The original post was made before official confirmation (original post). Now it is confirmed by BABYMETAL and NHK.
Update 1: Footage from the red carpet has been released. I have added it below.
Update 2 (21/12): BABYMETAL will perform Ijime, Dame, Zettai
Yesterday “Daily”, a Japanese tabloid, shared an article that BABYMETAL will be playing at the historic “Kohaku”. I wasn’t sure of posting this until completely confirmed, however several people and media close to BABYMETAL commented about so it seemed more than a simple click-bait article. And it was, as this morning BABYMETAL and later NHK confirmed their participation.
NHK’s Kouhaku Uta Gassen [“NHK Red and White Song Battle”], better known as “Kōhaku”, is one of the biggest TV programs of the year in Japan. It’s held every year on New Year’s Eve and features the most influential artists of the year. It is invite-only, so it’s extremely exclusive and a privilege to be able to perform at the show.
This year it will be held on Thursday, December 31st between 19:30 hs. and 23:45 hs. [Japan time].
More info below.
Table of Contents
Photos and Videos
Message From Su And Moa
Video translation by sanshiromkw:
Su: We are honored to be hosted by a historical program like ”NHK 紅白歌合戦” in Japan. Our music comes from the metal genre which is very “strong”, so we hope we can use the power of metal to provide everyone with happiness and braveness through our performance in a time like now.
Moa: This year all of our Asia tours had been canceled and for a group like us who focuses on live shows a lot, it was a very tough year. But when we think that there are people who are going through a much tougher time time than us, we wish that our music can put a smile on everyone’s faces.
SU-METAL: “It’s times like these that we need the power of metal, and we’re eager to make our first appearance at Kohaku”. “I’m so happy to be on this historic show in Japan.” She said she had heard the news of her first appearance on the show this morning. She said: “I was really excited and I feel I’ve come to an amazing place.”
MOAMETAL: “We’re happy because we’re a group that usually works hard mainly on live performances. We don’t often appear on TV, so we were given an opportunity to do so.”
Short Interview
Short interview done after the press conference. Here it is with subtitles (activate CC):
Red Carpet Footage
Comments From People And Media
Isao and Ohmura posted some Tweets, coincidentally around when the unofficial announcement dropped. Ohmura even shared a picture of Mikio’s guitar.
Hinata Sato and Ayaka Miyoshi, 2 ex-Sakura Gakuin members also shared some messages:
Finally, a few other media outlets shared the news, including 2 close to BABYMETAL, Hedoban and Metal Hammer Japan.
Hedoban Magazine deleted theirs, the original said (in Japanese):
BABYMETAL Kohaku unofficially announced
Congratulations!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVr6yYsFbMY (link to Akatsuki)
I felt it was curious that they linked to Akatsuki, but it makes sense given that Akatsuki = Red Moon, and they are on the red team.
Metal Hammer Japan shared pictures of the print publication. BABYMETAL will be on the cover of the 4th issue, which comes out in mid-December, 2 weeks before the show.
How The Show Works
The program works by dividing the artists into competing teams of red and white. The “red” team is composed of all female artists (or groups with female vocals), while the “white” team is all male (or groups with male vocals). At the end of the show, judges and the audience vote to decide which group performed better. In addition to the actual music performances, the costumes, hair-styles, makeup, dancing, and lighting are important.
Wikipedia article with more info.
Kohaku Theme
This year’s theme is “Now is the time to sing a song of encouragement”
On December 31, 2020, we would like to send encouragement to the Japanese audience through song, and it is with this in mind that we are putting together this year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen.
This year, as the new coronavirus spread, the world has changed dramatically and various fields have been seriously affected.
In July, NHK launched the “With Corona Project” called “Minna de Yell” and has been supporting people who are working hard and facing the corona through charity work for the Japanese Red Cross Society and the Central Community Chest of Japan.This year, many live performances and festivals were postponed or cancelled, and music and entertainment were said to be irrelevant. As the number of infected people in Japan continues to rise, a new way of life is required to wear masks, protect your social distance, and live physically apart from the rest of the country while you are anxious. In times like these, music can bring us closer together.
Now is the time to send encouragement to everyone with the songs that the artists have in mind.
I hope that people who have been hurt and exhausted by the corona will be healed and look forward to the year 2021 with as much cheer as possible. This is the theme for this year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen, which is filled with these thoughts.
Sources:
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