Babymetal Reaches New Career Highs On Multiple Billboard Charts

Babymetal’s Metal Forth debuts at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, the group’s first-ever top 10 on the all-genre albums chart. SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 13: BABYMETAL performs at Aftershock 2019 at Discovery Park on October 13, 2019 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by AMUSE/Getty Images)

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For more than a decade now, Babymetal has been pushing its own signature sound to the world, and while it was a creative risk at first, clearly millions of people all around the planet are paying attention. The Japanese band pioneered a style known as kawaii metal, which blends the instrumentation typically associated with metal groups with the style and songwriting consistent with J-pop. It’s an odd combination, but this week, Babymetal’s new album helps the group not only score a new win in America, but also reach some very important and historic highs.

Babymetal Hits New Career Highs

Babymetal’s brand new full-length Metal Forth opens inside the top 10 on seven different Billboard charts. On two of those rankings, the group reaches a never-before-seen high point.

Metal Forth opens in the runner-up spot on the Vinyl Albums chart. Babymetal loses out on its first champion to Lost Americana by MGK. Metal Forth is Babymetal’s first top 10 win on the format-specific ranking, and second appearance overall. Back in 2019, Metal Galaxy spent a single turn at No. 23.

Babymetal’s First Top 10 on the Billboard 200

Babymetal cracks the top 10 on the Billboard 200 for the first time as well, as Metal Forth enters that competitive roster at No. 9. The troupe came close to the highest tier on the most important albums ranking in the country with Metal Galaxy, which stalled at No. 13 several years back. Curiously, Babymetal’s 2023 effort The Other One completely missed the Billboard 200, even though every other full-length from the group had made it to the roster.

A Top Two Start on Almost Every Billboard Chart

Metal Forth begins its time on the Billboard 200 with 36,000 equivalent units, according to Luminate. 33,500 of those were actual purchases, and Babymetal nearly dominates the Top Album Sales chart, coming in second place on another list.

While Metal Forth makes history for Babymetal on the Billboard 200, its No. 9 starting point is the lowest of all the rosters on which it debuts. Metal Forth opens inside the top two on every other ranking, as it’s a strong seller, and Billboard classified it under several different genres, which helps it become one of the most exciting new releases on the tallies at the moment.