Written by Sally Dobie
Melanie Martinez has returned to the music scene after three years with her second album, K-12. The former Voice US singer also released a full-length movie alongside the 13 tracks, which has been in the works since early 2017. The movie and music centres around Martinez’s character, Cry Baby, and follows her life at a residential school.
With her own signature brand of creepy-cute, both the music and film delve into serious themes such as eating disorders, sexual assault and mental health. Every track has its own personality and despite the school-centric theme of the album, all ages will find something they relate to.
This movie is such a triumph, every scene and character having a purpose. We have the added fun of the cast having a new hairstyle in every scene and giant bunny doctors. And lest we forget our queen, Lilith!
Watching the movie is such an experience, and adds to the album in numerous ways. And Martinez has released the entire feature for free on YouTube!
So in case you don’t have the time to watch the whole movie or for some reason haven’t listened to the album, here’s a track-by-track breakdown:
DISCLAIMER: All opinions are my own and may not reflect the wider opinion or the artist’s intentions.
Wheels on the Bus
“I’m quietly observing, I’m saying nothing”
The album and movie open up on a scene that many who weren’t lucky enough to be driven to school will recognise. Martinez talks about the various things happening during her ride on the school bus.
Class Fight
“Daddy chimed in go for the throat”
This song is based around a fight between Cry Baby and another girl, Kelly, over Kelly’s boyfriend Brandon. The lyrics ask whether or not she should give up her love, or if she should fight for him.
The Principal
“Shooting at the angels while claiming you’re the good guy”
Now although, as the title suggests, the song is based around the Principal of the school, this song basically translates into most corporate figures more driven by money than the welfare of the people in their care. Cry Baby sings about the “cash and hype” motivating the Principal, and then this issue is developed further in the movie.
Before the song begins the Principal is seen dismissing a teacher who is transitioning and wants to be her “most authentic self,” so asks to be called Miss instead of Mr by the students. Outside his office, a student explains he is taking pills prescribed by the Principal “to control us”. To me, this scene alone makes a serious point: that traditional values can be toxic.
Show & Tell
“Buy and sell, like I’m a product of society”
This song is slightly more straightforward, being honest and open about the effects of fame and the almost dehumanisation of those in the spotlight. As Cry Baby is made to dance like a puppet on a string in front of her chanting, crazed classmates, Martinez sings of the divide between celebrities and their fans. “You beg and cry for more, and yet I’m on the floor, there are strangers taking pictures of me when I ask no more”.
The song encapsulates certain people’s endless expectation of their idols, even if the artists themselves are suffering.
Nurse’s Office
“Because they hate me, so I’m faking all of this”
We’ve all avoided situations because we’re scared or uncomfortable, and most people I know have made excuses to miss class at least once in our lives.
This song is about bullying, and the effect it can have on your education. Serious, I know. Martinez sings about avoiding school and making herself sick just to avoid confrontation with her classmates, and the teacher ignoring her requests to move seats too.
Drama Club
“You’re faking all your pain, yeah you’re bleeding on the stage”
Self-confidence and societal expectations are the main themes in this song. Cry Baby asks to be assigned a different role than the “domestic” one she was given in the school play, suggesting “a film director, or the President”. Her teacher suggests instead a “Harlot”.
This pretty much sums up the whole song to be honest. The idea of stereotypical roles and responsibilities of each gender, especially young girls being told how to act and what to wear. Martinez says she never asked to be a part of it. Even if that’s not what they want, they should do what society expects of them.
There is so much pressure put on young people, and the media really reinforces those typical gender roles and expectations. Less now than 10 years ago, but unfortunately, change isn’t happening fast enough.
Also this scene in the movie ends with Cry Baby telling the hypnotised audience to “wake up!” and when they do so they go and rip the Principal apart. Just saying.
Strawberry Shortcake
“No-one told them not to grab”
Sexual assault is not a topic often covered in songs, even with the recent ‘Me Too’ movement and media coverage. But Martinez is candid and refreshing about the issue, talking about puberty, beauty standards and assault awareness.
