Dive into Portals with Melanie Martinez

If there’s one thing about Melanie Martinez’s music you can count on is that she’ll always have a deep and meaningful story to tell. She creates these concept albums that feel like a universe of their own. Portals is the singer/songwriter’s third studio album. The album is essentially about life and death, specifically death and the afterlife. 

This album marks the end of her Crybaby trilogy. This means that her β€œCrybaby” persona is dead and is being reborn in Portals, as this new nymph/alien creature. Martinez hopes that fans listening to the record gives them hope that there is life after death and aims to help people who are grieving. 

Martinez also changes her appearance with prosthetics and special effects makeup. She also seems to be wearing this appearance out in public, like concerts, meet and greets, and parties, which has gotten mixed reviews. Some people just miss her old era and weren’t ready to leave it behind, while others just thought it was straight up creepy. 

I love everything about this album. The transitions, the sound, the bass, the guitar. It’s amazing. I think Portals is her best work yet because of how sonically and lyrically she’s grown.

With this album, she dies but comes back stronger. The pop-punk/rock sound goes amazing with her soothing vocals. The album makes you feel renewed. Every song has a transition that interludes into the next song. Every song you listen to makes you feel like you’re going through the stages of the afterlife.

My favorite track on the album would be β€œVOID”. This song is the first song Martinez has produced fully on her own, and it sounds amazing. I love the drums and the chorus on this song specifically, because of how the rhythm is kept. 

My least favorite track would be β€œTHE CONTORTIONIST”. When I first listened to this song it made me uncomfortable because of the sound of breaking bones Martinez used in this song. You may recognize it due to its popularity on TikTok as a popular makeup/transition trend. I will say it’s phenomenal how she put the detail in this song. It makes me squirm a bit, but I think it’s just cause I don’t like the sound of breaking bones. 

Overall I would say this album is Martinez’s best work yet. The visuals, the costumes, the sound, the instruments, and the detail. Mostly all of the songs are unskippable. When you listen to it, the whole thing feels like you’re in a movie. The transitions after each song leading into the next is amazing. I’m excited for this new era of Martinez. She’s evolving and I’m glad she’s finding her new identity. You can listen to Portals on Apple Music, Spotify, and other music streaming services now.