Moa Kikuchi
As Moametal, she helped forge the explosive kawaii metal genre, charming global audiences with fierce dance and sweet vocals.
Born 1999 (age 27)·Japanese singer and dancer·Birthday: July 4·Generation Z
Biography
Moa Kikuchi, known on stage as Moametal, is one-third of the alchemical reaction that created Babymetal. Scouted as a child, she trained in the idol group Sakura Gakuin before being placed in the heavy metal subunit that would become a global sensation. Her role is defined by contrast: she delivers blistering, precise dance routines in the midst of thunderous guitar riffs, all while singing melodies of infectious joy. Alongside her bandmates, she helped invent a new genre that demolished cultural and musical barriers, playing to massive crowds from Tokyo to London. More than just a performer, Moametal represents a new generation of Japanese artist—one raised on idol discipline but unleashed onto the world's biggest rock stages.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Moa was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Moa Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Moa's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Is a founding member of the groundbreaking kawaii metal band Babymetal.
- Performed at major international festivals like Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds.
- Helped Babymetal achieve multiple top-charting albums in Japan and the US Billboard charts.
- Toured as a headlining act across North America, Europe, and Asia to sold-out venues.
Did You Know?
Her stage name Moametal was given to her by Babymetal's producer, Kobametal.
She is known for her incredibly high-energy performance style and perpetual smile on stage.
Within Babymetal, she and fellow member Yuimetal were originally known as the "Black Babymetal" subunit.
She has been performing with Babymetal since she was 12 years old.
“We are the fox god's chosen warriors, bringing kawaii metal to the world.”
