K-12- By trying to grow up, Martinez sadly takes steps backwards.

Music Review- Melanie Martinez- K-12 (2019)

A follow up to her amazing debut, CryBaby, Martinez seems to forget what made her sound so endearing in the first place. By conforming to the chill-pop sound that was all over the radio at the time of the release (thanks Billie Eilish), K-12 misses the bombast and catchy hooks that its younger sibling donned with pride. It could be suggested that she was aiming for a maturer and more nuanced vibe for her followup, but when your debut was already discussing sexual assault, obsession and alcoholism you couldn't get much maturer. Losing the ambitious production, the listener must focus on the lyrics and sadly the overuse of repetition means there is not much of interest there either. This feels like a pale attempt at a Melanie Martinez album as where CryBaby's metaphors complimented and developed her deeper meaning, K-12 seems to suffocate itself by trying to imitate its successful little sibling.

I will never forget the first time I heard Soaps breakdown or Carousels creepy play on fairground fun or Dollhouses haunting production that makes the song hella scary; each song on Crybaby is unique and intensely interesting in every aspect of its production and lyrics that work in adjacency to uphold the albums narrative and metaphor. Other than children chattering in the background and the occasional chalk board scratch, the school metaphor of K-12 is not utilised. Any gesture of schoolisms feel on the rudimentary level rather than feeling woven into every aspect of the album like on CryBaby. A lot of the tracks get obsessed with trying to adhere to the school theme rather than trying to be a good song that they often become uncomfortable or irritating listening. Moreover, all the tracks melt into one as there is just not enough distinct sounds from a school as there is with the concept of childhood. The songs are best when they step back from the restrictive theme or where the juvenile theme gives the songs message the required feeling of immaturity. It is by no means a bad album as there are still a handful of tracks that are very successful. Fans of Martinez will find a lot to like and as the album conforms to radio trends a lot of the general public will find something to love too. After the tumultuous journey Martinez has experienced in between her debut and K-12 she needs a win to stay relevant and this in essence ticks all the right boxes for that to be so. Without a doubt the album is missing the magic of her debut, but with a success that high she was never going to achieve it again. So, if you go into the album without comparing it to her earlier work then you will enjoy it much more; sadly, for this reviewer CryBaby is on repeat daily so he can never see past its glory. Album Review- 4 Track by Track Breakdown

Wheels on a bus- "The wheels on the bus go round and round", but should they? Martinez questions our complicit nature on not taking action and course correcting when we notice things go wrong. Listing characters observing and not acting on the bad behaviour of students, she offers a compelling case that argues adulthood problems can be course corrected if action is taken early on. The lyrics are interesting, but the repetitive chorus and coos added with the slightly irritable production means the song is honourable in its intentions but not necessarily likeable. The song is certainly memorable and gives listeners something to think about but does not reach the heights of her last album that married thought provoking lyrics and enjoyable pop much more cohesively. (4)

Class Fight- The most repetitive song on the album as the chorus is just "for the throat" repeated and repeated and then repeated again. For a Melanie Martinez song, this track feels really under baked. Martinez is known for double entendres and interesting metaphors, but this seems to have nothing under the cover. Fighting another girl because she kissed the guy she liked, Martinez captures the feeling of jealousy and rage felt by many, however the plain literalness of the lyrics and lack of unique detail leaves the song dull and without a voice. The production, with an ensemble of children and obscure class noises, feels simultaneously too busy and too minimal because it's just not very interesting. (2)

The Principal- An interesting disregard of the people in power. Martinez fires off at people in charge, presumably the government, for their failings in health care and money. With a chorus that has enough desperate anger because of the autotune for the song to work as she repeats "Where is the principle?" a play on words for a head teacher and core set of beliefs. This is one of the tracks most similar to her first album where she uses child like metaphor for big world problems and for that it is the first stand out of the album. The song is just missing the catchyness and fun production of her previous tracks. Crybaby the album had some of the most bombastic choruses and production that in comparison this feels like if Billie Eilish tried to make a Martinez song. (6)

Show and Tell- A microscope onto toxic fame and how celebrities are treated like fan's toys. Many parts of the album feel like the school related idea came first and then a song/meaning was hoisted onto it, whereas this metaphor feels like a natural and genius pairing. Reducing the celebrity to the plaything that fans just disregard like a toy when they are bored is a really interesting discussion for a song. In a Toy Story style, Martinez gives the toy a voice and demonstrates the suffering felt when you are on the receiving end of this controlling and infant-like relationship. It's got the underlying darkness and playful fun of CryBaby the album but in a much more mature and refined sound. Show and Tell is exactly the song you'd expect from an artist who has faced a public lashing like Martinez has in the past couple of years, but unlike other artists that beg for sympathy, the toy metaphor elevates the track by overtly pointing at the complexity and toxicity of the relationship. (6)

