UPDATE: Currently available for download! iTunes says $1.29, but it becomes a free download if you pre-order the album (which, you know, you should).

Also available on Spotify!

One of the most anticipated single releases of the year so far, period, and something that the international metal community has awaited with dread both great and awful, “KARATE,” the first single off of Babymetal‘s second album, the upcoming Metal Resistance, has landed. Listen above, or dive deeper for the official Metal Resistance trailer and get a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-released music video for “KARATE.”

Here’s the trailer, available on Babymetal’s official YouTube channel:

If I’m being completely frank, not only did I kind of not want “KARATE” to be the lead single from this album, I’m placing it at best third out of all of the songs that we’ve heard so far from Metal Resistance, behind “The One” and “YAVA” at least (“Road of Resistance” doesn’t count, because it’s been out for a long-ass time now).

But that’s like complaining about being the least handsome Maniac; in Babymetal’s entire catalog, there’s at most two songs that I’d straight-up pass on if I were compiling a collection of their music, and you could talk me into the one that isn’t a special version (if you’re a big fan, you know what I’m saying).

“Karate” is quite good, and if there’s a chance of further single releases and MVs based on its success, then I say PLEASE BUY IT EVEN THOUGH IT’S KIND OF A FREE DOWNLOAD BECAUSE THE WORLD NEEDS MORE NICE THINGS.

I was going to wait to post this up, but there’s no sense in waiting now. The actual video release will get its own special place.