Metallica React To Japanese Pop Artist Covering 'Enter Sandman'

A Japanese singer who took an unconventional approach to covering "Enter Sandman" is getting praise straight from Metallica.

Metallica Covered Twice During Music Festival in Japan

Japan's annual Summer Sonic music festival has been gathering acts from around the globe for the better part of 25 years now. The current format of the fest features a similar lineup of artists performing on separate days in both Osaka and Tokyo.

Among the headliners for this year's Summer Sonic was Ado, a 23-year-old Japanese pop singer. And while her music has amassed hundreds of millions of plays on streaming platforms, it was her choice of cover song that may have created the most buzz in the U.S. following the fest.

Ado opened her set in Tokyo by playing a cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman"

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As seen in the above clips, Ado's Metallica cover clearly hit with the Summer Sonic crowd in Tokyo. She brought it back a second time the following night in Osaka when she closed her set with the cover.

How Metallica Responded to Ado's 'Enter Sandman' Cover

Count Metallica among those who took notice of Ado's "Enter Sandman" covers during Summer Sonic.

The band's official X account responded to a post by the singer that had highlighted her performance, saying they were "blown away."

Watching younger generations find their way to our music never gets old... It's one of the best parts of doing this. But we've never seen it done quite like Ado just did it. Opening AND closing Summer Sonic with 'Enter Sandman'?! We're blown away. Thank you!

Ado later replied that it was "huge" that the band reached out to her.

"Your music transcends time, country, gender – everything! We draw so much strength from your music! It's truly an honor. Thank you so much."

Other Unexpected Artists Who Have Covered Metallica's 'Enter Sandman'

"Enter Sandman" has a way of popping up on setlists when you least expect it.

Maybe it's the immediately recognizable guitar riff or the slow build into an explosion of sound, but artists of all music genres seem enamored with using the Metallica song to rile up their crowds. Here are some notable times "Enter Sandman" has been covered by unexpected acts.