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Cry Baby (Melanie Martinez album) facts for kids

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Cry Baby
Melanie Martinez - Cry Baby (album).png
Studio album by
Released August 14, 2015 (2015-08-14)
Recorded 2013–2015
Genre
Length 46:38
Label Atlantic
Producer
  • Kinetics & One Love
  • Christopher J. Baran
  • Kara DioGuardi
  • Kyle Shearer
  • SmarterChild
  • Babydaddy
  • Frequency
  • Aalias
  • Felix Snow
Melanie Martinez chronology
Dollhouse
(2014)
Cry Baby
(2015)
Pity Party
(2016)
Singles from {{{Name}}}

Cry Baby is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Melanie Martinez. It was released on August 14, 2015, through Atlantic. The album was supported by the release of three singles. Two singles preceded the album's release: lead single "Pity Party", was released on June 2, 2015, while the second single, "Soap", was released on July 10, 2015. The third and final single from the album, "Sippy Cup" was released July 31, 2015. Cry Baby is a visual concept album. Musically, Cry Baby is primarily an alternative pop, electropop, and indie pop record, and received generally positive reviews from critics. In 2021 the album was certified double platinum, after earning 2 million album-equivalent units (sales, streaming, and track sales).

Background and production

Martinez had an extended play completely done around 2013, which she began recording soon after she was eliminated from The Voice and was ready to put it out. However, after creating her song "Dollhouse" in September 2013, she decided not to release the aforementioned extended play. She began conceptualizing her debut album, which differed from the sound of the 2013 EP. In May 2014, Melanie put out her Dollhouse EP, and announced that summer that she hoped to have her album out around October. When October came, Melanie released the video for "Carousel" and postponed her release date for her album, and stated that she hoped to have it out in spring. That spring, Kinetics & One Love announced that all of the vocals for Melanie's album were finished, and Melanie officially announced that her album would be titled Cry Baby. Melanie began teasing some titles for tracks. The first single was "Pity Party" and was confirmed on May 27, 2015. The music video was accidentally leaked by Melanie herself on May 29, but she later tweeted that she was happy and excited for the fans who had seen it and promised there was "more to come" during her live stream on June 1. It was officially released on the day of the live stream. During the live stream, Martinez announced that the release day of Cry Baby would be in August. The second single, "Soap", was confirmed in late June, and it was announced soon before it was to be released on July 10. It leaked a day earlier. The one-shot music video came out the same day.

On July 16, the album art and release date were leaked on Amazon, although the release date was false. On July 17, the album art was officially revealed, and merchandise bundles were available to pre-order on Martinez's website, with the digital pre-order on July 24. Before the 24th, the track list of the album was leaked, although the websites that leaked it replaced "Tag, You're It" with "Jump Rope" and "Play Date" with "Half Hearted". The track list was officially revealed on the 24th with the pre-order. Starting on July 27, Melanie released a snippet of each song (apart from the ones on the deluxe edition) on her Instagram page. On July 28, Melanie released the snippet for "Sippy Cup" and announced that it would be released on July 31. On July 30, Spin premiered the video, and "Sippy Cup" was released the day after. The album was released on August 14. The CD was packaged as a storybook, with jewel case CDs available later. Both a picture disk and a standard black vinyl were released in the future. Cassettes were then released, advertised as being in yellow, blue, and pink. There is also a less common green cassette. All physical copies of the album are the standard explicit, with the deluxe and clean being digital exclusives.

Concept

The album is about a character, named Cry Baby, a fantasy version of Martinez when she was a very young child (specifically before she started education), and a representation of her vulnerable and messed-up side. Martinez described Cry Baby as "a child who experiences adult things". She states that many of the things that have happened to Cry Baby are embellished versions of things that have happened in her own life, except the part where Cry Baby gets kidnapped and kills her kidnapper. Each song on the tracklist has a childhood-related title and contains childhood-related metaphors, while the deeper messages being crossed to the listener carry more adult themes and problems. For example, the song "Cry Baby" refers to someone who is teased for openly displaying their emotions (as opposed to an actual baby), and the song "Training Wheels" is actually about taking a relationship to the next level. The storybook available in the pre-order bundle features rhymes and illustrations based on the album, written by Martinez herself.

Release

The album was released on August 14, 2015, by Atlantic Records, through digital download, CD, vinyl, and audio cassette. The vinyl and CD have special packaging, which includes a storybook that follows the album by illustrator Chloe Tersigni. Cry Baby debuted at number 6 on the Billboard 200 with 41,000 units sold in its first week; it also debuted at the top of the Alternative Albums Chart. It was announced on August 2, 2016, that the album had sold 263,050 copies. On February 24, 2017, the album was certified Platinum, having sold 1,000,000 copies in the US.

