After years of portraying herself as a childlike, Lolita-esque character, alternative pop artist Melanie Martinez is ascending into a new portal with the release of her third studio album, “Portals.”
In this latest era in her career, the Cry-Baby has moved on from one muse to another, now being a four-eyed pinkish-purple fairy creature that makes Martinez completely unrecognizable. But what doesn’t go unrecognizable is her unique voice, which remains recognizable. Her music style has somewhat evolved alongside her new alien persona, consisting of a more hyper-goth pop sound. The sound is more aggressive than the previous simplistic lullaby type of music she was making before.
The opening song, “DEATH,” represents the death of her previous character. “I’m back from the dead,” she repeats consistently throughout the song’s chorus, insinuating her return following a long hiatus. Just from this first song, it’s easy to tell that this new persona comes with a different sound as her vocals become subtly autotuned and the instrumentation is heavier and more alternative than before.
Martinez has made a persona change that has combined qualities as Bjork's recent album "Fossora," Lady Gaga's Grammy egg entrance, and Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" redemption arc, as seen in her music video for "DEATH." This killing of one's persona isn't new nor unexpected, but what is uncommon is her new look, which has your eyes in disbelief.
Several other songs hint at her previous, now-deceased persona. "VOID," the second track off the album, has an emphasis on the lyric "I hate who I was before." The song consists of other, more gruesome lyrics detailing the death of her previous self, like "bloody like a body that has died and it's myself." It indicates that this change, though detrimental, was important for her to grow as a person and a musician.
Other lyrics can be seen as a nod to her ex-boyfriend and fellow musician, Oliver Tree. Songs like "MOON CYCLE" and "EVIL" consist of savage lyrics involving the toxicity of their relationship together. In "EVIL," she sings, "Crack your head like an egg, wanna see the yolk / you were such a hoax." In "MOON CYCLE," she possibly makes a reference to some of Tree's lyrics, where Tree sang in his song " revival," "Like each brick on my pyramid / I'm angry and bloody like a btch on her period." Compare this to Martinez's new song, where she gives her rebuttal, "Matter of fact, right now, I could build a pyramid / You messin' with my cycle, that is dangerous."
While several instrumental differences and improvements exist, the album still filters in some of Martinez's signature musicality. "Tunnel Vision" contains a string backing track that sounds like one off of her debut album "Cry Baby." Though the singer wants you to believe that her old Melanie Martinez is dead, there is still a part of her lingering on.
She truly embraces her contemporary fairy persona as you can quite literally hear her new set of wings flapping at the end of "LIGHT SHOWER" The true metamorphosis is shown audibly apart from the visual theatricality.
As for the structure of the album, the transitions between songs are notable when listening from start to finish, with much effort placed to flow from one song to the next. The whole album then comes full circle, as seen through the first and last seconds of the album, where the words "Death is life is death is life" open up "DEATH." The words "Life is death is life is death" ends the finale song "WOMB." This overarch of Martinez's death to her eventual rebirth is to let it be known that she is truly done with her past self and guiding listeners to her new life.
Though the album is making heavy decisions, the music as a whole doesn't match its energy. Some of the songs start to feel convoluted after a while, particularly in the album's middle section, lacking resonating or memorable sounds. Most of the lyricism revolves around bodily damage, largely exhibited in "THE CONTORTIONIST," where grotesque words like "blood," "wounds," and "bones" are featured consistently throughout the album. Thematically, it's fair for all of the songs to come together, but when every song includes these somewhat distressing words, it eventually gets harder and harder to listen to.
Overall, the attention Martinez is gaining for her new look is gathering mixed emotions, but because she has years of hatred due to her old childlike persona, this new change in her presence is both compelling but also necessary. Not only has she physically evolved, but her music has as well. However, there is still a great deal of evolving to do. Plainly put, the old Melanie Martinez can't come to the phone right now, but this odd pink, four-eyed fairy spectacle might be able to.
lh129720@ohio.edu
