Pop Singer Melanie Martinez Releases Deluxe Edition of “Portals” and Unveils New Era

Melanie Martinez released the deluxe version of her album PORTALS on April 5. This album is somehow nothing like her past discography, but still stays loyal to what she is most recognizable for, her amazing storytelling. Her lyricism is always chilling and enthralling, which makes this album good.

She dropped the song “DEATH” as a single teasing the new album. The song itself is very catchy and is the perfect beginning of her comeback. Much of Martinez’s music was delayed due to controversy within her career and a lack of funding for many of the films she wants to produce. So it is refreshing to hear Melanie say she is “back from the dead” almost tauntingly, as Martinez has often had to leave public view. Along with that, the tone of this song is much different from past eras, making it even more exciting.

In this era, Martinez has been seen wearing heavy costume makeup that resembles something supernatural. In certain pictures she is wearing fairy wings, and has two sets of eyes. It is a stark contrast from her Crybaby and K-12 era, which was characterized by her wearing childlike clothing and sporting two braids. This was because much of her music was inspired by children’s rhymes and toys. For example, Pacify Her is a play on the word pacifier, similarly Dollhouse and Sippy Cup both take inspiration from children’s items. Martinez uses this source of inspiration to portray her “Crybaby” character’s life.

Martinez has always been creative with her music, and PORTALS is an extension of that. For example, her song “MOON CYCLE” literally discusses her period. This song went viral on TikTok after a dropbox leak. As a result, Martinez altered the song to bring the version that is on her current album. In her song, she addresses the taboo of periods and makes it a symbol of her femininity. She sings “juice melting like raspberry pomegranate” to describe her period. In the chorus she sings, “I don’t gotta act, I’m ethereous, I could win a fight on my period”. Overall, the song seems to address the negative stigma women experience when they are on their period. This is just one of the many examples of how Melanie Martinez’s music is super creative and brings interesting themes to the table.

Overall, PORTALS is an amazing comeback for her and it’s a really unique album. You can listen to it on Spotify and check out her Instagram. Melanie Martinez is coming to 713 Music Hall on Friday, June 16.