Singles

"Pity Party" was released as the first single. The music video was released on Vessel by Martinez on May 29, 2015, for early access users. It was then released three days later, on June 1, 2015, on YouTube. It was certified Platinum by RIAA.

"Soap" was released as the second single. It was released on July 10, 2015, along with a music video. It was certified Gold by RIAA. As of the end of 2017, "Soap" became an online trending song on the application TikTok (formerly known as Musical.ly), and a challenge known as the "Soap Challenge" gained speed, which saw users play Martinez's song while using liquid dish soap on makeup wipes to blow a stream of foam with their mouth.

"Sippy Cup" was released as the third single on July 31, 2015, with a music video. It was the darker sequel to the music video of her 2014 single, "Dollhouse".

Other songs

Martinez said in an interview that she would be releasing music videos for all tracks of the album. The song "Training Wheels" had a music video released on November 18, 2015, as a double-feature with a new video for "Soap", but "Training Wheels" was not announced as a single by Martinez. "Alphabet Boy" received a music video on June 2, 2016. A double feature music video for "Tag, You're It" and "Milk and Cookies" was released on August 23, 2016. The song "Pacify Her" had a music video released on November 15, 2016. The song "Mrs. Potato Head" had a music video released on December 1, 2016. The song "Mad Hatter" had its music video released on September 23, 2017, serving as the conclusion to the Cry Baby visual story.

In April 2020, Martinez's song "Play Date", one of the album's deluxe tracks, reached the "Viral 50" songs on Spotify and is subsequently rising on the charts. This resulted from a popular trend on TikTok, where users make an edit of a celebrity with the song playing in the background. Martinez posted on Instagram, addressing the song's success as the "best birthday present ever". On May 1, 2020, the song was certified Gold by RIAA and as of December 8, 2020 the song has been certified Platinum. In an interview with Idolator on May 8, 2020, Martinez revealed plans to record a music video for the song from home.

Track listing

Standard edition
No. Title Producer(s) Length
1. "Cry Baby"   One Love 3:59
2. "Dollhouse"   One Love 3:51
3. "Sippy Cup"   One Love 3:15
4. "Carousel"   One Love 3:50
5. "Alphabet Boy"   One Love 4:13
6. "Soap"   Shearer 3:29
7. "Training Wheels"   Babydaddy 3:25
8. "Pity Party"   Baran 3:24
9. "Tag, You're It"  
  • SmarterChild
  • Mike Miller
3:09
10. "Milk and Cookies"  
  • SmarterChild
  • Michael Keenan
3:26
11. "Pacify Her"   Keenan 3:40
12. "Mrs. Potato Head"   Kinetics & One Love 3:37
13. "Mad Hatter"  
  • Frequency
  • Aalias
3:21
Total length:
46:38

Notes

  • signifies an additional producer.
  • "Pity Party" samples Lesley Gore's "It's My Party", written by Wally Gold, John Gluck, Herb Wiener, and Seymour Gottlieb.

Personnel

Production

  • Jeff Levin – A&R
  • Pete Ganbarg – A&R
  • Anne Declemente – A&R
  • Mitch McCarthy  – mixing on all tracks except "Dollhouse", "Carousel" and "Pity Party" at Owl Foot Ranch
  • Manny Marroquin  – mixing on "Pity Party"
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering
  • JL Brown mixing on "Training Wheels"

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Sales
Canada (Music Canada) Platinum 80,000^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark) Gold Expression error: Missing operand for *.^
Italy (FIMI) Gold 30,000*
Mexico (AMPROFON) 2× Platinum 120,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA) 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Release history

Release dates and formats for Cry Baby
Region Date Format Edition Label Ref.
Various August 14, 2015 digital download standard Atlantic
clean
deluxe
clean deluxe
streaming standard
clean
deluxe
clean deluxe
Argentina CD standard
Canada
United States
Australia September 18, 2015
Europe October 2015
Brazil November 11, 2015
United States November 27, 2015 LP record
Europe
United States picture disc
United Kingdom May 6, 2016 CD HMV exclusive
United States November 11, 2016 LP record Hot Topic exclusive
US & Europe 2016 Cassette tape blue
green
pink
yellow

