This Saturday, Melanie Martinez will bring her childhood-themed hybrid sound and style to The Frequency. Martinez’s signature vocals, backed by sampled toy sounds and heavy hip-hop beats will fill the intimate venue. The combination of those sounds, heavy percussion and mature lyricism forges music that is as captivating as it is catchy.
Martinez, at just 19 years old, has accomplished many successful musicians. She had a long run on the popular reality show, “The Voice,” her song “Carousel” was featured in the trailer for FX’s “American Horror Story: Freak Show” earlier this year and she released her debut EP Dollhouse last May.
Her debut full-length album, Cry Baby, is slated to come out later this year and is on every major music publication’s radar. Martinez has been working on the project for over a year now, and she describes the process as exciting and free-flowing.
“It was very easy going, very natural. There was a natural progression to the whole thing,” Martinez said. “I guess the hardest part was trying to find a variety of sounds. I was really clinging to toy sounds. I wanted to make each song unique.”
She cites her family as one of her biggest influences in creating her modern sound. With her father listening to heavy hip-hop and rap songs around the house and her mother playing pop songs from the likes of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, Martinez grew up in a very musically diverse environment. These inspirations carry over to her new tracks and are a recipe for a distinct, contemporary pop sound.
“I think with the album, I see it as a whole project. It’s one thing. Every song is special in its own way and tells a different story,” Martinez said. “They all fit together in a whole concept. I’m just proud of the entire thing.”
But Martinez’s success has not come without challenges, notably her time on “The Voice.” Although the experience was trying, she was able to gain prominence with her acoustic covers of pop songs.
“I took a beating in the beginning. After the show, people only knew me for cover songs. I wanted them to like me for my work, so I’m just super happy and thankful that I get to play my own music now.”
Come Saturday night, Melanie Martinez will deliver a show filled with refreshingly unique sounds new to The Frequency. With a set made of songs composed from her Dollhouse EP and Cry Baby, listeners will get a full taste of what Martinez has to offer. Her heavy production, personal aesthetic and entrancing vocals will break her away from “The Voice” limbo and solidify her as an artist to watch this year. Concert-goers will see even though her themes revolve around childhood, it doesn’t mean Martinez can’t deliver a mature and fully-formed performance.
