PHOTOS
AMUSE INC;CHINAFOTOPRESS/GETTY IMAGES;COURTESYCARNIVAL (2)
POV
28
APRIL2016
AMERICANWAY
ITSTARTSWITH
twoaspiringteenpopstarsmakingamusic
video inmatchingpigtailsandschoolgirloutfits.OK,may-
be it’sa littleweirdthatthey’resingingaboutsomesortof
regionalsweetrollcalledNipponManju,butstill, forJ-Pop, it’s
normal(ish).Thenabearded,6-foot-tall,200-poundwrestler
joinsthemdoingthesamesynchronizeddancemovesand
wearingthesameoutfit(he isequippedwithaselfiestick).The
vocals,however,differ: It’sequalpartsJ-Popand
deathmetal.We’ll letyouguesswhosingswhat.
Thistrio iscalled
Ladybaby
,andthey’re just
oneofastringofmusicalgroups intheburgeon-
ingmetal-meets-kawaiigenrethat’scalledJ-Pop
Metal.Ladybabycreateswhatgrowling frontman
Ladybearddubs“kawaiicore,”servingupmetallic
coversofJ-Poptunes.Thetrio formed lastyear,and
theirselfie-stick-drivenvideo for“NipponManju”espousesa
love forallproductsJapanese.
Skewingyounger, thethreetweenagersof
DeathRabbits
haveunitedwith40-year-oldBucho(aSWATteamdude ina
gasmask)torockwhattheycall“JapaneseDeathPop.”Thegirls
remarkontheirwebsitethat, “Hismovementsonstagearenot
pretty,probablybecauseofhishabitualdrinkingeverynight.”
ThinkGruandthegirls from
DespicableMe
gonehaywire.
Thethreeteen-girl idols fronting
Babymetal
arearena-level
goddesses intheirhomeland.Theirsophomorealbum,
MetalResistance
,dropsthismonthwithaU.S. tour follow-
ing inMay. “Wewilldefinitelyshockyouwithouralbum,
whichrepresentsus forwhoweare,a fusionofcuteand
metal,”declares18-year-oldvocalistSu-Metal. Isallof
this justthebeginning?Wehopeso.Staycrazy,Japan.
AllHandsOnDeck
Get off thegridguilt-freewithCarnival’snew lineof volunteer cruises
Forthosewhoviewcruisesasan indulgentandessentiallyaimlesstype
oftravel,CarnivalCorporation—theoceanicheavyweightthatruns10
cruise lines— is launchinganewoptionthismonth.Pitchedtosocially
conscioustravelerson itsDominicanRepublicroutes, thecompany’s
Fathom
initiativeswapsshoreexcursionsforvolunteerstintsplanting
cacao, teachingEnglishandotherbeneficialactivities.Leavingfrom
Miami, the704-passenger
Adonia
willdockforfourdays inPuerto
Plataoverweeklongtrips.Nothingwillpreventpassengersfromhitting
areabeachesorbars—butthey’llhaveearned it.Tripsfrom$974per
personfortheDominicanRepublic.
Fathom.org
—
E
.
G
.
It’saMad,MadMusicalMashup
Justwhenyou thought Japan’smusic scenecouldn’tget anyweirder, anewgenrehas croppedup that fuses
J-Popwithheavymetal, completewithapigtailedAustralianwrestler calledLadybeard
—
BRYAN
REESMAN
TRANSLATIONOFBABYMETAL’S
“GIMMECHOCOLATE!!”
“Check it out chocolate.Can I haveabit of chocolate?
Butmyweightworriesmeabit thesedays.
However, chocolate.Can I haveabit of chocolate?
Butwait awhile!Wait awhile!Wait!Wait!Wait!”