Cry Baby's Extra Clutter EP

Cry Baby's Extra Clutter EP
Cry Baby's Extra Clutter EP Cover.jpg
EP by
Released November 25, 2016
Recorded 2013–2015
Length 13:51
Label Atlantic
Melanie Martinez chronology
Pity Party EP
(2016)
Cry Baby's Extra Clutter EP
(2016)
K-12
(2019)
Singles from {{{Name}}}

Cry Baby's Extra Clutter EP is the third extended play by American recording artist Melanie Martinez, released on November 25, 2016. The EP is a physical vinyl release and her first EP without a digital release of the three bonus tracks from Cry Baby as well as the limited-release 2015 Christmas single, "Gingerbread Man". The vinyl was only available for purchase via Urban Outfitters and Martinez's website. The EP's cover art was drawn by Chloe Tersigni.

Track listing

Vinyl
No. Title Producer(s) Length
1. "Play Date"  
  • Michael Keenan
  • Jennifer Decilveo
2:59
2. "Teddy Bear"   Snow 4:05
3. "Cake"   Baran 3:19
4. "Gingerbread Man"  
  • Keenan
  • McArthur
3:28
Total length:
13:51

Release history

Release dates and formats for Cry Baby's Extra Clutter
Region Date Format Label Ref.
US & Europe November 25, 2016 LP record Atlantic

Tour

Cry Baby
Tour by Melanie Martinez
Associated album Cry Baby
Start date August 26, 2015
End date April 2, 2017
Legs 9
No. of shows 98 in North America
4 in Oceania
5 in Latin America
17 in Europe
124 in total
Supporting acts
  • Handsome Ghost
Melanie Martinez concert chronology
  • Dollhouse Tour
    (2014–15)
  • Cry Baby Tour
    (2015–17)
  • K-12 Tour
    (2019-20)

Set list

  1. "Cry Baby"
  2. "Dollhouse"
  3. "Sippy Cup"
  4. "Carousel"
  5. "Alphabet Boy"
  6. "Soap"
  7. "Training Wheels"
  8. "Pity Party"
  9. "Tag, You're It"
  10. "Milk and Cookies"
  11. "Pacify Her"
  12. "Mrs. Potato Head"
  13. "Mad Hatter"
Encore
  1. "Play Date"
  2. "Teddy Bear"
  3. "Gingerbread Man"
  4. "Cake"

