coincide with the premiere of "KARATE," BABYMETAL-- the young trio of 17-year-old SU-METAL (Vocal, Dance) and 16-year-olds YUIMETAL (Scream, Dance) and MOAMETAL (Scream, Dance), backed by a four-piece band packing a heavy metal arsenal--released a trailer for their new album; click here to watch. BABYMETAL will be releasing an official music video for "KARATE" next month (date TBA) featuring karate style choreography.

BABYMETAL will support the album on their "Babymetal World Tour 2016," kicking off May 4 at Playstation Theater in New York and making stops in Detroit (5/11), Chicago (5/13), San Francisco (7/14) and Los Angeles (7/15), among other cities. See a full list of confirmed U.S. tour dates below and all dates are on sale now at http://en.babymetal.jp/schedule/.

2015 was a breakout year for BABYMETAL: they re-released their 2014 chart-topping self-titled debut album (released digitally 5/12/15 and physically on 6/16/15 via RAL/Sony Music Entertainment), were the most sought-after band at Rock on the Range (U.S.'s premiere rock festival) and completed sold-out dates at Chicago's House of Blues and New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom (part of their 2015 world tour); they've won several awards including the "Breakthrough Act" award at the 2015 Metal Hammer Golden Gods, the "Spirit of Independence" award at the 2015 Relentless Kerrang! Awards, MTV Europe's "Wildcard Best Japanese Act" and several LOUDWIRE Awards. In addition, they were awarded the"Discovery Prize" at GQ Japan's "Men of the Year 2015" Awards and the"Women of the Year" Award at VOGUE Japan's "Women of the Year 2015" Awards. In July, 2015, they became the first Japanese artist to appear on the cover of METAL HAMMER.

Since forming in 2010, BABYMETAL have already achieved two major debut singles: "IJIME, DAME, ZETTAI" and "MEGITSUNE," both of which ranked in the Top 10 Oricon Chart in Japan. Their first studio album BABYMETAL also earned the #1spot on Japan's album chart and Billboard's World Album Chart The official live music video for their debut album's lead single "Gimme Chocolate!!" has garnered over 42 million views on YouTube. 2014 saw BABYMETAL headline numerous sold-out shows from New York to London, including the 20,000 capacity Saitama Super Arena in Japan. They performed at major festivals in multiple countries such as the UK's massive Sonisphere in front of 65,000 festival-goers and supported Lady Gaga on her "Artrave: The Artpop Ball" tour.

Track Listing for METAL RESISTANCE:

1. Road of Resistance

2. KARATE

3. Awadama Fever

4. YAVA!

5. Amore

6. Meta Taro

7. From Dusk Till Dawn*

8. GJ!

9. Sis. Anger

10. No Rain, No Rainbow

11. Tales of The Destinies

12. THE ONE - English ver.*

*available everywhere except for Japan

U.S. Tour Dates Confirmed for "BABYMETAL WORLD TOUR 2016":

Wednesday, May 4 - Playstation Theater - New York, NY

Thursday, May 5 - House Of Blues - Boston, MA

Saturday, May 7 - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA

Sunday, May 8 - Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion (Festival) - Concord, NC

Tuesday, May 10 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD

Wednesday, May 11 - The Fillmore - Detroit, MI

Friday, May 13 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL

Saturday, May 14 - Northern Invasion (Festival) - Somerset, WI

Tuesday, July 12 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA

Thursday, July 14 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA

Friday, July 15 - Wiltern Theater - Los Angeles, CA

Sunday, July 17 - Chicago Open Air (Festival) - Bridgeview, IL

Note: All dates are now on sale, details available at en.babymetal.jp/schedule.

For more info on BABYMETAL, visit: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify.

To post a comment, you must register and login.