Live at the Forum (Babymetal album)

Live at the Forum
LP cover
Live album by Babymetal
Released	September 22, 2021 (2021-09-22) (live album) May 13, 2020 (2020-05-13) (video)
Recorded	October 11, 2019
Venue	The Forum (Inglewood, California)
Genre	Kawaii metal J-pop heavy metal
Length	75:05
Label	BMD Fox Toy's Factory Amuse
Producer	Kobametal
Babymetal album chronology
Legend S: Baptism XX (2021) Live at the Forum (2021) 10 Babymetal Budokan (2021)
Babymetal video chronology
Legend S: Baptism XX (2018) Live at the Forum (2020) Legend – Metal Galaxy (2020)

Live at the Forum is the eighth video album by Japanese heavy metal band Babymetal first released in video formats on May 13, 2020. The album contains live footage from the band's headlining show from the Metal Galaxy World Tour, at The Forum (Inglewood, California) on October 11, 2019, coinciding with the worldwide release of the band's third album Metal Galaxy.

Background

The performance was first announced, along with the digital release of "Elevator Girl",[1] on April 22, 2019, a year after the announcement of the band's third album release in 2019, and half a year after the official departure of Yuimetal.[2] Tickets were first made available on April 26, 2019,[3] set at The Forum (which could house up to a capacity of 17,500 seats)[4] and a sold-out show where the band would perform in the concept of a "journey" of the Metal Galaxy.[5]

On January 25, 2020, the band announced an album for the performance with a release date on May 13, 2020,[6][7] both in DVD and Blu-ray formats,[8] as well as a limited edition Blu-ray and two-CD box set exclusively for "The One" fanclub members.[9][10] A trailer for the album was posted on the band's official YouTube channel on March 12, 2020.[8] The album has since been released in a vinyl format on September 22, 2021 to commemorate the band's tenth anniversary.[11]

Content

The performance begins with a large screen with visuals of starfields followed with technology materializing the figures of Su-metal and Moametal. The stage dims and the band begins playing "Da Da Dance" along with lighting and projection causing "sensory overload". The screen continues to display visuals, as the set list continues into songs like "Elevator Girl" and "Shanti Shanti Shanti". "Pa Pa Ya!!" is performed with substantial pyrotechnics, while the intro "Gimme Chocolate!!" was shown giving the audience anticipation. Choreography was described to be "marionette-like", but that of "Karate" was described as "narrative" and "theatrical". After the song "Road of Resistance", the screen repeats "We! Are! Babymetal!" in a call and response matter, with the band returning to finish the performance with "Shine" and "Arkadia". The show ends with band lore and future tour dates being shown on the screen.[12]

Reception

Live at the Forum debuted on the Oricon weekly DVD and Blu-ray charts both at number three for the week of May 25, 2020, with first-week sales od 23,000 units. The album also topped the charts for separate music DVD and Blu-ray releases, as well as the chart for combined releases, becoming the act's sixth consecutive video to do so and tying a record made with Perfume.[13]

The album also charted on the Oricon weekly albums chart at number 268 on the week of October 4, 2021, following the release of the LP record format on September 22, 2021.[14]

Track listing

Video track list

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Future Metal"	Kitsune of Metal God	5:08
2.	"Da Da Dance" (featuring Tak Matsumoto)	Kanata Okajima Megmetal	4:18
3.	"Megitsune"	Mk-metal Norimetal	5:58
4.	"Elevator Girl"	Ryu-metal Joemetal	3:09
5.	"Shanti Shanti Shanti"	Mukti-metal Megmetal	4:12
6.	"Kagerou"	Mk-metal Yuyoyuppe	5:23
7.	"Starlight"	Metal Saints Megmetal Metal Skywalker	5:08
8.	"Gimme Chocolate!!"	Mk-metal Kxbxmetal Takeshi Ueda	4:21
9.	"Pa Pa Ya!!" (featuring F. Hero)	Siammetal	4:01
10.	"Distortion" (featuring Alissa White-Gluz)	Dkmetal Takemetal	4:47
11.	"Karate"	Yuyoyuppe	4:59
12.	"Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!"	Edometal Nakametal Narasaki	4:47
13.	"Road of Resistance"	Kitsune of Metal God Mk-metal Kxbxmetal Mish-Mosh Norimetal Kyt-metal	11:21
14.	"Shine"	Kitsune of Metal God Takemetal	6:37
15.	"Arkadia"	Norimetal	3:37
Total length:			75:05

