Melanie Martinez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melanie Martinez
Melanie Martinez performing on her The Trilogy Tour in 2024
Born	Melanie Adele Martinez (1995-04-28) April 28, 1995 (age 30) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Years active	2012–present
Height	5 ft 2 in (157 cm)
Musical career
Genres	Pop alternative pop electropop art pop
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 well-known in 2012 after appearing on season 3 of the TV talent show The Voice.

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

Melanie then released her first studio album, Cry Baby, in 2015. This album was very successful and sold millions of copies. It included popular songs like "Pity Party", "Soap", and "Mrs. Potato Head". Since then, she has released two more albums: K–12 (2019) and Portals (2023).

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

Early Life and Beginnings

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

At Plaza Elementary School, her teacher, Mr. Nadien, taught her to sing. Melanie started writing poetry when she was in kindergarten. She was a shy and emotional child who often cried when things felt overwhelming. She also enjoyed photography and painting. Because of her emotional nature, people sometimes called her a "cry baby." This nickname later inspired the main character of her first album, Cry Baby.

When she was fourteen, Melanie taught herself to play the guitar. She learned by looking up chord diagrams of her favorite songs online. She wrote her first song by adding her poetry to one of these chord diagrams. Melanie graduated from Baldwin High School.

Music Career

Starting with The Voice and Dollhouse EP

In 2012, while still in high school, Melanie Martinez took part in the MSG Varsity Talent Show. She sang songs by the Beatles and the Four Tops but was eliminated in the second round.

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

Later that year, Melanie auditioned for the third season of The Voice. She sang Britney Spears's "Toxic". Three of the four judges, Adam Levine, CeeLo Green, and Blake Shelton, wanted her on their team. Melanie chose Adam Levine as her coach.

During the show, Melanie competed in different rounds. She won her Battle Round singing "Lights" and her Knockout Round with "Bulletproof". She moved on to the Live Rounds. Her performances of "Seven Nation Army" and "Too Close" were so popular that they reached the top 10 on iTunes, which helped her get more votes.

Melanie was eliminated in week five of the competition. She said she was happy to have gotten so far and to have shared her art with people.

     – Studio version of performance reached the top 10 on iTunes

After The Voice, Melanie spent 2013 writing her own music. She released her first song, "Dollhouse", on February 9, 2014. She said the song was like Edward Scissorhands, showing that even perfect-looking homes can hide problems. Fans helped fund the music video for "Dollhouse".

On April 7, 2014, Melanie signed with Atlantic Records. Her first EP, Dollhouse, came out on May 19, 2014. The song "Carousel" from the EP became popular and was even featured in a preview for the TV show American Horror Story: Freak Show. She went on the Dollhouse Tour from June 2014 to March 2015 to promote her music.

Cry Baby, K–12, and Portals

Melanie Martinez performing in 2015 on the Cry Baby Tour

On June 1, 2015, Melanie released "Pity Party", which used a sample from Lesley Gore's "It's My Party". Then came "Soap", which also did well on music charts. Her debut album, Cry Baby, was released on August 14, 2015. It was a big success, reaching number 6 on the Billboard 200 chart. Melanie promoted the album with the Cry Baby Tour from 2015 to 2017.

In May 2016, Melanie released another EP called Pity Party. She also started working on her second album. In November 2016, she released Cry Baby's Extra Clutter, which included bonus songs from Cry Baby and a Christmas song called "Gingerbread Man".

Melanie also created her own perfume, Cry Baby Perfume Milk, in October 2016. Her record label, Atlantic, helped distribute it, which was a first for a record label. She also worked with a cosmetics company to release two special lipsticks.

On May 15, 2019, Melanie released a preview for her second album, K–12. The album came out on September 6, 2019, and reached number 3 on the Billboard 200. Along with the album, she released a musical fantasy horror movie that she wrote and directed. Melanie hinted that there might be more movies and albums like this in the future. The K–12 Tour started in October 2019 but ended early in February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In January 2020, Melanie announced an EP called After School. She released a song called "Copy Cat" with Tierra Whack in February 2020. Another song, "Fire Drill", was released in June 2020 and was featured in the K–12 film credits. The After School EP was released on September 25, 2020.

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

Melanie Martinez performing in 2023

On February 18, 2023, Melanie teased her third studio album, Portals. The album was released on March 31, 2023. Songs like "Death" and "Void" from the album appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She started the Portals Tour in May 2023. The music video for "Void" was nominated for a VMA for Best Visual Effects.

In November 2023, Melanie launched Portals Perfume, a collection of four scents. The perfumes come in a special bottle shaped like her four-eyed "Cry Baby" character. Since then, she has released music videos for "Tunnel Vision" (December 2023), "Faerie Soirée" (February 2024), and "Light Shower" (May 2024).

Musical Style and Influences

Melanie Martinez's music has been compared to artists like Lana Del Rey (left) and Lorde (right).

Melanie Martinez's music is often described as pop, alternative pop, art pop, electropop, and dark pop. Her albums Cry Baby and K–12 also have elements of hip hop and R&B. With Portals, she explored more experimental and pop-rock sounds.

The Guardian newspaper described her music as "unique, edgy electropop." Rolling Stone called her songs "twisted lullabies about love, danger and madness." They compared her music to artists like The Dresden Dolls and Lana Del Rey. The New York Times said her music mixes pretty keyboard sounds and pop choruses with slow, strong basslines and quick beats, similar to Southern hip-hop. They also noted her mezzo-soprano voice, which can sound "whispery, sarcastic, tearful, and furious."

Melanie describes her main character, Cry Baby, as a "fairy tale" version of herself. Many of her songs are based on her own experiences. She calls her music "very dark and honest," with "hip hop/trap inspired beats" and "creepy nostalgic childlike sounds" like baby pianos and music boxes.

Growing up, Melanie listened to artists like Christina Aguilera, Brandy, Britney Spears, The Beatles, Tupac Shakur, Shakira, and Biggie Smalls. She always wanted to be a singer.

She has also mentioned Neutral Milk Hotel, Feist, Kimbra, Zooey Deschanel, Regina Spektor, and CocoRosie as influences. 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 often playing hip-hop 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 looks up to director Tim Burton and dreams of making a movie with him.

Discography

Studio Albums

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

Filmography

Film

Television

Web

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)

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Melanie Martinez performing on her The Trilogy Tour in 2024

See also

In Spanish: Melanie Martinez para niños