Shows

List of concerts showing date, city, country, and venue
Date City Country Venue
Leg 1 – North America
August 26, 2015 Charlotte United States Amos' Southend
August 27, 2015 Nashville High Watt
August 29, 2015 Atlanta Vinyl
August 30, 2015 Orlando The Social
September 1, 2015 Raleigh Lincoln Hall
September 2, 2015 Howell Gamechanger World
September 3, 2015 Boston Sinclair
September 9, 2015 Philadelphia World Cafe
September 10, 2015 Hamden College Street Music Hall
September 11, 2015 New York City Highline Ballroom
September 13, 2015 Washington U Street Music Hall
September 14, 2015 Cleveland House of Blues
September 15, 2015 Pittsburgh Stage AE
September 16, 2015 Columbus A and R Music Bar
September 18, 2015 Detroit The Shelter
September 20, 2015 Chicago Lincoln Hall
September 21, 2015 Minneapolis Triple Rock Social Club
September 25, 2015 Tucson The Rock
September 27, 2015 Santa Ana The Observatory
September 28, 2015 West Hollywood Troubadour
September 29, 2015 Santa Cruz The Catalyst
September 30, 2015 San Francisco Great American Music Hall
October 2, 2015 (CANCELLED) Vancouver Canada The Media Club
October 3, 2015 Portland United States Hawthorne Theatre
October 4, 2015 Seattle Chop Suey
October 6, 2015 Denver Larimer Lounge
October 7, 2015
October 9, 2015 Kansas City The recordBar
October 10, 2015 St. Louis Off Broadway
October 12, 2015 Dallas House of Blues
October 15, 2015 New Orleans
October 16, 2015 Birmingham Saturn Birmingham
October 18, 2015 Greensboro Blind Tiger
October 21, 2015 Milwaukee Turner Hall Ballroom
October 22, 2015 Lansing The Loft
October 23, 2015 Grand Rapids The Stache at the Intersection
October 26, 2015 Toronto Canada Virgin Mobile Mod Club
Leg 2 – South America
November 27, 2015 São Paulo Brazil Carioca Club
November 29, 2015 Rio de Janeiro Miranda
Leg 3 - North America
February 21, 2016 Vancouver Canada Vogue Theatre
February 23, 2016 Portland United States Crystal Ballroom
February 25, 2016 San Francisco The Regency Ballroom
February 26, 2016 Los Angeles The Theatre at the Ace Hotel
February 28, 2016 Tempe Marquee Theatre
March 1, 2016 Dallas South Side Music Hall
March 2, 2016 Houston The Ballroom at Warehouse Live
March 3, 2016 Austin Emo's Austin
March 5, 2016 Tampa The Ritz Ybor
March 6, 2016 Lake Buena Vista House of Blues
March 8, 2016 Atlanta Buckhead Theatre
March 9, 2016 Nashville Cannery Ballroom
March 11, 2016 Louisville Mercury Ballroom
March 12, 2016 Indianapolis Old National Centre
March 13, 2016 St. Louis The Pageant
March 15, 2016 Kansas City Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
March 16, 2016 St. Paul Myth
March 17, 2016 Chicago Vic Theatre
March 19, 2016 Milwaukee Riverside Theatre
March 20, 2016 Royal Oak Royal Oak Music Theatre
March 21, 2016 Toronto Canada Danforth Music Hall
March 23, 2016 Montreal Club Soda
March 24, 2016 New York City United States PlayStation Theater
March 26, 2016 Philadelphia Trocadero Theatre
March 28, 2016 Washington 9:30 Club
March 29, 2016 Boston House of Blues
March 31, 2016 Sayreville Starland Ballroom
April 4, 2016 Orlando House of Blues
April 5, 2016 Atlanta Buckhead Theatre
April 7, 2016 Austin Emo's Austin
April 9, 2016 Dallas South Side Music Hall
April 10, 2016 Houston Warehouse Life
April 13, 2016 Tulsa Cain's Ballroom
April 15, 2016 Tempe Marquee Theatre
Leg 4 - Europe
April 27, 2016 London England Heaven
April 29, 2016 Paris France La Maroquinerie
May 2, 2016 Amsterdam Netherlands Melkweg
May 3, 2016 Cologne Germany Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld
May 4, 2016 Hamburg Grünspan
May 7, 2016 London England O2 Forum Kentish Town
Leg 5 - North America
May 13, 2016 Chula Vista United States Sleep Train Amphitheatre
June 11, 2016 Wantagh Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
June 18, 2016 Mansfield Xfinity Center
June 19, 2016 Buffalo Canalside
July 15, 2016 San Francisco Ca Great America
July 16, 2016 Sacramento Ace of Spades
July 21, 2016 Providence Lupos
July 24, 2016 Pittsburgh Stage AE
July 26, 2016 Cleveland House of Blues
July 29, 2016 Columbus Express Live!
July 31, 2016 Montreal Canada Osheaga
August 1, 2016 Portland United States State Theatre
Oceania
August 12, 2016 Auckland New Zealand Power Station
August 14, 2016 Sydney Australia The Big Top at Luna Park
August 16, 2016 Brisbane The Tivoli
August 19, 2016 Perth Astor Theatre
North America
September 19, 2016 Norfolk United States The Norva
September 21, 2016 Richmond The National
September 22, 2016 Washington Echostage
September 25, 2016 Nashville Ryman Auditorium
September 27, 2016 Cincinnati Bogart's
September 29, 2016 Memphis New Daisy Theatre
October 3, 2016 Columbia Jesse Auditorium
October 5, 2016 Little Rock Metroplex
October 7, 2016 Oklahoma City Diamond Ballroom
October 20, 2016 Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium
October 21, 2016 Las Vegas The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
October 24, 2016 Albuquerque Sunshine Theatre
Leg 8 - Europe
November 5, 2016 Lisbon Portugal Aula Magna
November 6, 2016 Madrid Spain Palacio Vistalegre
November 8, 2016 Milan Italy Fabrique
November 9, 2016 Cologne Germany Live Music Hall
November 10, 2016 Munich Muffathalle
November 12, 2016 Prague Czech Republic Lucerna Music Bar
November 13, 2016 Berlin Germany Huxley's
November 15, 2016 Copenhagen Denmark Vega
November 16, 2016 Amsterdam Netherlands Paradiso
November 18, 2016 Zurich Switzerland X-tra
November 21, 2016 London England Eventim Apollo
Leg 9 - South America
March 26, 2017 São Paulo Brazil Autódromo José Carlos Pace
April 1, 2017 Buenos Aires Argentina Hipódromo de San Isidro
April 2, 2017 Santiago Chile Parque O'Higgins

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Cry Baby (álbum) para niños

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Cry Baby (Melanie Martinez album) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.