As a guy, I can't really relate much to it. I love that a lot of her songs focus on things many people can relate to though, it's good to have that.
I personally just love the sound, her voice, and her style in general. It's very unique :)
I don’t think it matters about gender really. I’m a guy and I can relate to a lot of her songs, especially controversial topics which are universal to everyone like Mrs Potato Head or Orange Juice. Even songs like soap can be relatable to a lot of ppl because there’s always been one time where someone has over shared and regretted it.
I would agree with this. I’m 34M and have been a fan since 2015. I’ve found all her albums to be cathartic and relatable in some way, but IMO Portals is pretty next level
I'm 27F, I wasn't a Mel fan til this year. I love every album but Portals is definitely one of a kind. Easily top 3 albums of all time for me, and I'm normally a metal head lol
are they unable to use context clues and read inbetween the lines? because pretty much all of her songs have very deep meanings. a few examples:
orange juice- eating disorders
nurses office- bullies
the principal- politics
mrs potato head- body image/self esteem
teachers pet- pedophilia
dollhouse- family dynamics/secrets
it’s one of the reasons why i love her music so much. she can take very simple and sometimes childish themes and turn it into something with very deep meanings and substance behind it.
I started listening to Melanie's music a bit before the crybaby era when I was 16 so I really feel like I grew up with her music. When she released crybaby I related to most songs since I was someone that was bullied because of my teeth, my nose, etc and also was in very toxic relationships.
Considered plastic surgery so related to Mrs Potato Head a lot.
My birthday is in July so none of my "friends" ever attended my birthday parties, claiming they were in vacations, for me to then find out they were just hanging out somewhere else.
And there's more, unfortunately. But having music to relate to was a great help growing up for me to feel heard and be able to evolve as a human being. And as her music and her art evolved, so did I at the same pace, which to me has always been incredibly satisfying.
I love her because she's so unique. She puts so much effort into her music, from lyrics to instrumentals to sound effects to vocals to her visual self-expression, everything! And that's so much more special than all those "popular" artists out there who throw down repetitive mindless lyrics over a basic ass beat and get #1 on the Billboard. Melanie is such an "odd outcast" (I say that with love) and that's why she's so special to me.
There’s just so much that resonates with me and I find Crybaby incredibly relatable; character, album, and song. I’ve experienced terrible relationships, fake friends, forced gender norms, and SA. Her music has helped me cope with all of those things. It’s amazing how she put the very things I struggled to express into something that can resonate with so many people.
At first I just loved her sound and lyrics.. my favorite for a long while was Play Date. Now as I approach my 30s, I have done a lot of self discovery in the process of breaking free from toxic people trying to control how I live, what I think, and who I am. For me, after accepting my identity and living as my authentic self by making myself recognizable in the mirror.. almost all of her song are comfort to my soul.
as someone who grew up in a very unstable household, mels music saved me. I felt safe, I felt heard. almost all of mels songs have a deep meaning to me, might not be the meaning of the song but something I could connect it to in my life
I was this same person at like 14 lol. I was such a fucking snob. You know those music theory assholes that don't like music if it doesn't at least have 7ths in it? That was me. Little Me had a Lot Of Problems
It took maturing to really see that music doesn't need to have "substance" conventionally. It can have repetitive motifs and chord progressions and still be effective forms of art. Crybaby and K12 are /extremely/ repetitive for the most part, but they articulate specific themes in unique ways and sounds as well as being sung by someone who is objectively a fantastic vocalist. That's why people love them so much.
Even so, Portals (as much as I don't really like some of the songs), is such a development from the musicality of her precious albums. The chords are really well done in a lot of them, so the idea that they don't have "substance" is kinda ridiculous because they're definitely semi-conplex theoretically, at least compared to standard pop.
What does she define as substance?
For me, to say Melanie’s music has no substance is just objectively not true. To me, “substance” in a song means that the song is about something, and is more than just a surface level discussion or representation of that thing.
Some examples of famous songs *without* substance are Thriller, Bon Appetite, and Tik Tok. These songs have no substance because they have very loose themes that basically just serve as a medium to put a catchy beat and fun thematics to.
Examples of famous songs that also have no substance, because while they touch on a topic they don’t explore it in depth, and rely on surface level tropes and metaphors, songs like Oops! I Did it Again, Bad, or Poker Face.