Personnel

Credits adapted from Live at the Forum booklet.[15]

• Su-metal (Suzuka Nakamoto) – lead and background vocals, dance
• Moametal (Moa Kikuchi) – lead and background vocals (credited as "scream"), dance

Charts

Chart (2020–2021)	Peak position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[14]	268
Japanese DVD (Oricon)[16]	3
Japanese Music DVD (Oricon)[17]	2
Japanese Blu-ray (Oricon)[18]	3
Japanese Music Blu-ray (Oricon)[19]	1

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Edition(s)	Catalog	Ref.
Japan	May 13, 2020 (2020-05-13)	DVD Blu-ray	BMD Fox Records Toy's Factory Amuse, Inc.	Standard video	TFBQ-18224 TFXQ-78181	[10]
		Blu-ray, CD		"The One" limited video	ONEB-0023	[9]
	September 22, 2021 (2021-09-22)	LP		Live album	TFJC-38089 TFJC-38090 TFJC-38091	[11]

References

1. Kaufman, Spencer (2019-04-22). "Babymetal announce first-ever headlining US arena show". Retrieved 2021-10-03.
2. Darus, Alex (2019-04-22). "BABYMETAL announce first U.S. headlining show, new song". Retrieved 2021-10-03.
3. "BABYMETAL Announces Solo Headlining Concert at L.A.'s Forum in October". 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
4. Marketing, Scoop (2019-04-22). "Babymetal Announces First U.S. Arena Show at the Forum October 11 | SCOOP MARKETING". Retrieved 2021-10-03.
5. "BABYMETAL、初北米アリーナ公演を全編収録した映像作品『LIVE AT THE FORUM』5月13日にリリース決定 - TOWER RECORDS ONLINE". 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
6. "BABYMETAL". BABYMETAL (in Japanese). 2020-01-25. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
7. "BABYMETAL Set to Drop L.A. Forum Concert Video". 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
8. "BABYMETAL、ロサンゼルス公演映像作品トレーラー公開". 2020-03-13. Archived from the original on 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
9. "BABYMETAL、幕張メッセ2DAYSで再現された『METAL GALAXY』の世界" (in Japanese). 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
10. "BABYMETAL初の北米アリーナ公演映像化" (in Japanese). 2020-01-25. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
11. "BABYMETAL BEST ALBUM「10 BABYMETAL YEARS」SPECIAL WEBSITE". BABYMETAL BEST ALBUM「10 BABYMETAL YEARS」SPECIAL WEBSITE (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2021-08-25. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
    "BABYMETAL、全ライヴ映像作品のライヴ・アルバム・アナログ・シリーズ"10 BABYMETAL LEGENDS LIVE VINYL SERIES"サブスク配信決定！". 激ロックニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-10-02.
12. Merringer, Reuben (2019-10-21). "Babymetal Live at The Forum (Review, Setlist, Photos) -". mxdwn Music. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
13. "BABYMETAL、最新ライブ映像作品「ミュージックDVD・BDランキング」6作連続1位で女性アーティスト歴代1位タイに【オリコンランキング】". 2020-05-21. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
14. LIVE AT THE FORUM | BABYMETAL | ORICON NEWS. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-10-03.
15. Live at the Forum (Blu-ray liner notes). Babymetal. Toy's Factory. 2020.
16. "LIVE AT THE FORUM | BABYMETAL". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
17. "オリコン週間 ミュージックDVDランキング 2020年05月11日～2020年05月17日 | ORICON NEWS". Oricon (in Japanese). 2020-05-25. Archived from the original on 2020-05-30. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
18. "LIVE AT THE FORUM | BABYMETAL". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
19. "オリコン週間 ミュージックBlu-rayランキング 2018年07月30日～2018年08月05日". Oricon (in Japanese). 2020-05-25. Archived from the original on 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2021-10-03.

External links

• Discography - Babymetal official website
• Live at the Forum trailer on YouTube