MOAMETAL performing with SU-METAL and MOMOMETAL at SUMMER SONIC Tokyo 2026
Moametal 2026

BABYMETAL · CURRENT MEMBER

MOAMETAL

Moa Kikuchi (菊地最愛)

BABYMETAL’s scream-and-dance performer, an Aichi-born entertainer whose career began with the 2007 Ciao Girl Audition before Sakura Gakuin and more than fifteen years as MOAMETAL.

Official role
Scream and Dance
Born
July 4, 1999 · age 27
Origin
Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Profile updated
August 2026
Related stories View the full lineup →
01

Biography

Moa Kikuchi was born on July 4, 1999, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Her entertainment career began in 2007, when she received the Semi-Grand Prix at the Ciao Girl Audition 2007. The achievement marked the beginning of her association with Amuse, where she would later develop as an idol, dancer and performer.

In August 2010, Moa joined Sakura Gakuin as a transfer student. She became active in several of the group’s club units, including the Baton Club Twinklestars. She also joined the Heavy Music Club alongside Suzuka Nakamoto and Yui Mizuno. Performing under the stage name MOAMETAL, Moa took the Scream & Dance role in the unit that would develop into BABYMETAL.

During Sakura Gakuin’s 2011 school year, Moa expanded her activities beyond the main group. From May 2011, she and Yui Mizuno appeared every Monday as presenters of the CD Single Ranking segment on TV Kanagawa’s saku saku. In July, Moa, Yui and Hana Taguchi became the second generation of Sakura Gakuin’s Cooking Club unit Mini-Pati. Together with her activities in Twinklestars and BABYMETAL, this gave Moa experience across several distinct performance styles while she was still in elementary school.

BABYMETAL’s activities expanded significantly during 2012, with releases including “BABYMETAL × Kiba of Akiba” and “Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!,” as well as the group’s first standalone LEGEND concerts. After SU-METAL’s graduation from Sakura Gakuin, BABYMETAL officially left the framework of Sakura Gakuin’s Heavy Music Club in 2013 and continued as an independent artist. Moa and Yui remained Sakura Gakuin students while continuing BABYMETAL as an extracurricular activity.

Within BABYMETAL, MOAMETAL and YUIMETAL also performed as the duo BLACK BABYMETAL. Their songs included “Onedari Daisakusen” and “Song 4.” The latter, released on BABYMETAL’s self-titled first album in 2014, was officially credited to BLACK BABYMETAL for both lyrics and composition, giving Moa one of BABYMETAL’s earliest member songwriting credits.

In May 2014, Moa was appointed Student Council President of Sakura Gakuin for the group’s 2014 school year. At the same time, BABYMETAL was beginning its international breakthrough. The group held two concerts at Nippon Budokan, launched its first world tour, and staged LEGEND “M” in Cologne, Germany, as a celebration of MOAMETAL’s fifteenth birthday. BABYMETAL subsequently appeared at Sonisphere Festival in the United Kingdom and supported Lady Gaga on five dates of her North American artRAVE tour. The overseas schedule caused Moa and Yui to miss TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2014, with Sakura Gakuin officially describing the opportunity as an important step in their growth and a chance to introduce Sakura Gakuin to an international audience.

Moa graduated from Sakura Gakuin on March 29, 2015, at NHK Hall, completing nearly five years with the group. From that point forward, her professional activities became centered on BABYMETAL. The group’s international growth continued with METAL RESISTANCE in 2016, a headline concert at Wembley Arena and two sold-out Tokyo Dome shows attended by approximately 110,000 people.

The departure of YUIMETAL in October 2018 marked one of the most significant changes in Moa’s career. BABYMETAL officially announced that its new structure would be centered on SU-METAL and MOAMETAL. Moa consequently moved from being one member of the original three-person formation into one of the two permanent core members responsible for carrying BABYMETAL into its next era.

In 2019, BABYMETAL introduced rotating support dancers to restore a three-person stage formation while SU-METAL and MOAMETAL remained the two official members. On July 6 and 7, BABYMETAL held BABYMETAL ARISES - BEYOND THE MOON - LEGEND - M - at Portmesse Nagoya in Aichi. The two concerts celebrated MOAMETAL’s twentieth birthday and placed her at the center of one of BABYMETAL’s major special productions. Later that year, BABYMETAL released METAL GALAXY, which reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200.

In 2021, MOAMETAL and SU-METAL celebrated BABYMETAL’s tenth anniversary with 10 BABYMETAL BUDOKAN, a series of ten concerts at Nippon Budokan between January and April. BABYMETAL subsequently entered a period in which its live activities were officially “sealed.”

Moa returned alongside SU-METAL at BABYMETAL RETURNS - THE OTHER ONE at Makuhari Messe in January 2023. At BABYMETAL BEGINS - THE OTHER ONE at Pia Arena MM on April 1 and 2, the project introduced MOMOMETAL as its new official third member, establishing the current SU-METAL, MOAMETAL and MOMOMETAL lineup. Their first newly released song as the reborn trio was “METALI!!” featuring Tom Morello in August 2023.

The renewed lineup began another extensive international period across Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Japan, alongside collaborations with artists including Electric Callboy, Bring Me The Horizon, Poppy, Bloodywood and others. In 2025, BABYMETAL celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with a sold-out headline concert at The O2 in London and the release of its fourth album, METAL FORTH. The album debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, making BABYMETAL the first Japanese group to reach the chart’s Top 10.

In 2026, Moa continues performing as MOAMETAL in BABYMETAL’s official SU-METAL, MOAMETAL and MOMOMETAL lineup. Amuse continues to formally credit her role as Scream & Dance as BABYMETAL carries the METAL FORTH era through major arena performances, festivals and international touring.