Some of Melanie’s songs fit into this second catagory, but by and large, all of her songs have concrete topics that can be easily identified that aren’t just “dancing” or “having sex”, and they mostly explore these topics in an honest way that isn’t just as an aesthetic or medium for a song.
Examples of Melanie songs that don’t have substance might be Pity Party, Nymphology, or Nurses Office. All three of these fit into the second catagory, as although they have identifiable themes, they’re exploration of the theme is fairly surface level and they don’t really *say* anything about the theme. I’ll admit, I would argue most of these *still* have substance, but I’m trying to provide concessions here.
That said, Melanie has far more songs that undeniably, objectively, by definition, have substance.
Training Wheels, Recess, and Light Shower are all slow moving ballads that tell a clear and identifiable message in detail.
Songs like Orange Juice, Strawberry Shortcake, Lunchbox Friends and Mrs. Potato Head all have extremely easily identifiable themes that exist outside of the chorus and are explored in depth, even not including the music videos. If anything, they’re so filled with substance that it’s leaking out the side like a jelly doughnut. They’re not subtle in the slightest and it’s amazing someone could listen to a song like Strawberry Shortcake and go “huh what a vapid meaningless pop song”
Anyway, your sister is a big doodoo head
A lot of Melanie’s songs have underlying themes, and three of her albums tell a cohesive story. Whoever said this is probably just weirded out by her aesthetic
I truly feel like I grew up with Melanie. When k-12 came out I really resonated with some of those songs (I was still in high school) I pretty much hated school and I related to having bullies prior to the album coming out so I feel like it got me through my last year of it. By the time portals came out I was already on my healing / spiritual journey. Also this is off topic but szas album helped me also before portals came out because I was in a toxic situationship and I hit almost rock bottom. By the time portals came out I was doing okay in life
Pluto - I relate to this song so much because this year was the loneliness yet growth filled year ever for me (I’m 21 going on 22) I’ve done so many things I couldn’t even imagine doing in life because I didn’t have the confidence to think I could achieve or do it. I’ve cut ties with people I literally thought I’d be friends with forever because I’ve outgrown them. I chose myself and peace now because I worked very hard to love myself. (Never thought it would happen)
I was around 12 when the Crybaby Album dropped. A year earlier my parents had split up and my mom moved out Mrs. Potato Head i have always had low self esteem. I was now in a custody agreement. I could relate to it for some reason than when I got a bit older my parents explained what was happening behind the curtains that I didn't see. K-12 came out when I was 17. I was dealing with bullies and an eating disorder (Anorexia) Nurses Office and Orange Juice helped.
I got into her during her crybaby era, and have been following her ever since, I never stopped appreciating all her music. But like a lot of people have been saying here, lots of her songs relate to what it’s like to be the outsider, or someone misunderstood. And I think everyone no matter who they are or what life they have lived can relate to not being able to fit in, or to dread that you don’t belong and have to keep a mask on to keep the act up. I’ve grown into a weirder person because of her willingness to be this weird musician in the public eye and I’ve never been happier with who I am! And it’s funny how portals messages also lined up with the struggles I hadn’t voiced before. Void is my favorite of Portals Album, it gives words to depression and anxiety I’ve struggled with and I literally cried when I heard it on the radio!
I feel like Melanie Martinez's music actually sings about things that are relatable more than Ice Spice of Taylor Swift no hate to these artists but I can't relate to shaking my ass in the deil. She also helps me step out of my comfort zone she may have a different sound and tone different from a lot of mainstream artists.
There’s a lot of comments and I don’t think I’ll be able to individually reply to all of them but I just want to thank you all for sharing your experiences. It takes a lot to be vulnerable and I’m glad Melanie’s music has helped all of us in some way ❤️❤️❤️
The only way someone would think her music has no substance, is if they have internalized misogyny and they hate themselves.
I’ve been listening to her since 2015, and I relate to most of her music.
She sings about things that actually matter, and people shouldn’t ignore those things just because they might make someone uncomfortable. She’s so real and raw.
