BABYMETAL Post Cryptic Salutation Video Suggesting Hiatus or Closing Era

Kawaii metal outfit BABYMETAL have released a six-minute video overnight, suggesting some kind of 'end', 'break' or 'closing of an era' - the specificity of it is unclear and fans are going berserk over the video's cryptic nature. 

It's been a couple of years since the Japanese band released their most recent studio album Metal Galaxy (our review here). It was also BABYMETAL's first record without Yuimetal (Yui Mizuno) who left due to health reasons in 2018. However, remaining core members Su-metal (Suzuka Nakamoto) and Moametal (Moa Kikuchi) have been really active in the band since Yuimetal left - before, during and after the release of Metal Galaxy. In fact, they released a live album only a few weeks ago.

Overnight, BABYMETAL posted the same messages across all their social media channels, greying out their logo and posting the video below with its title 'STAIRWAY TO LIVING LEGEND'. The video starts with captioning that reads:

"The 3 metal spirits that have been shining since 2010, even if they were to leave Earth, would continue to shine forever in our hearts and across the Metal Galaxy. 

A legend turns into a myth which turns into a LIVING LEGEND... What lies ahead beyond the end of the stairway to becoming a LIVING LEGEND is something only the FOX GOD knows."

The video then switches to a giant stadium with Su-metal singing centre-stage before Moametal joins her after a few minutes. The clip then shifts to a montage of the two Kawaii legends rising into the clouds together and disappearing before the following text appears"

"Thank you to our METAL RESISTANCE.

Thank you to our BABYMETAL

FOREVER THE ONE"

The text then shifts to their logo in colour, as it slowly fades to black and white. 

So, what does this all mean? Are BABYMETAL finished as a band? Are they simply taking a hiatus and allowing themselves a break from the music? Or, as some fans have suggested - is this the end of the Metal Galaxy era as they prepare for the next generation of BABYMETAL? For now we don't know, but it seems like any hypothesis is fair game. 

Words by Ricky Aarons (@rickysaul90)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHphfTnJj90