To avoid becoming Babyblog, I’m just going to keep updating these original posts.

Wanna hear the UK’s BBC Radio 1 debut of “KARATE”?

BABYMETAL – BBC Radio 1 (25 February 2016) – KARATE Debut by Missing Reel

North American audiences will be able to listen to “KARATE” tonight at midnight, that is 24:00 Thursday / 0:00 Friday, on SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal. Jose’s show. What’s it called?

And now that we got that taken care of, read on for another look at the marketing at play.

This section on marketing and implications is updated, too.

I also want to point out the between-the-lines lessons that build on the earlier reads on Babymetal’s marketing strategy. Yes, this confirms the basic conclusion that Amuse management is treating Babymetal as a long-term investment, but:

• The UK has been their home away from home since 2014, and this solidifies that.
• It also shows that they are dead-set on being able to say that they sold out Wembley. (Buy your tickets here!)
• An exclusive radio premiere like this probably means that fans in the UK are going to be hearing a lot of Babymetal this year, and especially for the next five weeks.
• Which means that they’re angling for radio play in general to raise awareness.
• And good thing that “KARATE” is spot-on rock radio music.
• Which, damn shame that rock radio is basically dead in the United States.
• I had discounted the idea of SiriusXM as being too narrow and subscriber-based, but I guess they went with their best option (and cultivated a relationship with a DJ of consequence).
• North American distribution will be interesting to see. I’m going to hold out hope for SNL until it definitely doesn’t happen.

I half expect an announcement to accompany this premiere. Not, like, “Moametal is leaving the group and Hanametal will be taking her place” (that’s for you Sakura Gakuin fans), but “now go download this from iTunes and also there’s a video on YouTube.”

I’ve been … critical? maybe incredulous about? … Babymetal’s digital marketing in the past, mostly because they’re so quiet, but this is where you can see the sophistication that a big agency brings to the table. There are deals in place, exclusive content and concurrent multimedia releases (presumably), and it’s all designed to generate the greatest amount of hype ahead of the Wembley show and then the spring/summer international tour.

Hold on to your butts.