Melanie Martinez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melanie Martinez
Melanie Martinez performing on her K-12 Tour in 2019
Born	Melanie Adele Martinez (1995-04-28) April 28, 1995 (age 30) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Years active	2012–present
Musical career
Genres	Pop alternative pop electropop art pop art rock
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Labels	Atlantic
Associated acts	Emily Warren Kinetics & One Love Michael Keenan
Signature

Melanie Adele Martinez (born April 28, 1995) is an American singer and songwriter. She was born in Astoria, Queens, and grew up in Baldwin, New York. Melanie became famous in 2012 after being on season 3 of the TV show The Voice.

After the show, she signed with Atlantic Records. She released her first song "Dollhouse". Then came her first EP (Extended Play) called Dollhouse in 2014.

Melanie later released her first full album, Cry Baby (2015). This album sold very well and was certified double platinum. It included popular songs like "Pity Party", "Soap", and "Mrs. Potato Head". She has since released two more albums: K–12 (2019) and Portals (2023).

Melanie is known for her unique look, including her colorful two-toned hair and bangs. Her visual style is a big part of her music videos and live shows. She often uses a doll-like appearance with babydoll dresses and expressive faces.

Melanie Martinez's Early Life

Melanie Adele Martinez was born on April 28, 1995, in Astoria, Queens. Her parents, Mery and Jose Martinez, are from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. When Melanie was four, her family moved to Baldwin, New York, on Long Island.

Growing up, she listened to artists like Brandy, Britney Spears, Shakira, The Beatles, and Christina Aguilera. She wanted to be a singer from a young age.

Melanie went to Plaza Elementary School. She credits her teacher, Mr. Nadien, for teaching her how to sing. In kindergarten, Melanie started writing poetry. She says she had few friends and stayed home a lot because she was "very emotional." She found it hard to explain her feelings and would cry when she felt overwhelmed. She also enjoyed photography and painting. Because she was so emotional as a child, people sometimes called her a "cry baby." This nickname later inspired the main character of her first album, Cry Baby.

At age fourteen, Melanie taught herself to play guitar. She learned by looking at chord diagrams of songs she liked online. She wrote her first song by adding her poetry to a chord diagram. Melanie graduated from Baldwin High School.

Melanie Martinez's Music Career

Starting Out: The Voice and Dollhouse EP (2012–2014)

In 2012, while in high school, Melanie took part in the MSG Varsity Talent Show. This was a televised singing competition. She sang "Money (That's What I Want)" and "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)". She was eliminated in the second round.

Martinez (right) with Terry McDermott (left) in 2013, during The Voice

Melanie then auditioned for the third season of The Voice. She had never watched the show before. Her first audition was an open call at Javits Center. She remembers that her mom's car broke down on the way, and they had to get a taxicab to make it. Months later, she found out she made it to the "second round." After several more callbacks, she was chosen to audition on the show.

Melanie sang Britney Spears's "Toxic" for her televised audition. Three of the four judges (Adam Levine, CeeLo Green, and Blake Shelton) wanted her on their team. Melanie chose Adam Levine as her coach.

In the Battle Round, Melanie sang "Lights" with Caitlin Michele. Melanie won and moved on. In the Knockout Round, she sang "Bulletproof". Her coach, Adam Levine, chose her to move to the Live Rounds.

During the Live Rounds, Melanie performed songs like "Hit the Road Jack" and "Seven Nation Army". Her performances of "Seven Nation Army" and "Too Close" were so popular that they reached the top 10 on iTunes. This meant her votes were multiplied by ten.

Melanie was eliminated in week five by audience vote. She said, "I never expected to get this far. I'm just so glad I got to express who I am as an artist and really touch people's hearts because that was the ultimate goal."

     – Studio version of performance reached the top 10 on iTunes

After The Voice, Melanie started writing her own music in 2013. She released her first song, "Dollhouse," on February 9, 2014. She said the song's story was like Edward Scissorhands. It's about a "perfect home" where people hide their problems behind a facade of wealth. Melanie also made a music video for "Dollhouse." Her fans helped fund it, and her friends did the hair, makeup, and filming. The song was produced and co-written by Kinetics & One Love.

On April 7, 2014, Melanie signed with Atlantic Records. She released her first EP, Dollhouse, on May 19, 2014. The song "Carousel" from the EP became popular. It reached number nine on the Alternative Digital Songs chart and was certified gold. It was also used in a preview for the TV show American Horror Story: Freak Show. Melanie promoted the EP with her Dollhouse Tour from June 2014 to March 2015.

Cry Baby, K–12, and Portals (2015–Present)

Martinez performing in 2015 on the Cry Baby Tour

On June 1, 2015, Melanie released "Pity Party." This song used a sample from Lesley Gore's "It's My Party." Her next single was "Soap," which reached number twelve on the Alternative Digital Songs chart. The third single, "Sippy Cup," came out on July 31.

