The difference, by ear
Both splice metal to a genre from outside it. Nu metal took hip-hop's rhythm; this takes J-pop's melody and vocal arrangement.
Nu metal is part sung, part screamed where kawaii metal is sung cleanly, and much slower: 80 to 120 bpm against 140 to 200. To hear the difference, play Babymetal next to Korn. Both grew out of heavy metal, nu metal first and kawaii metal sixteen years after.
In figures
Kawaii metal
Where it sits
In short
Serious instrumental metal under J-pop idol vocals and choreography. It reads like a joke on paper and works perfectly live.
How it sounds
- Metal instrumentation played by session musicians of a very high standard.
- J-pop idol melodies and vocals with synchronised choreography.
- Dense production built on the deliberate contrast between sweet and brutal.
Key acts
- Babymetal
- Ladybaby
- Band-Maid
Start here
The pickBabymetal - Gimme Chocolate!! The video that convinced half the internet.
Full page →Nu metal
Where it sits
In short
Seven-string guitars tuned very low, hip-hop groove, a DJ or sampler and lyrics about personal trauma. The decade's best-selling and most disputed genre.
How it sounds
- Seven-string guitars tuned very low, with simple syncopated riffs.
- Very prominent bass, often slapped or synth-toned, plus a DJ or sampler in the line-up.
- Vocals moving between rapping, singing and screaming, with lyrics about personal trauma.
Key acts
- Korn
- Slipknot
- Deftones
- Limp Bizkit
Start here
The pickKorn - Korn. The first track opens with bagpipes, which nobody ever remembers.
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