AND THE SONG OF THE SUMMER IS?

THAT AND...IT'S TIME TO REALLY START TALKING ABOUT BABYMETAL...

(Japan's Babymetal + Germany's Electric Callboy = A 2024 smash that the world can get behind)

Summer pop songs aren't for the deep and meaningful. They're for dancing in the streets, feeling the sunshine, tasting that watermelon sugar, and sitting on the dock of the bay.

So when "Ratatata” was released ten days ago (or "dropped” as nearly everyone says now), the ears immediately perked up and it was an easy call to make. It's gloriously stupid, infectiously catchy, loud, danceable, fun, memorable, and will create an earworm for six-year-olds and 80-year-olds alike. All the hallmarks of a perfect summer song, with added noise because we live in complicated times.

Much of the noise comes courtesy of Electric Callboy, a six-piece “electronicore” act from Germany, who like to have fun, tour the world, have a growing following, and, even after more than a decade's worth of performances, are having a ridiculously good time in the new video.

Most of the harmonies and emotional heft come from the female trio who front Babymetal, a unique Japanese group that merges elements of serious heavy metal with J-pop, which is increasingly being referred to as “kawaii metal" (cute metal).

Together, this seemingly unlikely partnership has produced a summer song that will be equally at home blasting out of car speakers as it will on the dance floor.

"When it goes (Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta), my body is a weapon
(Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta) We're gonna hit the floor
(Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta) We're gonna make it happen
(Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta) Now gimme some more"…are just a hint of the lyrics.

They're certainly not deep, but the song sounds great from here to Timbuktu. In addition, the overall music blends the loud with the soft, the crunch with the sweet, the metal with the kawaii — just perfect (and will be far more enduring than Eminem's just-released "Houdini"). Since its release, both the video on YouTube and the song on Spotify have well over six million plays, so it's clear that the single is having some impact.

While Electric Callboy seems to have carved out a clear niche in their native Germany — even being referred to as a younger, hipper anti-Rammstein — this is as good a time as any to start talking about Babymetal.

Over a decade ago, producer Key Kobayashi — often called Kobametal — envisioned combining a metal act with J-pop and recruiting band members who would suit his vision. And if that conjures up images of groups like Menudo or N'Sync, so be it. The core members include nine musicians who are accomplished guitar, drum, bass, and keyboard pros. They're the tight engine of the group who wear masks (ala the rock group Slipknot) and tend to stay in the background. Upfront are the three females, who include main vocalist Suzuka Nakamoto (nicknamed Su-metal), and backup dancers/vocalists Momoko Okazaki (Momometal) and Moa Kikuchi (Moametal).

Though the trio had no idea what heavy metal was, they were game for the experiment, and following a string of singles, Babymetal released their debut self-titled album in 2014. At the time, there was certainly a curiosity factor, as it was hard to tell if a masked metal band fronted by young Japanese girls in cosplay outfits was just an of-the-moment novelty. After all, their main single was called "Gimme Chocolate", extolling the virtues of…eating chocolate. Even talk show hosts like Stephen Colbert were baffled.

A novelty song? Maybe, but "Gimme Chocolate” also had the kind of earworm that's garnered over 195 million streams on YouTube to date. Two years later they released their follow-up "Metal Resistance", which included a wider musical and emotional palette, as well as one English song. Music publications generally gave the album favorable reviews, with several even calling it one of the best releases of the year. All the while, the group was also touring around the world with a focus on English- speaking countries and was well received.

But amidst the growing popularity and acclaim, the group also had some serious setbacks. 36-year-old main guitarist Mikio Fujioka tragically fell to his death from an astronomical observation platform at the beginning of 2018. In the same year, Yui Mizuno (Yuimetal), one of the original front women, pulled out of the group due to ill health and was eventually replaced by Momoko Okazaki (Momometal). Despite the misfortunes, the unfortunate events also allowed the band to regroup.

They released a graphic novel detailing some of the group's emerging mythology in Japan. And, once their third album "Metal Galaxy” was released, they became the first-ever Asian act to top the Billboard Rock Albums chart. The group also solidified its stage presence with world-class production values. Here, in this video for the single "Megitsune”, the now mature act had fans at famed venue Budokan eating out of the palm of their hand.

Following a short hiatus, the group returned last year with their fourth album "The Other One". It was notable for several reasons. The group's mythology expanded as they claimed that everything they did was related to "The Fox God", which the trio often saluted by using masks and finger signs. Legend has it the trio came up with the concept when they erroneously tried to make "devil horns", the now ubiquitous symbol for heavy metal. Other reports claim that the "Fox God” is their producer, as he makes all the strategic decisions for the group. Whatever the case, the new album showcased the sound of a more mature group, as Su-Metal even had writing input. The melodic ballad "Monochrome” is the sound of a band musically expanding and well aware of the niche they've created.

As the group continues on their current world tour and performs at festivals this summer, it seems as though Babymetal's potential has a ways to go yet. Their fanbase includes both young and old adults, in addition to kids who are just learning to speak, let alone learning about music. They also have gained growing respect among Western rock acts, as they've already performed and/or released singles with the likes of metal legends Judas Priest, in addition, to Bring Me The Horizon and Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello (as seen in the clip below).

Babymetal has also cleverly been bridging the East and West by infusing tasteful Japanese motifs into their songs and videos where appropriate (the girls have also learned English). What does the future hold? “Only the Fox God knows,” Su-Metal says coyly. But expect more collaborations and a continued upward ascent. And don't be surprised if Su-metal releases a solo album at some point too. She's one Baby the Fox God has super plans for.