It is fair to say that what people do in their spare time may not reflect their day job or what they do for a living. People have been surprising us for centuries, whether it was an unusual talent or a secret love for gambling. So it should also come as no shock to discover that there are many mainstream musicians out there who absolutely adore metal music in their spare time. It may be a total contrast to what they perform on stage, but these musicians love metal.
Ed Sheeran
With his pop tunes, he may be an improbable candidate for a metalhead, but we have it on good authority that ginger crooner Ed Sheeran is a fan of metal, in particular Manson and Korn. The singer has undoubtedly made a name for himself as one of the biggest in the music industry over the last decade, taking centre stage at Glastonbury as well as many other venues across the globe, and recently, he became a father to a beautiful little girl. We wonder whether he might use metal music as a lullaby to send her to sleep.
Justin Bieber
It’s likely that the love does not flow in the other direction, as Justin Bieber is often ridiculed by metal fans for his take on pop music, but he indeed loves the metal. In complete contrast to his recordings, we hear that Bieber Fever is strong when it comes to Iron Maiden and Metallica tunes, which we have to say gives him a great taste. Whether this will change how metal fans view him remains to be seen, but when it comes to chilling out after a long day in the recording studio, it seems as if ‘Nothing Else Matters’ but metal for this pop icon.
Rihanna
Apparently, when she goes under her umbrella, Rihanna is sneaking a cheeky listen to her favourite metal bands, and who can blame her. Her music may not be heavy, but her listening tastes undoubtedly are. She ranks the sounds of Slipknot as one of her favourites, but it doesn’t end there. Her love of Municipal Waste was put on show for all to see as she wore her jacket for one of her own albums cover with a massive logo on the back in tribute to one of her favourite bands. If even more proof is needed, she also spoofed the logo of heavy metal band Sepultura which got fans doubting her commitment, but she just keeps on showing us how much she loves metal.
Demi Lovato
With a career that started in Disney’s cute and cuddly world, it is surprising to learn that Demi Lovato is actually a metal fan. We think it would make an excellent Disney character, perhaps a modern-day Princess, and maybe they could have their show and she could star. She is a fan of Bring Me the Horizon, the Devil Wears Prada, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Job for a Cowboy. These might not be the most mainstream metal bands globally, but they certainly have their loyal following, and we wonder what they will make of this new fan.
Donnie Wahlberg
New Kids on the Block were anything but metal and attracted a screaming horde of young female fans as they became the boy band of the 80s and early 90s. Unfortunately, they didn’t stay together for very long before splitting and going their separate ways. Donnie Wahlberg became a very popular actor and also bought himself a restaurant, as you do. He also has a love of metal music and was seen as a band guest at a periphery show hanging out backstage. Whether he desires to return to the music scene, perhaps in this preferred genre, we do not know, but we can add to the list of mainstream music stars who enjoy their metal music.
The Cardigans
They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, so we can assume that when the Cardigans chose to cover Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, which was initially a hit for none other than Black Sabbath, they were confessing their love of the metal genre. It was actually really good for a cover hit and received a much better review from other metal fans than we could ever have imagined.
Dolly Parton
Now you may not think that the Queen of country would be a fan of metal in any way. Her music is some of the most successful ever recorded, and she has a massive following and a Dollywood mansion for her fans to adore. However, that did not stop her from making a successful cover of the legend that is Stairway to Heaven. It is fair to say that although he made his name in heavy metal music, there are plenty of blue’s roots in Zeppelin’s history, and this gave her an effortless way to put her country slant on this classic hit. Whether we can take this as confirmation that Dolly loves metal, we will leave it up to you to decide.
Britney Spears
From the Queen of country to a pop Princess. Britney Spears successfully released many records during her time in the charts, and these all fall pretty solidly into the teen pop genre. So, it came as quite a surprise when she released a cover of I Love Rock’ N’ Roll originally by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Unfortunately for our Britney, this was not a success and didn’t go down well with her fans or metal fans. Nice try though…
