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
Partner(s)	Mojean Aria (2025–present)
Musical career
Genres	Pop alternative pop electropop art pop
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Labels	Atlantic
Signature

Melanie Adele Martinez, born on April 28, 1995, is a talented American singer and songwriter. She grew up in New York and became famous in 2012 after being on the TV show The Voice. After the show, she signed with Atlantic Records. She released her first song, "Dollhouse," and an EP (a mini-album) called Dollhouse in 2014.

Her first full album, Cry Baby, came out in 2015. It was very popular and included hit songs like "Pity Party," "Soap," and "Mrs. Potato Head." Since then, she has released two more albums: K–12 in 2019 and Portals in 2023.

Melanie is known for her unique style, especially her colorful two-toned hair. Her doll-like look and expressive face are a big part of her music videos and live shows.

Early Life and Creative Beginnings

Melanie Adele Martinez was born on April 28, 1995, in Astoria, Queens, New York. 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.

She went to Plaza Elementary School, where her teacher, Mr. Nadien, taught her to sing. Melanie started writing poetry when she was very young. She was a shy and emotional child who often cried when things felt overwhelming. She also enjoyed photography and painting. Her sensitive nature led others to call her a "cry baby," which later inspired the main character of her first album, Cry Baby.

At 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 these chords. Melanie graduated from Baldwin High School.

Melanie Martinez's Music Career

2012–2014: Rising to Fame with The Voice and Dollhouse

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

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 performed many songs. She won her Battle Round and Knockout Round, moving on to the Live Rounds. Her performances of "Seven Nation Army" and "Too Close" were so popular that they reached the top 10 on the iTunes chart. This meant her public votes were multiplied. Melanie was eliminated in week five of the competition. She shared that she never expected to get so far and was happy to express herself as an artist.

     – Studio version of performance reached the top 10 on iTunes

After The Voice, Melanie started working on her own music. She spent most of 2013 writing songs. Her first single, "Dollhouse," was released on February 9, 2014. She said the song's story is like Edward Scissorhands, showing that even perfect-looking homes can hide secrets. 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. Melanie promoted her EP with the Dollhouse Tour.

2015–2022: Cry Baby, K–12, and After School EP

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 song "It's My Party." This was followed by "Soap" and "Sippy Cup." Her first full album, Cry Baby, was released on August 14, 2015. It was very successful, reaching number 6 on the Billboard 200 chart. Melanie went on the Cry Baby Tour to share her new music.

In 2016, Melanie released two more EPs: Pity Party and Cry Baby's Extra Clutter. She also created her own perfume, Cry Baby Perfume Milk, which was inspired by her album. Melanie also worked with a cosmetics company to release special lipsticks.

On May 15, 2019, Melanie released a teaser 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 film that she wrote and directed. Melanie promoted K–12 with a tour that started in October 2019.

In January 2020, Melanie announced an EP called After School. She released two singles from it, "Copy Cat" and "Fire Drill." The After School EP was released on September 25, 2020. In April 2020, her song "Play Date" became very popular on TikTok. In 2021, Melanie was featured on Forbes' Under 30 list, recognizing her achievements.

2023–2025: Portals Album

On February 18, 2023, Melanie teased her third album, Portals, by archiving her Instagram posts. The album was released on March 31, 2023. It included the singles "Death" and "Void," which both appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Melanie started the Portals Tour in May 2023. She was nominated for a VMA award for Best Visual Effects for her song "Void."

In November 2023, Melanie launched Portals Perfume, a collection of four fragrances. The perfumes came in a unique bottle shaped like her four-eyed "Cry Baby" character. Since the album's release, several music videos have appeared, including "Tunnel Vision" (December 2023), "Faerie Soirée" (February 2024), "Light Shower" (May 2024), "Spider Web" (December 2024), and "Leeches" (March 2025).

2026–Present: Hades Album

On January 22, 2026, Melanie Martinez cleared her social media accounts and website. She also changed her YouTube video thumbnails to black, hinting at new music. A day later, she posted a teaser video for her upcoming fourth album. This teaser introduced a new character named Circle, described as a "new pop star out of 'Hades Tech'." On January 27, Melanie announced the album's first single, "Possession," which was released on January 28. Melanie officially announced her fourth album, Hades, which is set for release on March 27, 2026.

Melanie Martinez's Artistic Style

Musical Style and Themes

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

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

The Guardian newspaper described her music as "unique electropop." Rolling Stone called her music "twisted lullabies" that explore themes of love and imagination. The New York Times noted that her music combines pretty keyboard sounds and catchy pop choruses with slow, strong basslines. They also described her singing voice as "whispery, playful, tearful, and strong."

Melanie describes her main character, Cry Baby, as a "fairy tale" version of herself. Her songs often come from her own experiences. She describes her music as "dark and honest," mixing hip hop beats with playful, childlike sounds like baby pianos, music boxes, and toys.

Musical and Visual Influences

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 mentioned The Beatles, Neutral Milk Hotel, Feist, Kimbra, Zooey Deschanel, Regina Spektor, and CocoRosie as artists who influenced her. Specific albums that inspired her include The Idler Wheel... by Fiona Apple and Ariana Grande's albums Yours Truly and My Everything. She credits her father for playing a lot of hip-hop music at home, which influenced the hip-hop sounds in her own music.

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

Melanie Martinez's Discography

Studio albums

• Cry Baby (2015)
• K–12 (2019)
• Portals (2023)
• Hades (2026)

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

See also

In Spanish: Melanie Martinez para niños