Suzuka Nakamoto

Suzuka Nakamoto (中元 すず香, Nakamoto Suzuka, born December 20, 1997), known by her stage name Su-metal, is a Japanese musician, singer, and songwriter. She is best known as a member of the kawaii metal band Babymetal. She is represented by the talent agency Amuse, Inc. and has been a member of three musical groups formed by the company: Karen Girl's, Sakura Gakuin, and Babymetal.

Suzuka Nakamoto
中元すず香
Nakamoto in September 2023
Nakamoto in September 2023
Background information
Also known asSuzuka (in Karen Girl's)
Su-metal (in Babymetal)
Born (1997-12-20) December 20, 1997
Hiroshima, Japan[1]
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2007–present
LabelsAmuse, Inc.
Member of
Formerly of

Biography

In 2002, Nakamoto won the Grand Prix in the Image Girl contest for Jewel Drop, a line of toy cosmetics produced by Bandai, subsequently starring in several Jewel Drop commercials.[2][3][4]

In 2006, Nakamoto was admitted to Actor's School Hiroshima (ASH). She studied with another future Sakura Gakuin member, Mariri Sugimoto, with whom she had been acquainted before attending the school.[5] She also had a rivalry with Riho Sayashi, future Morning Musume member and Babymetal support dancer, as they were considered the school's top two students at the time.[6]

In 2007, she was signed to the talent agency Amuse, Inc. after becoming a runner-up in the 2nd Star Kids Audition held by the company.[7]

In 2008, her agency formed a trio called Karen Girl's,[8] and Suzuka was selected to be in it. The group was introduced as a little sister of the girl trio Perfume and sang several theme songs for the anime Zettai Karen Children, disbanding on March 31, 2009, after the anime ended its run.

In April 2010, Nakamoto became a founding member of Sakura Gakuin, an idol group created by her agency. The group members also formed sub-units called “clubs”, each of which released their own songs as a unit. Suzuka became a member of the “Heavy Music” club (重音部, Jūonbu),[9] which released songs under the name Babymetal, which also included fellow Sakura Gakuin members Yui Mizuno and Moa Kikuchi.

In the spring of 2013, Nakamoto graduated from junior high school and therefore had to "graduate" from Sakura Gakuin (which limits girls up to the junior high age). Her graduation concert was held on March 31 at the Tokyo International Forum.[10][11][12] Suzuka now performs with Babymetal, which had been spun off from Sakura Gakuin following her graduation, under the stage name Su-metal.[13] Babymetal's self-titled debut album was released in February 2014.

Nakamoto ranked ninth place on the Oricon News ranking for “2018 Rankings for Anticipation of New Adults”, commenting on her "overwhelming singing ability".[14] In October 2022, with the release of the single "Divine Attack (Shingeki)", Nakamoto was credited for the first time as a lyricist on a song by Babymetal.[15]

Personal life

Suzuka is the youngest of three sisters.[16][17] Her second sister, Himeka Nakamoto, is a former member of the idol group Nogizaka46. They studied together at the Actor's School Hiroshima (ASH)[18] and sang together in a duo known as Tween.

Her mother works with gemstones and occasionally gives gemstone accessories to the Babymetal members as a gift.[19] Her father played in a rock band called Hooligans.[20][21][22][23]

Associated acts

Timeline

Discography

With Karen Girl's
  • Fly to the Future (2009)

With Sakura Gakuin

With Babymetal

Filmography

Anime

Commercial
  • 2012: "Oshii! Hiroshima"[24]

References
  1. BABYMETALのご実家インタビュー　「“世界征服します”とか言うとったな」と祖父. Shinchosha (in Japanese)
  2. "030 中元すず香 バンダイ・ジュエルドロップ・イメージガール - 広島のすぅちゃん" [Suzuka Nakamoto - Bandai Jewel Drop - Image Girl]. 広島のすぅちゃん (in Japanese). 2016-02-28. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
  3. "ジュエルドロップホームページ". アミューズ オフィシャル ウェブサイト. SANRIO & BANDAI. Archived from the original on 2003-06-11. Retrieved 2015-05-30.
  4. Nakamoto, Suzuka (2011-05-18). "さくら学院『噴水広場は・・・』". さくら学院オフィシャルブログ「学院日誌」Powered by Ameba (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-05-20.
  5. Sakura Gakuin 2012 Nendo: My Generation (DVD) (in Japanese). 2013.
  6. "BABYMETAL『Glastonbury Festival』にも鞘師里保が登場 「RIHOMETAL」が加わり新章突入の予感（2019年7月1日）｜BIGLOBEニュース". BIGLOBEニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-08.
  7. 中元 すず香 – アミューズ オフィシャル ウェブサイト (in Japanese). Amuse, Inc. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  8. "ナタリー – 可憐Girl'sのプロフィール". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  9. Hudson, Alex (10 July 2014). "Did Babymetal invent 'cute metal' and what is it?". BBC. UK. Retrieved 2014-12-06.
  10. さくら学院、2012年度卒業式は東京国際フォーラムで実施. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  11. ナタリー – さくら学院、中元すず香卒業「皆さんがすぅを変えてくれた」. Natalie (in Japanese). 2013-04-02. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  12. "[Concert Report] Nakamoto Suzuka from Sakura Gakuin completed all her credits. 'It's every one who helped me change.'". En.barks.jp. 2013-04-07. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  13. "The end was the beginning of the new story of BABYMETAL. It has begun at that night. Here is the report from the night at Zepp Tokyo!". Kawaii Girl Japan. 2013-02-14. Archived from the original on 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  14. "2018年 期待の新成人ランキング". Oricon.co.jp. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  15. ""Divine Attack – Shingeki -" Features The First Lyrics Written By SU-METAL In A BABYMETAL Song". Unofficial BABYMETAL News. 2022. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  16. "白石麻衣、中元日芽香". STREET JACK. 2016-08-24. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
  17. "Suzuka's sister Himeka interview on Street Jack: "Nakamoto 3 sisters story"". Unofficial BABYMETAL Fan Site. 2016-08-24. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  18. スクール紹介｜アクターズスクール広島 (in Japanese). Actor's School Hiroshima. Archived from the original on 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  19. Yamamoto, Noboru (2013-02-13). "Hotwave" (Interview). Saitama: Television Saitama.
  20. "BABYMETALのご実家インタビュー 「"世界征服します"とか言うとったな」と祖父（抜粋）". デイリー新潮 (in Japanese). 16 May 2016. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  21. "週刊新潮 5月号". OBSESSED with BABYMETAL (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  22. "Hooligans - U-Soldier". Discogs. 1990. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  23. "Suzuka's father "Chu" Nakamoto appears on Twitter with story about his High School Rock band". BABYMETAL Newswire. 2017-04-11. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  24. "おしいをおいしいへ。広島県PRキャンペーンの真相とは". マイナビニュース (in Japanese). 2012-03-28. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
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