Her first album, Cry Baby, was released on August 14, 2015. It was well-received and debuted at number 6 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified Platinum in 2017. Melanie went on the Cry Baby Tour from 2015 to 2017 to promote the album.

In May 2016, Melanie released her second EP, Pity Party, in Ireland, Mexico, and the UK. A month later, she announced she was working on her second album. In November 2016, she released her third EP, Cry Baby's Extra Clutter. This was a vinyl release of bonus songs from Cry Baby and a Christmas song called "Gingerbread Man."

In October 2016, Melanie released a commercial for her perfume, Cry Baby Perfume Milk. She said the idea for the perfume came to her while finishing Cry Baby. Her record label, Atlantic, directly distributed the perfume. This made them the first record label to distribute a fragrance. Melanie also worked with Lime Crime, Inc. to release two special lipsticks: "Cry Baby" (blue) in August 2015 and "Teddy Bear" (brown) in March 2016.

On May 15, 2019, Melanie released a teaser for her second album, K–12. It came out on September 6, 2019, and reached number 3 on the Billboard 200. The album came with a musical fantasy horror film, which Melanie wrote and directed. She hinted that there would be more sequels and visual albums in the future. The K–12 Tour started on October 13, 2019, but ended early in February 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In January 2020, Melanie announced an EP called After School. It was planned as a deluxe version of K–12. On February 10, 2020, she released "Copy Cat," featuring Tierra Whack. This was Melanie's first song with another artist. She later released "Fire Drill" on June 26, 2020, which was in the credits of the K–12 film. These songs were not on After School, which was delayed and released on September 25, 2020.

In April 2020, "Play Date" became one of the top 100 most-played songs on Spotify in the US. It became very popular on TikTok. In 2021, Melanie was featured on Forbes' Under 30 list.

Martinez performing in 2023

On February 18, 2023, Melanie teased her third album, Portals. It was released on March 31, 2023. The songs "Death" and "Void" were released as singles. They charted on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her first original songs to appear there. She started the Portals Tour in May 2023. Melanie was nominated for a VMA for Best Visual Effects for her "Void" music video.

In November 2023, Melanie launched Portals Perfume. This collection of four fragrances was made with Flower Shop Perfumes. The perfumes come in a special bottle shaped like Melanie's four-eyed "Cry Baby" character.

Since the album's release, three more music videos have come out: "Tunnel Vision" in December 2023, "Faerie Soirée" in February 2024, and "Light Shower" in May 2024.

Melanie Martinez's Artistry

Musical Style and Themes

Melanie Martinez's music is often called pop, alternative pop, art pop, electropop, emo pop, and dark-pop. Her first two albums, Cry Baby and K-12, also have elements of hip hop and R&B.

Melanie's songs usually tell stories based on her own experiences. She describes her music as "very dark and honest." She also says it has "hip hop/trap inspired beats with creepy nostalgic childlike sounds such as baby pianos, music boxes, and toys."

The Guardian described her music as "off-kilter, sweary electropop." Rolling Stone called her songs "twisted lullabies about love, danger and madness." They compared her music to The Dresden Dolls and Lana Del Rey. Jon Pareles of The New York Times said her music mixes "prettily tinkling keyboards and concise pop choruses" with "slow, ominous basslines and twitchy percussion of Southern hip-hop." He called her voice "whispery, sardonic, tearful, [and] furious."

Melanie's character, Cry Baby, who is the main character of her first album, is like a "fairy tale" version of herself.

Influences on Her Work

Melanie Martinez has said that the Beatles, Neutral Milk Hotel, Feist, Kimbra, Zooey Deschanel, Regina Spektor, and CocoRosie have influenced her music. Specific albums that inspired her include The Idler Wheel... by Fiona Apple and Ariana Grande's albums Yours Truly and My Everything. She says the strong hip-hop influence in her music comes from her father, who often played hip-hop music at home when she was a child.

The visuals in Melanie's music videos are inspired by her favorite artists: Mark Ryden, Aleksandra Waliszewska, and Nicoletta Ceccoli. She also named Tim Burton as a big influence. She has said that making a movie with him would be her "one dream."

Melanie Martinez's Music Albums

Studio albums

• Cry Baby (2015)
• K–12 (2019)
• Portals (2023)

Melanie Martinez's Film and TV Work

Films

Television Shows

Web Series

Melanie Martinez's Concert Tours

Headlining Tours

• Dollhouse Tour (2014–2015)
• Cry Baby Tour (2015–2017)
• K–12 Tour (2019–2020)
• Portals Tour (2023–2024)
• The Trilogy Tour (2024)

Supporting Tours

• Lindsey Stirling – Music Box Tour (2015)
• Adam Lambert – The Original High Tour (2016)

Melanie Martinez's Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Melanie Martinez's Signature