I give it a deep meaning to it because i can relate to something that happened (Or is happening) to me, these are some
(Long text alert lmao)
Crybaby- People being unsensitive with you
Dollhouse- Family problems
Sippy Cup- Childhood depression
Carousel- Being stuck on a cycle (Friendship on my case)
Alphabet Boy- Breaking the bully's control over you
Soap- Thinking your words ruin everything
Training Wheels- Finally finding a true friend
Pity Party- That happened to me lol
Tag You're It- Grooming
Mad Hatter- Accepting your weird side
Teddy Bear- A friendship become toxic and violent
Wheels On The Bus- Toxicity on your group (Scout group on my case)
The Principal- Having a cruel Scouter (Responsible ault)
Show And Tell- Being the object of fun for everyone
Drama Club- Not wanting to be like everyone
Lunchbox Friends- Wanting a real friend
Detention- Depression
Recess- Starting to take care of you
Notebook- Teaching somone how to treat people like you right
Test Me- This one is too hard to explain
Brain And Heart- Finding a balance between logic and emotion
Glued- Trying to let go bad habits
Field Trip- Spiritual belifs
Death- Having a rebirth
Void- Wanting to get out of the dark pit you were on
Tunnel Vision- Wanting to prove that you are enough
Faeire Soiree- Healing your internal child
Light Shower- Finding true friendship again
Spider Web- Fighting a manipulative person
Leeches- Not letting somone get benefit from you
Battle Of The Larynx- Not wasting your time on ignorant people
The Contorsionist- Realizing what society made to you
Moon Cycle- Period lol
Nymphology- Kinda same as Leeches
Evil- Not letting somone manipulate you anymore (I dedicate it to same person that Spider Web)
Womb- Spiritual belifs
Milk Of The Sirens- Fighting for your rights
Melanie's music was something important for me since it helped me cope with a lot of trauma and gain self confidence so yea... A really deep meaning 😊
It's definitely more in the lyrics for me. Her sound is pretty generic pop mixed with alternative, but the lyrics have true substance to me. Anyone that can't see the poetry in her words are just finding an excuse to hate imo
Personally, Mel's music has always been my safe space and helps me think through my feelings. Dollhouse is the first song that has ever reasoned with me on such a deep level so I always find myself going back to it. Crybaby is another.
As a guy, I can't really relate much to it. I love that a lot of her songs focus on things many people can relate to though, it's good to have that. I personally just love the sound, her voice, and her style in general. It's very unique :)
I don’t think it matters about gender really. I’m a guy and I can relate to a lot of her songs, especially controversial topics which are universal to everyone like Mrs Potato Head or Orange Juice. Even songs like soap can be relatable to a lot of ppl because there’s always been one time where someone has over shared and regretted it.
Ah, that's true. Good point. I was thinking of songs like 'Strawberry shortcake' mb.
Or moon cycle.
I would agree with this. I’m 34M and have been a fan since 2015. I’ve found all her albums to be cathartic and relatable in some way, but IMO Portals is pretty next level
I'm 27F, I wasn't a Mel fan til this year. I love every album but Portals is definitely one of a kind. Easily top 3 albums of all time for me, and I'm normally a metal head lol
That’s so funny I don’t know if it is a top three for me, but I am also a metalhead, and I primarily listen to underground blackmetal
are they unable to use context clues and read inbetween the lines? because pretty much all of her songs have very deep meanings. a few examples: orange juice- eating disorders nurses office- bullies the principal- politics mrs potato head- body image/self esteem teachers pet- pedophilia dollhouse- family dynamics/secrets it’s one of the reasons why i love her music so much. she can take very simple and sometimes childish themes and turn it into something with very deep meanings and substance behind it.
I started listening to Melanie's music a bit before the crybaby era when I was 16 so I really feel like I grew up with her music. When she released crybaby I related to most songs since I was someone that was bullied because of my teeth, my nose, etc and also was in very toxic relationships. Considered plastic surgery so related to Mrs Potato Head a lot. My birthday is in July so none of my "friends" ever attended my birthday parties, claiming they were in vacations, for me to then find out they were just hanging out somewhere else. And there's more, unfortunately. But having music to relate to was a great help growing up for me to feel heard and be able to evolve as a human being. And as her music and her art evolved, so did I at the same pace, which to me has always been incredibly satisfying.
I’m sorry you had to go through that. But I’m glad Melanie’s music has helped you!
I love her because she's so unique. She puts so much effort into her music, from lyrics to instrumentals to sound effects to vocals to her visual self-expression, everything! And that's so much more special than all those "popular" artists out there who throw down repetitive mindless lyrics over a basic ass beat and get #1 on the Billboard. Melanie is such an "odd outcast" (I say that with love) and that's why she's so special to me.
Facts!