Nurse's Office- Not much substance for a theme that could have been better. It's a hodgepodge of schoolisms, coughs and splutters without a core to keep it all together. There is a decent selection of parts and ideas to a song here but no narrative or hook to warrant its place on the tracklist. The production is like Carousel's, a track from her previous album, little brother as it is slightly more irritating and definitely more gross. Listening to coughs and splutters is not enjoyable and the gugugug of drinking is just ew- you could say she captures the uncomfortable nature of the Nurse's Office, but that doesn't make the song any better to listen to. (2)

Drama Club- Another song shorted by the lack of a catchy hook- someone needs to inform Martinez that repetition does not equate to catchy. It is an interesting enough premise of Martinez's disdain for the ''Snowflake'' society we live in where people are vocal about their offence. Her metaphor suggests that the society we live in is limiting what she can say and forcing her to act in a certain way to conform; the 'drama club' conveys a pettiness to the kind of things people get offended by as this is another song like Show and Tell that uses the child-like imagery to better effect. It is a decent enough track, but with a little more edge, grit or anything other than this chill-pop vibe that is ripped out of what is popular at the time of release, would make this song better. (6)

Strawberry Shortcake- Taking a step back from the restrictive school theme gives this song a boost and helps the song greatly. With tones of sexual assault while a teenage Martinez comes to learn her body, the Strawberry Shortcake metaphor prevents the song from getting too dark and uncomfortable. Martinez channels her routes as she tackles a really scary real world problem through the filter of child metaphors. It is certainly one of the successes on the album. Showing how sending a girl home for her skirt being too short can make her feel insecure and damaging is problematic rather than just teaching others to not commit sexual assault is a necessary conversation. The song will be relatable for many and will hopefully cause people to feel more accepted and understood. It is a necessary and welcomed slice of intelligent pop. (6)

Lunchbox Friends- The only song on the album with a successful hook! In a softer hushed tone in the beginning Martinez develops into a desperate autotuned sadness during the chorus that hurts and hits. It captures the fear and desperation of making friends and tackling the 'popular hierarchy' of high school. It's the mature development of CryBaby that the other tracks attempted to be: rather than drowning in its attempts to adhere to the theme, it captures a very important and scary time in high school through its production, lyrics and vocals. It is the only song to come back to regularly as with the really low burn out you can have this song on repeat for ages. (9)

Orange Juice- Tackling eating disorders, the track has the dark underbelly that many Crybaby cuts had. It's message of self love against haters is thoroughly needed and is elevated by the tracks that came before it concerning female suffering. It is honourable in its intentions of highlighting an issue that is very rarely discussed, I hope the track will bring solace to many that need it. To make it better, it is one of the tracks where the production is memorable and the chorus is more than just repetition. It is clear that a lot of care has gone into the track to handle it carefully and it pays off. Sadly, it doesn't reach the heights of greatness as a track, but it is good enough. (7)

Detention- Feeling the disdain of the modern pop world where the artist is a product for the audience and label to feast off of, Martinez expresses her frustration of finding fame. As one of many tracks that go into detail of her hatred of fame and making music for a label, it is at this point in the album that her negativity no longer feels endearing and edgy, which is what was presumably intended, but a weight dragging the album down. It is clear that Martinez has had a difficult time in the spot light and with this bleeding into her work it is just not enjoyable to hear an artist seemingly detest everything they're doing. This is not the first time she has sang about how awful fans of music are, though I realise the type of fan and label she is discussing are not good at all as a fan you can only take so much. The song is under baked and has little to return to. (3)

Teachers Pet- A song that could probably be at home on the latter half of Crybaby, but even then it would be one of the less successful tracks there. It is aggravating when Martinez gestures to her old sound because you know deep down her greatness is still inside of her and desperately want it to explode out again. If the production was a bit more memorable then the track would be elevated for it, but other than a fun guitar flick during the bridge, the chill pop vibe that swamps the album holds this track back. It's a perfectly satisfactory song that doesn't offer much for a second listen though doesn't force you to skip either. It's just so so. (5)

High School Sweetheart- The closest thing to a ballad on the tracklist, it is a refreshing change of pace from the rest of the album. Though the chill pop vibe of the album desperately needs a burst of life to elevate it from mediocrity, actually slowing it down further has the same effect. It has a memorability to it that is lacking from the rest of the tracks as she sets out a set of rules for a lover or her fans, which is more relevant to the themes of the rest of the album, of how she would like them to behave. It offers a little bit of hope for the future rather than the suffocating levels of negativity that drowns the rest of the album. (7)

Recess- Again Martinez returns back to her frustration with label executives a well trodden subject on the album that when you get to the final track it just feels like a retread of many tracks that have come before. This one offers a happier more empowering tone to it as she calls for artists that need a break to take a stand and take the time they desperately need. However, it is another slice where the school metaphor holds it back rather than elevating it. The issue she is raising is legitimate and needs to be understood, but by relating it to a child like behaviour de-legitimises the issue and makes it seem immature and bad. The track definitely does not reach her desired effect, but it is honourable for its efforts. Sonically its the same chill pop that is found in the rest of the album. (4)