SU-METAL

Biography

Suzuka Nakamoto was born on December 20, 1997, in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. She began working in entertainment as a child, with early biographies documenting modeling activities before she entered formal performance training. In 2006, she joined Actors School Hiroshima (ASH) as a member of its 15th generation. The following year, she received the Semi-Grand Prix at Amuse’s 2nd Star Kids Audition, beginning the association with Amuse that would shape the rest of her professional career.

In 2008, Suzuka was selected as SUZUKA for Karen Girl’s, a three-member unit formed through auditions to perform theme songs for the TV anime Zettai Karen Children. Alongside AYAMI Muto and YUIKA Shima, she made her recording debut with “Over The Future” on June 25, 2008. The single reached No. 17 on the Oricon weekly chart, and the trio performed at events including Animelo Summer Live at Saitama Super Arena. Their second single, “MY WINGS,” followed later that year.

Karen Girl’s was created as a limited-duration project tied to the anime and completed its activities in March 2009. Its first and only album, Fly To The Future, was released on February 25, 2009. During this period Suzuka also expanded beyond group performance, appearing in musical theatre as Shioji in Boukensha-tachi in 2009 and returning for the production’s 2010 revival, while continuing her training and performances through Actors School Hiroshima.

In April 2010, Suzuka became one of the eight founding members of Sakura Gakuin. The group made its public debut at TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL in August 2010. Within Sakura Gakuin’s club-activity system, Suzuka joined the Heavy Music Club alongside Yui Mizuno and Moa Kikuchi. The unit was named BABYMETAL, with Suzuka taking the stage name SU-METAL and serving as its central vocalist.

BABYMETAL gradually developed from a Sakura Gakuin sub-unit into an increasingly independent project. “Doki Doki ☆ Morning” appeared on Sakura Gakuin’s first album in 2011, followed by releases including “BABYMETAL × Kiba of Akiba” and “Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!” in 2012. During Sakura Gakuin’s 2012 school year, Suzuka was appointed Student Council President. Her fifteenth birthday was celebrated with BABYMETAL’s LEGEND “D” SU-METAL Seitansai at Akasaka BLITZ on December 20, 2012.

On January 9, 2013, BABYMETAL made its major-label debut with “Ijime, Dame, Zettai.” As Suzuka approached her graduation from Sakura Gakuin, the future of BABYMETAL was initially uncertain because of Sakura Gakuin’s age-based graduation system. On February 1, Sakura Gakuin officially announced that BABYMETAL would continue after her graduation, leave the framework of the Heavy Music Club and begin a new chapter as an independent artist. Suzuka graduated from Sakura Gakuin on March 31, 2013, at Tokyo International Forum Hall C.

With BABYMETAL now independent from Sakura Gakuin, SU-METAL became the vocal center of a project that rapidly expanded internationally. BABYMETAL released its self-titled first album on February 26, 2014, followed by two headline concerts at Nippon Budokan on March 1 and 2, making the group the youngest female act at the time to stage a two-day solo run there. Later that year they launched their first world tour, appeared at the Sonisphere Festival in the United Kingdom and supported Lady Gaga on five dates of her North American artRAVE tour.

BABYMETAL’s international growth accelerated with the release of METAL RESISTANCE in 2016. The album reached No. 39 on the Billboard 200, placing a Japanese artist in the US chart’s Top 40 for the first time in more than five decades. On April 2, BABYMETAL became the first Japanese artist to headline a solo concert at Wembley Arena, and the year’s world tour concluded with two sold-out nights at Tokyo Dome attended by approximately 110,000 people.

In December 2017, BABYMETAL staged LEGEND - S - Baptism XX at Hiroshima Green Arena in Suzuka’s home prefecture as a celebration of her twentieth birthday. The shows became a particularly significant chapter in SU-METAL’s history, bringing one of BABYMETAL’s largest productions to the place where her career had begun.

Following YUIMETAL’s departure in October 2018, BABYMETAL entered another transitional period centered on SU-METAL and MOAMETAL. In 2019, rotating support dancers known as the Avengers restored the group’s three-person stage formation without immediately introducing a permanent third member. That year BABYMETAL released METAL GALAXY, which debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and became their highest-charting US album to that point.

In 2021, SU-METAL and MOAMETAL marked BABYMETAL’s tenth anniversary with 10 BABYMETAL BUDOKAN, a series of ten concerts held at Nippon Budokan between January and April. The group subsequently entered the period described through its official lore as the sealing of BABYMETAL’s live activities.

BABYMETAL returned to the stage with BABYMETAL RETURNS – THE OTHER ONE at Makuhari Messe in January 2023. Following the release of the concept album THE OTHER ONE, BABYMETAL BEGINS – THE OTHER ONE was held at Pia Arena MM on April 1 and 2. The concerts completed the project’s restoration story and formally introduced MOMOMETAL, formerly Avenger Momoko Okazaki, as the third member alongside SU-METAL and MOAMETAL. Later that year the renewed trio released “METALI!!” featuring Tom Morello.

The new three-member era expanded further through extensive international touring and collaborations. In May 2024, BABYMETAL and German band Electric Callboy released “RATATATA,” followed by further global touring and festival appearances.

In 2025, BABYMETAL celebrated its fifteenth anniversary while reaching several new career milestones. On May 30, the group performed a sold-out headline show at The O2 in London, becoming the first Japanese group to hold a solo concert at the arena. Their fourth official album, METAL FORTH, was released on August 8 and debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, making BABYMETAL the first Japanese group to reach the chart’s Top 10.

The METAL FORTH era continued into 2026 with LEGEND - METAL FORTH at Saitama Super Arena and another extensive international touring cycle. As SU-METAL, Suzuka remains BABYMETAL’s lead vocalist and one of its two members present since the group’s creation in 2010, alongside MOAMETAL, with the current official lineup completed by MOMOMETAL.

Career timeline

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.

• Actors School Hiroshima – Suzuka Nakamoto graduate profile↗
• Amuse BABYMETAL profile↗
• BABYMETAL official biography↗
• Sakura Gakuin official graduates archive↗
• Sakura Gakuin official history↗
• Sakura Gakuin – BABYMETAL continuation after Suzuka's graduation↗
• Sakura Gakuin – Suzuka Nakamoto graduation photobook / graduation date↗
• Natalie – Karen Girl's debut / Over The Future↗
• Natalie – Karen Girl's artist profile↗
• Natalie – Karen Girl's MY WINGS↗
• Natalie – Karen Girl's Fly To The Future↗
• BABYMETAL – LEGEND - S - BAPTISM XX / SU-METAL 20th birthday↗