Martinez, Melanie (1995-…), is an American musician and artist. She is of Dominican and Puerto Rican ancestry. Martinez’s music is a mixture of pop, alternative, and electropop. Electropop is a type of music characterized by electronic sounds, specifically those made by instruments called synthesizers. Martinez uses sounds from music boxes and toys to create a childlike atmosphere in her music. She credits her favorite childhood movies, including Beetlejuice (1988), The Cat in the Hat (2003), Edward Scissorhands (1990), and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), as significant influences in her videos and music.
Melanie Adele Martinez was born on April 28, 1995, in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, a borough (section) of New York City. She started her musical career by competing in the “MSG Varsity Talent Show,” a televised talent competition for high school students. She competed on the television singing contest “The Voice” in 2012. Martinez was chosen to be on the team of the American musician Adam Levine, but she was eliminated late in the season. After the show, Martinez released the single “Dollhouse” in 2014. She also directed a music video for the song. Later in 2014, Martinez signed a recording contract and released her debut EP, Dollhouse. EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album.
In 2015, Martinez released the singles “Pity Party,” “Soap,” and “Sippy Cup.” The video for “Soap” received 30 million views on the video-sharing site YouTube. She released her first album, Cry Baby, in August of 2015. It reached number six on Billboard magazine’s “Billboard 200” chart. The album’s song “Play Date” became her most played song on the music streaming service Spotify, after gaining popularity through the video-sharing site TikTok.
In 2019, Martinez released her second album along with an accompanying musical fantasy horror movie, both titled K-12. She made the film available on YouTube. The album reached number three on the “Billboard 200” chart. In 2020, Martinez released the EP After School. Its song “Copy Cat” features the American rapper Tierra Whack, Martinez’s first musical collaboration. Martinez’s third album, Portals, was released in 2023. It reached number two on the “Billboard 200” chart.