02

Career timeline

Birth

Born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Ciao Girl Audition

Received the Semi-Grand Prix at the Ciao Girl Audition 2007, marking the beginning of her professional association with Amuse.

Sakura Gakuin

Joined Sakura Gakuin as a transfer student and began performing as part of the group’s first expansion beyond its original eight members.

Twinklestars

Became active in Sakura Gakuin’s Baton Club unit Twinklestars.

BABYMETAL

Joined Sakura Gakuin’s Heavy Music Club alongside Suzuka Nakamoto and Yui Mizuno and began performing under the stage name MOAMETAL.

Doki Doki ☆ Morning

BABYMETAL’s “Doki Doki ☆ Morning” appeared on Sakura Gakuin’s first album, Sakura Gakuin 2010 Nendo ~message~.

saku saku

Began appearing every Monday with Yui Mizuno as a presenter of the CD Single Ranking segment on TV Kanagawa’s saku saku.

Mini-Pati

Became part of the second-generation Mini-Pati lineup alongside Yui Mizuno and Hana Taguchi.

BABYMETAL expansion

Continued expanding BABYMETAL through releases, festivals and the group’s first standalone LEGEND performances.

Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!

BABYMETAL released “Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!” on Moa’s thirteenth birthday.

SUMMER SONIC

Performed with BABYMETAL at SUMMER SONIC for the first time.

First overseas performance

Performed with BABYMETAL at Anime Festival Asia in Singapore.

Major-label debut

BABYMETAL released its major-label debut single “Ijime, Dame, Zettai.”

Independent BABYMETAL announced

Sakura Gakuin announced that BABYMETAL would continue after SU-METAL’s graduation, with Moa and Yui continuing their activities as an extracurricular project.

BLACK BABYMETAL

Continued performing with YUIMETAL as BLACK BABYMETAL, the duo responsible for songs including “Onedari Daisakusen.”

BABYMETAL album / Song 4

BABYMETAL released its first album; BLACK BABYMETAL received lyrics and composition credit for “Song 4.”

Nippon Budokan

Performed in BABYMETAL’s first two headline concerts at Nippon Budokan.

Student Council President

Appointed Sakura Gakuin Student Council President for the 2014 school year.

LEGEND “M”

BABYMETAL held LEGEND “M” MOAMETAL Seitansai at Live Music Hall in Cologne, Germany, celebrating her fifteenth birthday.

Sonisphere

Performed on the main stage of Sonisphere Festival in the United Kingdom during BABYMETAL’s first world tour.

Lady Gaga tour

BABYMETAL supported Lady Gaga on five North American artRAVE dates; the schedule caused Moa and Yui to miss TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2014.

Sakura Gakuin graduation

Graduated from Sakura Gakuin at NHK Hall after serving as Student Council President.

Full-time BABYMETAL era

Continued her career with BABYMETAL following her Sakura Gakuin graduation.

METAL RESISTANCE

BABYMETAL released its second album, which reached No. 39 on the Billboard 200.

Wembley Arena

Performed in BABYMETAL’s historic headline concert at Wembley Arena.

Tokyo Dome

Performed across two Tokyo Dome concerts attended by approximately 110,000 people.

International touring

Continued extensive touring with BABYMETAL, including support tours with major international metal acts.

New BABYMETAL structure

Following YUIMETAL’s departure, BABYMETAL announced a new structure centered on SU-METAL and MOAMETAL.

SU-METAL / MOAMETAL era

Continued the world tour as one of BABYMETAL’s two permanent core members during the transition from the original trio.

Three-person stage returns

Rotating support dancers later known as the Avengers joined SU-METAL and MOAMETAL to restore BABYMETAL’s three-person stage formation.

LEGEND - M -

Celebrated MOAMETAL’s twentieth birthday with BABYMETAL ARISES - BEYOND THE MOON - LEGEND - M - at Portmesse Nagoya in Aichi.

METAL GALAXY

BABYMETAL released its third album, which reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200.

10 BABYMETAL BUDOKAN

Performed ten anniversary concerts at Nippon Budokan alongside SU-METAL.

Sealed period

BABYMETAL entered a period in which regular live activities were officially sealed.

BABYMETAL RETURNS

Returned to live performance alongside SU-METAL at Makuhari Messe.

New trio

BABYMETAL BEGINS - THE OTHER ONE - formally introduced MOMOMETAL as the third official member alongside SU-METAL and MOAMETAL.

METALI!!

Released “METALI!!” featuring Tom Morello, the first new song by the reborn three-member BABYMETAL.

Global touring

Toured extensively across Europe, Asia, North America and Japan with the new three-member lineup.

RATATATA

BABYMETAL and Electric Callboy released the international collaboration “RATATATA.”

World Tour

Continued major festival, arena and headline appearances with SU-METAL and MOMOMETAL.

The O2

Performed a sold-out headline concert at The O2 in London, the first solo arena show there by a Japanese group.

METAL FORTH

BABYMETAL released its fourth original album.

Billboard Top 10

METAL FORTH debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, making BABYMETAL the first Japanese group to reach the chart’s Top 10.

Intuit Dome

Performed in BABYMETAL’s special arena show in Los Angeles during the group’s fifteenth-anniversary era.

LEGEND - METAL FORTH

Performed two major arena shows at Saitama Super Arena.

Current BABYMETAL lineup

Continues as MOAMETAL, officially credited as Scream & Dance alongside SU-METAL and MOMOMETAL through the METAL FORTH era and ongoing world tour.

03

Sources and verification

The profile prioritizes first-party artist, management and official archive material. Source links are provided so dates and lineup claims can be checked directly.