By: Amy Qian

Fortnite, the popular online game known for featuring songs from famous singers like Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande, has added new music in Season 4 from a popular band called Metallica. Fortnite players can not only listen to Metallica’s music but also see them in a virtual concert while playing the game! This brings cool music from the past to a new group of kids.

History of Metallica
Metallica is a heavy metal band that became popular in the 1980s. The band members are James Hetfield (singer and guitarist), Lars Ulrich (drummer), Kirk Hammett (guitarist), and Robert Trujillo (bassist). Some of their most famous songs are “Enter Sandman,” “Master of Puppets,” and “Sad but True.” Their style is a mixture of traditional heavy metal music at the fastest speed, which is called speed metal.

Heavy Metal Music
Heavy metal was developed from rock music in the 1960s and 1970s. It has strong, loud guitar sounds, fast beats, and amazing guitar solos. “’Battery’ is a fast-paced and intense track with powerful riffs, aggressive vocals, and a relentless energy that epitomizes the thrash metal genre,” a Metallica fan said on Quora. Some heavy metal songs are quick and energetic, while others are slow and powerful. Other famous heavy metal bands are Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, and Def Leppard.

Older Artists Become Popular Again
Older artists often become popular again through games and social media. BBC music expert Mark Savage says game creators, who are usually adults, put their favorite old songs into games. This makes these songs viral among kids who play the games.

On apps like TikTok, any catchy song can become viral, no matter how old it is. For example, Taylor Swift’s song “Cruel Summer” became very popular on TikTok last year, even though it was four years old. This shows that good music can be loved by new people many years later.