Western Press Can't Stop Talking About Babymetal, Example #815

The Riverfront Times, Saint Louis' premiere and popular alternative press, has a big question on its mind: What the hell is Babymetal? (Note: do not read the comments.)

From the above article:

But in 2010 a new breed of metal music surfaced with a group known as Babymetal. A rising trio of famous teenage Japanese female models, this act has a foundation of "J-Pop," -- a fast, upbeat style of pop/dance music more suitable for clubs playing Britney Spears and other teen idols than dive bars blasting Pantera and Behemoth. But the vocalists are backed by a band of musicians that merge the heavy sounds of Slayer [...] with traditional pop/dance music replete with hints of techno and hip-hop [...] It may have started in Japan, but look out...the evil is spreading.

I'm amused at the fact that Babymetal's cute rock act is still attracting the attention of Western press, who spend most of that time scratching their heads and wondering what the hell Japan is up to. Luckily, RFT has a history of being respectful of Japanese pop culture, even when it seems bizarre at first blush, so it doesn't treat the Babymetal music movement with derision.