Headbanger (Babymetal song)

"Headbanger"
Cover of the standard edition
Single by Babymetal
from the album Babymetal and the album Sakura Gakuin 2012 Nendo: My Generation
B-side	Uki Uki ★ Midnight
Released	July 4, 2012
Format	Enhanced CD single, digital download
Genre	Power metal, melodic death metal, thrash metal
Length	14:44
Label	Juonbu Records (sublabel of Toy's Factory)
Writer(s)	Edometal Nakametal Narasaki ("Headbanger") Chaos Nakata Ryu-metal Fuji-metal ("Uki Uki ★ Midnight")
Producer(s)	Narametal ("Headbanger") Yuyoyuppe ("Uki Uki ★ Midnight")
Babymetal singles chronology
"Babymetal × Kiba of Akiba" (2012) "Headbanger" (2012) "Ijime, Dame, Zettai" (2013)
Music video Babymetal "Headbanger" on YouTube

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Rolling Stone Japan	[1]

"Headbanger" (ヘドバンギャー！！ Hedobangyā!!, also written in English as "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" or "Head Bangya!!") is a single by the band Babymetal. 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 Babymetal. It is also the band's first solo audio release.^[2][3][4]

Background and release

"Headbanger" was first performed at the Pop'n Idol 02 venue at Zepp Tokyo on June 23, 2012.^[5]

The single was released in two versions: a standard edition, available via CD and digital download, and a physical limited edition, which contains the CD as well as a "neck corset" for headbanging training. Both editions of the single feature the songs "Headbanger" and "Uki Uki ★ Midnight", along with instrumental versions (labeled as "Vocal Air Ver."). The enhanced CD also contains a bonus music video of "Babymetal Death", which can only be played on a computer.^[6]

To promote the release of the single, the band played the concert Legend: Corset Festival at Rock May Kan on July 21, 2015, where "Uki Uki ★ Midnight" was first performed live.^[7]

Although the Japanese title, ヘドバンギャー！！, remains unchanged, both the song and the single have been written various ways in English, either as "Head Bangya!!", "Headbangya!!",^[8] "Head Bangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!",^[9] or "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!", as it is titled in the international re-release of Babymetal.

Music video

The music video for the title track was directed by Hidenobu Tanabe (田辺秀伸), who would be named Best Director of that year (2012) at the Space Shower Music Video Awards.^[10] 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. All of a sudden, the corset jumps out of her hands, wraps around her neck and turns her into "Headbanger".^[7] The limited version of the CD actually came in a box that included a neck corset for headbanging training.^[11][12]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Headbanger" (ヘドバンギャー！！)	4:03
2.	"Uki Uki ★ Midnight" (ウ・キ・ウ・キ★ミッドナイト)	3:20
3.	"Headbanger" (Air Vocal Ver.) (ヘドバンギャー！！（Air Vocal ver.）)	4:02
4.	"Uki Uki ★ Midnight" (Air Vocal Ver.) (ウ・キ・ウ・キ★ミッドナイト（Air Vocal ver.）)	3:19
Total length:		14:44

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) – vocals (lead and background)
• Yui MIzuno (YUIMETAL) – vocals (background)
• Moa Kikuchi (MOAMETAL) – vocals (background)
• Millennium Japan (millenium JAPAN) – production
• Tucky – mastering
• Edometal (江戸メタル) – lyricist
• Nakametal (ナカメタル) – lyricist
• Ryu-metal (RYU-METAL) – lyricist
• Fuji-metal (FUJI-METAL) – lyricist
• Chaos Nakata (中田カオス) – lyricist
• Narasaki (NARASAKI) – composer
• Team-K (TEAM-K) – composer
• Narametal (NARAMETAL) – arrangement
• Yuyoyuppe (ゆよゆっぺ) – arrangement, audio mixing
• Seiji Toda – recording, audio mixing

Credits adapted from "Headbanger" single liner notes.^[6]

Charts

Chart (2012)	Peak position
Japan (Oricon)	20
Japan Hot Singles Sales (Billboard)[13]	19

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Edition(s)
Japan[14]	July 4, 2012	CD, digital download	Juonbu Records	Standard edition
		CD with neck corset		Limited edition
Worldwide[15]		Digital download	Toy's Factory	Standard edition

References

1. Rolling Stone Japan Edition review
2. "BABYMETAL、初の単独CDシングル"ヘドバンギャー!!"発売決定". Tower Records Online. 2012-04-27. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
3. "BABYMETAL「ヘドバンギャー!!」ミュージック・ビデオが完成!". CDJournal News. 2012-06-21. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
4. "BABYMETAL初の単独CD「ヘドバンギャー!!」を7-4にリリース。Movieでは伝説のコルセットで登場か!". Kawaii Girl Japan. 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
5. "Berryz工房×℃-uteサプライズも!　タワー主催〈POP'n アイドル02〉レポ - TOWER RECORDS ONLINE". Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). 2012-06-25.
6. Head Bangya!! (CD liner notes). Babymetal. Toy's Factory. 2012.
7. "BABYMETAL is going to release first solo CD "Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!" on July 4. In this movie you might witness the legendary corset!?". Kawaii Girl Japan. 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
8. "iTunes - Music - Headbangya!! - EP by BABYMETAL". Retrieved 8 May 2014.
9. "iTunes - Music - BabyMetal by BABYMETAL". Retrieved 6 June 2015.
10. "BABYMETAL - ヘドバンギャー！！[ Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!! ] (Full ver.) - YouTube". Toy's Factory.
    "BABYMETAL「ヘドバンギャー!!」でSU-METALに神降臨". Natalie. 2012-06-21.
    "スペシャ「MVA」大賞はきゃりー、サカナ、ワンオク". Natalie. 2013-03-13.
11. "BABYMETAL - Discography". Babymetal's official website. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
12. "BABYMETAL - ヘドバンギャー！！[ Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!! ] (Full ver.) - YouTube".
13. "Billboard Japan Hot Singles Sales│Charts│Billboard JAPAN (2012/07/16 付け)". Retrieved 2014-08-08.
14. "ヘドバンギャー!!". iTunes JP. Apple Inc. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
15. "iTunes - Music - Headbangya!! - EP by BABYMETAL". Retrieved 8 May 2014.

External links

• Review by Rolling Stone Japan Edition
• Discography – Babymetal official website