Jason Mraz? His first mega-hit was “I’m Yours”, a sugary sweet confection of a single in both lyric and musical design. Colbie Caillat? You don’t have to look much further than the aptly named “Bubbly”. Lenka? Well, despite “The Show” having a deeper intrinsic meaning than most, it’s still saccharine by construct. Melanie Martinez? Completely following this trend of strummy, sweet-as-syrup breakthrough singles, she’s released a little tidbit having to do with cheating husbands, drinking wives, and drug habit-forming brothers, all of whom are spied upon by a creepy doll.
All jokes aside, ever since her appearance on The Voice a couple of seasons back, it was evident that indie songstress Melanie was far off the beaten musical path in every imaginable way. Her dual-toned hair and style of dress set her apart in itself, but it was in the clear artistry which she displayed week-in and week-out since her blind audition featuring an individualized rendition of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” that made her a fan favorite. Despite having her Voice run cut short at 6th place, she still managed to maintain and even grow a dedicated fanbase in the years since, playing at local venues and subsequently increasing her notoriety up until the eventual release of her first post-show single, entitled “Dollhouse”.
As mentioned above, “Dollhouse” is significantly more darkly than what most people might expect of an indie singer/songwriter as young as Melanie Martinez is herself. Like the now-famous Lorde, Martinez has expertly been tackling complex and dark themes in a way that is well beyond her years. Having been able to breakout on The Voice as a teenager with a clear vision of who she wanted to be as an artist was in and of itself a miracle, but in the type of artist she clearly displayed herself as and wholeheartedly is, it is even more-so a pleasant surprise. “Dollhouse” accentuates all of the things fans of Martinez’s have loved about her from the start, featuring a darkly theme that is surprisingly sold by its artist quite well, accompanied by an equally as eerie, hauntingly catchy melody with an ability to pull a niche group of listeners in and never let them go.
With “Dollhouse”, Martinez not only remains true to who she is as an artist, but also shows how far she has come as a songwriter and composure since her appearances on The Voice. By all means, she has presented a mastercraft, radio-ready work that is delightful to listen to– even moreso through its poignant subject matter delivered in as convincingly a way as Martinez is able to convey. Who knows? With what she has exhibited through “Dollhouse”, Melanie Martinez could very well be your next household name, yet.
You can purchase “Dollhouse” on iTunes for just $1.29 by following this link, and you can also check out the track’s accompanying music video, if you’re up for it, here. Also make sure to follow me on Twitter if you so desire so that you can keep up with all of the latest reviews, interviews, and more!