The metaphor of Cry Baby as a giant cake in this song may at first seem weird, but when hungry boys begin devouring the cake it suddenly makes horrifying sense. Martinez also takes the opportunity to highlight victim-blaming culture: “It’s my fault, because I put icing on top”. We’ve all heard of those court cases and see it everyday on social media, the idea that it’s the victim’s fault because of what she was wearing or how she acted.
Lunchbox Friends
“Come to my house let’s die together, friendship that will last forever”
We all had/have those friendships in school that seemed to begin and end at the school gates. Shallow relationships that have no real depth or meaning and, let’s be honest, add nothing to your life. Not necessarily fake friends, but not true friends either.
Granted, Cry Baby seems to take her friendships more serious than most, pretty much inviting her friends to go to the grave with her. But that’s not far off true friendship where you would do anything for the other person.
Especially at school, the need for friends who understand you and care about you becomes apparent, and surrounding yourself with good honest people is never going to let you down like “lunchbox friends” probably would.
Orange Juice
“Your body is imperfectly perfect, everyone wants what the other one’s working”
This for me was the most impactful song on the album. The one I could probably relate to the closest. Orange juice tells the story of a girl suffering from bulimia and body dysmorphia. Although I’ve never suffered from either of these conditions, anyone who has had self-esteem or body confidence issues can relate to this song.
There are two images from the movie that really stayed with me from this track: the first was when (gruesome description warning) a girl’s skull is cut open and her brain is used as an orange juicer, the juice spilling out of her mouth. It really affected me, as being an apt description of the brainwashing people experience through media and through other people. Young people especially are susceptible to influence, and the perfect body images promoted on TV are often unreal and unachievable. People are literally being brainwashed into believing they should look a certain way, and are willing to hurt themselves in pursuit of that.
The other powerful image used in the movie was at the end of the song, where Cry Baby plucks out her own eyes and gives them to this suffering girl, so she can see herself through someone else’s eyes. This is something we should all do (metaphorically), being body positive and showing each other we are perfect in our own ways.
Detention
“Please don’t be mad if I don’t smile back, alright?”
Detention was a little bit harder for me to understand, but to me it could be about mental health in relationships or as a celebrity. In the video Cry Baby has been sent to detention, where she is given an injection that makes her unable to scream and all she can do is smile blankly. Alongside this scene there is a parallel where she is dancing in a glass case for an audience of students watching.
It seems to tie back into “Show & Tell”, with Martinez always being on display to the public but unable to fully be herself or express how she’s feeling.
Teacher’s Pet
“You liar you were her desire, now she wants to light you on fire”
FORBIDDEN ROMANCE! This song describes a love affair between a student and a married teacher, where things go from romantic and idyllic to vengeful and deadly within two verses. The song is pretty straightforward, things start off great until the teacher breaks it off. The video is more interesting.
In K-12 the movie, the teacher ends up giving the student a drugged lollipop which shrinks her in size, and then he ties her down and seems like he’s planning on dissecting her. This is a powerful message, suggesting the power and influence a figure like that can have over a young impressionable student. The female student ends up powerless and vulnerable under this authority figure’s control, until Cry Baby inevitably saves the day.
Highschool Sweethearts
“Step seven, this one goes to eleven: if you cheat you will die”
Let’s face it, unless you were really mature in school you probably had awkward crushes or even more awkward relationships. Martinez captures those early romances in this song, singing candidly about the wild emotions and unrealistic expectations surrounding many of our first romances (or is this just me?). It also expresses the desire for a meaningful relationship instead of a fling.
This is possibly the most interesting scene in the movie, Cry Baby dancing by herself through the halls of the empty school. In a way this is the most expressive scene, because there’s no other actors or plot, just Martinez putting her heart and soul into Brian Friedman’s choreography.
Recess
“People gonna say, if you need a break someone will take your place”
What a song to end the album on. The message of keeping your mental health and wellbeing a priority is something we all need to hear. Martinez sings about how she’s achieved everything she wanted, but it hasn’t cured her mental health. And she shouldn’t expect it to! If things get too much or you’re under too much pressure, “just say ‘recess, I’m tired”.