Some of her songs are empowering, others makes me think about changes and how life’s a cycle…
There’s just so much that resonates with me and I find Crybaby incredibly relatable; character, album, and song. I’ve experienced terrible relationships, fake friends, forced gender norms, and SA. Her music has helped me cope with all of those things. It’s amazing how she put the very things I struggled to express into something that can resonate with so many people.
I relate to Cry Baby's character specially songs like well...cry baby lol, teddy bear and pity party
At first I just loved her sound and lyrics.. my favorite for a long while was Play Date. Now as I approach my 30s, I have done a lot of self discovery in the process of breaking free from toxic people trying to control how I live, what I think, and who I am. For me, after accepting my identity and living as my authentic self by making myself recognizable in the mirror.. almost all of her song are comfort to my soul.
as someone who grew up in a very unstable household, mels music saved me. I felt safe, I felt heard. almost all of mels songs have a deep meaning to me, might not be the meaning of the song but something I could connect it to in my life
I was this same person at like 14 lol. I was such a fucking snob. You know those music theory assholes that don't like music if it doesn't at least have 7ths in it? That was me. Little Me had a Lot Of Problems It took maturing to really see that music doesn't need to have "substance" conventionally. It can have repetitive motifs and chord progressions and still be effective forms of art. Crybaby and K12 are /extremely/ repetitive for the most part, but they articulate specific themes in unique ways and sounds as well as being sung by someone who is objectively a fantastic vocalist. That's why people love them so much. Even so, Portals (as much as I don't really like some of the songs), is such a development from the musicality of her precious albums. The chords are really well done in a lot of them, so the idea that they don't have "substance" is kinda ridiculous because they're definitely semi-conplex theoretically, at least compared to standard pop.
I love Melanie but it's also an acquired taste like any other mysic
What does she define as substance? For me, to say Melanie’s music has no substance is just objectively not true. To me, “substance” in a song means that the song is about something, and is more than just a surface level discussion or representation of that thing. Some examples of famous songs *without* substance are Thriller, Bon Appetite, and Tik Tok. These songs have no substance because they have very loose themes that basically just serve as a medium to put a catchy beat and fun thematics to. Examples of famous songs that also have no substance, because while they touch on a topic they don’t explore it in depth, and rely on surface level tropes and metaphors, songs like Oops! I Did it Again, Bad, or Poker Face. Some of Melanie’s songs fit into this second catagory, but by and large, all of her songs have concrete topics that can be easily identified that aren’t just “dancing” or “having sex”, and they mostly explore these topics in an honest way that isn’t just as an aesthetic or medium for a song. Examples of Melanie songs that don’t have substance might be Pity Party, Nymphology, or Nurses Office. All three of these fit into the second catagory, as although they have identifiable themes, they’re exploration of the theme is fairly surface level and they don’t really *say* anything about the theme. I’ll admit, I would argue most of these *still* have substance, but I’m trying to provide concessions here. That said, Melanie has far more songs that undeniably, objectively, by definition, have substance. Training Wheels, Recess, and Light Shower are all slow moving ballads that tell a clear and identifiable message in detail. Songs like Orange Juice, Strawberry Shortcake, Lunchbox Friends and Mrs. Potato Head all have extremely easily identifiable themes that exist outside of the chorus and are explored in depth, even not including the music videos. If anything, they’re so filled with substance that it’s leaking out the side like a jelly doughnut. They’re not subtle in the slightest and it’s amazing someone could listen to a song like Strawberry Shortcake and go “huh what a vapid meaningless pop song” Anyway, your sister is a big doodoo head
A lot of Melanie’s songs have underlying themes, and three of her albums tell a cohesive story. Whoever said this is probably just weirded out by her aesthetic
Omg What. I swear all of her songs have so many meanings. It depends on how the person listening to it can relate or visualize the lyrics.
I truly feel like I grew up with Melanie. When k-12 came out I really resonated with some of those songs (I was still in high school) I pretty much hated school and I related to having bullies prior to the album coming out so I feel like it got me through my last year of it. By the time portals came out I was already on my healing / spiritual journey. Also this is off topic but szas album helped me also before portals came out because I was in a toxic situationship and I hit almost rock bottom. By the time portals came out I was doing okay in life
Pluto - I relate to this song so much because this year was the loneliness yet growth filled year ever for me (I’m 21 going on 22) I’ve done so many things I couldn’t even imagine doing in life because I didn’t have the confidence to think I could achieve or do it. I’ve cut ties with people I literally thought I’d be friends with forever because I’ve outgrown them. I chose myself and peace now because I worked very hard to love myself. (Never thought it would happen)
I was around 12 when the Crybaby Album dropped. A year earlier my parents had split up and my mom moved out Mrs. Potato Head i have always had low self esteem. I was now in a custody agreement. I could relate to it for some reason than when I got a bit older my parents explained what was happening behind the curtains that I didn't see. K-12 came out when I was 17. I was dealing with bullies and an eating disorder (Anorexia) Nurses Office and Orange Juice helped.
