The quirky, easily recognizable star has been performing for her fans since 2012, but what was her first song?
Melanie Martinez’ first song was titled Dollhouse, and was her debut single that she released in 2014. The track itself was recorded in 2013.
Read on to learn more about Melanie Martinez’ musical history.
Songstress In New York
When Melanie Martinez burst onto the scene in 2012, it was with a strange style. The artist, dubbed the “Emo-Pop Queen” looked, sounded and behaved in an atypical way. She had her own unique style, and her lyrics were very raw, candid and often open for interpretation.
Reportedly, she’d been penning lyrics and poetry since a very young age. When she was in kindergarten, she picked up a pen and began writing. She’s always referenced a troubled childhood, saying that she had very few friends when she was young.
Allegedly, Martinez was an extremely emotional child and teenager. This led to her being bullied on occasion, and served as an inspiration in her later music. In a 2016 video interview, Martinez explained that she was bullied in school.
She talks about how she “dressed kind of weird” and admitted that she “definitely had her own style”. She explains she was insecure and expressed herself through her dress style. This is certainly something that has come across into her adult life. You can see this short interview in the video below.
Her first song, written and recorded in 2013, reflects some of this turmoil. The track, Dollhouse, talks about a dysfunctional family. It serves as the forest song Martinez ever ‘officially’ wrote, and reflects her personality perfectly.
Becoming a Star
Melanie Martinez became known to the public when she appeared on the hit reality show, The Voice. Although she didn’t win, her performances were enough to cement her as a legitimate contender.
Bizarrely, she’s known as one of the most successful candidates to appear on the show. This comes as a strange revelation, considering she wasn’t even one of the top runners up. Her unique brand was enough to generate an eventual career in music.
Her blind audition on The Voice can also be seen on YouTube. She received a substantial grading, with three of four judges ‘turning their chairs’ in response to her star performance. However, she was slightly hurt by one of her key inspirations, Christina Aguilera, not turning her chair.
In high school, she’d taken singing lessons and started playing guitar. These musical tendencies were nurtured by her teachers, given that she was naturally blessed with a wide vocal range. As her music developed, so did her image.
Martinez coined a ‘cartoonish childhood obsession’. In an article in 2015, it’s written that, “Here an attractive woman in her twenties is glorifying early childhood in a way that could be mistaken as sexualization.” Martinez has explained though, that this is just what makes her feel comfortable.
She went on to release two full studio albums by 2020. She’d also headlined three tours, and supported two more with prominent artists. After a few years in a fledgling career, she’d amassed a net worth of around two million dollars.
She’s certainly come a long way. In an interview in 2016, she admitted that she has “anxiety all the time”, and that she needed “to chill more often, I guess.” She explained how she felt nervous before, during, and after shows, having only just got started in the industry.
This article goes on to explore Martinez’s unique brand of creativity. She explains that when she was a child, she was “really in touch with” her emotions. As she grew up, she was able to pour these emotions into music. She’s certainly come a long way since Dollhouse, her 2014 breakout single.