Melanie Adele Martinez (born April 28, 1995) is an American singer-songwriter born in Astoria, Queens and raised in Baldwin, New York.

Born to Dominican and Puerto Rican parents, Melanie first rose to fame on the Emmy Award-winning TV show The Voice USA at the age of 17. Although she did not win, Melanie was inspired to produce their first single “Dollhouse”, followed by her sophomore single“Carousel” was used in promos for American Horror Story: Freak Show.

Starting her independent career, Melanie signed with Atlantic Records. In 2014, Melanie would release their debut EP Dollhouse, which introduced her alter-ego Cry Baby and would lay the foundation for their first studio album Cry Baby, which debuted August 14, 2015 and featured Kinetics and One Love as its producers.

On December 4, 2017, Melanie would be embroiled in controversy, after singer-songwriter Timothy Heller, a former close friend, accused her of sexual assault and rape. Melanie addressed the accusation, saying that “[Timothy] had never said no to what we chose to do together”, and asserting that Heller’s statements were false. Melanie then took a four-year-hiatus from actively producing music.

On September 6, 2019, Melanie released her second studio album K-12, which was accompanied by her self-directed film of the same name. On September 25, 2020, Melanie released a follow-up EP: After School. On March 31, 2023, Martinez released her third studio album, PORTALS.

Melanie’s dreamy but dark aesthetic and unique style of writing, singing, and story-telling has garnered her an enormous fanbase. On songs like “Mrs. Potato Head” and “Dollhouse” Melanie comments on issues in today’s society, and on other songs like “Alphabet Boy” and “Cry Baby” she gives listeners a relatable glimpse into their personal life.

Melanie cites other alternative artists Lana Del Rey, Regina Spektor, Feist, Fiona Apple, and Marina and the Diamonds as major influences on her music.

In addition to her accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, Melanie also uses Tumblr, YouTube, and her official website to connect with fans.

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