Melanie Martinez ‘Portals’ Album Review

PORTALS

Melanie Martinez

• Genre: Alternative
• Date: 31 Mar, 2023
• Content: explicit
• Region: NGA
• Track(s): 14
• ℗ 2023 Atlantic Recording Corporation

American singer and songwriter Melanie Martinez explore the ambiguity of life and death with her new album “Portal.” Prepare to be sucked into a world where Melanie takes you by the hand and leads you through dark sounds laced with lyrics that will linger. Yes, that’s the plan.

“Portals” was released as her third studio album on March 31, 2023. It officially marks the end of her two-year-long hiatus. Now, we know what she was working on throughout that time. The famous singer had previously released the “After School EP” in 2020. It served as a deluxe edition for her second studio album, “K-12.”

She reportedly began to archive her Instagram post and hinted at the coming release of the album in February of this year. A 12-sec snippet was released on Spotify to show fans how imminent the release was.

We knew a rebirth had happened when she posted several shots on social media to promote the album. The video of her hatching particularly took fans as a pink, deep sea creature. Of course, Melanie’s creativity on the visual promos proved the album was worth a listen. We must confess that it is. Listening to her on feels like watching a painter bring the unimaginable to life.

Cover Art

We would like to believe that Melanie Martinez let her imagination run wild while creating the concept for this album. The famous singer and songwriter give fans the most visual interpretation of her third album with the cover art and promotional photos shared on social media.

The cover art features her as a mysterious pink creature decorated with flowers and mushrooms. Oh, and there seems to be a portal behind her. It almost looks like she stepped through it and into our world. Her post, “emerging from a prone human form,” explains this. Martinez’s “Portals” cover art shows you what to expect from the album.

Popular Tracks

The release of the “Portals” album was preceded by two singles, “Death” and “Void.” The former was written and produced by Martinez, with CJ Baran co-producing. The album hit number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first charting song since 2012. A music video was released to promote the single. It also charted in the UK, New Zealand, Ireland, and the Australian Heat Seekers chart. “Void” was released two days before the album dropped as the second official single. A few singles, including “Moon Cycle,” “Evil,” and more, have gained praise since the album dropped.

Tracklist & Features

Melanie Martinez’s new “Portals” album houses 13 tracks like her second studio album, “K-12,” released in 2019. It does not include any guest features. She did all the work herself. The album opens with the lead single, “Death,” which almost feels like the first portal into Martinez’s magical fantasies. It is followed by the second single, “Void,” the second album track. The tracks are well positioned, and you’d feel like you were journeying through time, going from one to another.

NO	TITLE	TIME
1	DEATH	5:06
2	VOID	4:07
3	TUNNEL VISION	4:44
4	FAERIE SOIRÉE	2:43
5	LIGHT SHOWER	4:27
6	SPIDER WEB	3:03
7	LEECHES	3:20
8	BATTLE OF THE LARYNX	5:28
9	THE CONTORTIONIST	3:20
10	MOON CYCLE	2:32
11	NYMPHOLOGY	5:06
12	EVIL	4:06
13	WOMB	3:31
14	THE HATCHING	1:01

Summary

While she was away, Melanie Martinez was evidently plotting her return to the scene. We must confess that there was no better way than to emerge with “Portals.” We also hear it is the last of her “Cry Baby” trilogy. Calling the new album the best of the three would also be accurate. It almost feels like she is at peace on this project because the songs describe topics she has always wanted to share. On the album, she explores dark pop and spices it up with a bit of emotion and satire. The sound and lyrics are intriguingly alien, but she manages to bring them home.

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