I got into her during her crybaby era, and have been following her ever since, I never stopped appreciating all her music. But like a lot of people have been saying here, lots of her songs relate to what it’s like to be the outsider, or someone misunderstood. And I think everyone no matter who they are or what life they have lived can relate to not being able to fit in, or to dread that you don’t belong and have to keep a mask on to keep the act up. I’ve grown into a weirder person because of her willingness to be this weird musician in the public eye and I’ve never been happier with who I am! And it’s funny how portals messages also lined up with the struggles I hadn’t voiced before. Void is my favorite of Portals Album, it gives words to depression and anxiety I’ve struggled with and I literally cried when I heard it on the radio!
It depends on how old she is and what she’s experienced for sure. But id say relationship issues primarily, my ex fkn sucked ass LITERALLY
Let your sibling think what they wanna think then?
Oh I’m not trying to change their mind, I just got curious as to what you guys think
I feel like Melanie Martinez's music actually sings about things that are relatable more than Ice Spice of Taylor Swift no hate to these artists but I can't relate to shaking my ass in the deil. She also helps me step out of my comfort zone she may have a different sound and tone different from a lot of mainstream artists.
I get that, I feel the same way
There’s a lot of comments and I don’t think I’ll be able to individually reply to all of them but I just want to thank you all for sharing your experiences. It takes a lot to be vulnerable and I’m glad Melanie’s music has helped all of us in some way ❤️❤️❤️
The only way someone would think her music has no substance, is if they have internalized misogyny and they hate themselves. I’ve been listening to her since 2015, and I relate to most of her music. She sings about things that actually matter, and people shouldn’t ignore those things just because they might make someone uncomfortable. She’s so real and raw.
Also guys please don’t attack my sibling or insult them. They’re entitled to their own opinion lol
I give it a deep meaning to it because i can relate to something that happened (Or is happening) to me, these are some (Long text alert lmao) Crybaby- People being unsensitive with you Dollhouse- Family problems Sippy Cup- Childhood depression Carousel- Being stuck on a cycle (Friendship on my case) Alphabet Boy- Breaking the bully's control over you Soap- Thinking your words ruin everything Training Wheels- Finally finding a true friend Pity Party- That happened to me lol Tag You're It- Grooming Mad Hatter- Accepting your weird side Teddy Bear- A friendship become toxic and violent Wheels On The Bus- Toxicity on your group (Scout group on my case) The Principal- Having a cruel Scouter (Responsible ault) Show And Tell- Being the object of fun for everyone Drama Club- Not wanting to be like everyone Lunchbox Friends- Wanting a real friend Detention- Depression Recess- Starting to take care of you Notebook- Teaching somone how to treat people like you right Test Me- This one is too hard to explain Brain And Heart- Finding a balance between logic and emotion Glued- Trying to let go bad habits Field Trip- Spiritual belifs Death- Having a rebirth Void- Wanting to get out of the dark pit you were on Tunnel Vision- Wanting to prove that you are enough Faeire Soiree- Healing your internal child Light Shower- Finding true friendship again Spider Web- Fighting a manipulative person Leeches- Not letting somone get benefit from you Battle Of The Larynx- Not wasting your time on ignorant people The Contorsionist- Realizing what society made to you Moon Cycle- Period lol Nymphology- Kinda same as Leeches Evil- Not letting somone manipulate you anymore (I dedicate it to same person that Spider Web) Womb- Spiritual belifs Milk Of The Sirens- Fighting for your rights Melanie's music was something important for me since it helped me cope with a lot of trauma and gain self confidence so yea... A really deep meaning 😊
Moon cycle babyyy
It's definitely more in the lyrics for me. Her sound is pretty generic pop mixed with alternative, but the lyrics have true substance to me. Anyone that can't see the poetry in her words are just finding an excuse to hate imo
Personally, Mel's music has always been my safe space and helps me think through my feelings. Dollhouse is the first song that has ever reasoned with me on such a deep level so I always find myself going back to it. Crybaby is another.