Salem

Possible inspiration for Maze/Labyrinth V1&2? Located in Manchester, UK.
 
"The cathedral at Chartres has one of the most famous labyrinths in the world. The concept being that a labyrinth is a sacred space where people spend time with god, focusing on their life and journey. However, labyrinths are not just for the spiritual. Labyrinths are used by people of all faiths and none, they provide entertainment, fun, gentle exercise and make an attractive feature within the garden.
...
The twists and turns in the paths echo those we take in our everyday lives; the route is winding but it always leads onwards. Take as long as you need, it is not the destination but what we learn on the journey itself."

Some of y’all have been complaining about her old sound being tired and all but then praise Tunnel Vision, Spider Web, Nymphology and The Contortionist when they are the more reminiscent of her past work. 
 
Either way I love them… I don’t know about the new rock vibe though, for me it only works in Evil.
 
Unpopular opinion maybe but I would liked a circus themed album next or something followed by a 80s sounding album. Maybe a 70s LA runaway kind of vibe… show us the Crybaby storyline but once she grows out of the childish themes and becomes an adult. Evolve the sound while she gets older. It would be interesting to see her go down that route. She grabbed the esoteric/mystic concept too soon… now where is she gonna go? I feel like pop stars take that path latter in the careers (Madonna, Kylie, Marina,…) because then it gets boring
 
and if she’s tired of the concept albums, just go full 1/80 and make an album with no concept at all… my problem with portals is that half of the songs follow a story and a theme and the other half don’t (just Oliver Tree diss tracks)… pick ur struggle gurl 

I would like to hear it 

I think the new production elements are really cute but the mixing is... an interesting choice. It's just so quiet because it's missing mids. I personally took the track into FL Studio and used Parametric EQ 2 to up the high end, bump the low, and adjust the mids to be a bit cleaner (same as I did for The Contortionist and a few other tracks I otherwise liked) as well as layering in the old riser. 

I think the new production elements are really cute but the mixing is... an interesting choice. It's just so quiet because it's missing mids. I personally took the track into FL Studio and used Parametric EQ 2 to up the high end, bump the low, and adjust the mids to be a bit cleaner (same as I did for The Contortionist and a few other tracks I otherwise liked) as well as layering in the old riser. 

I think the new production elements are really cute but the mixing is... an interesting choice. It's just so quiet because it's missing mids. I personally took the track into FL Studio and used Parametric EQ 2 to up the high end, bump the low, and adjust the mids to be a bit cleaner (same as I did for The Contortionist and a few other tracks I otherwise liked) as well as layering in the old riser. 

I think the new production elements are really cute but the mixing is... an interesting choice. It's just so quiet because it's missing mids. I personally took the track into FL Studio and used Parametric EQ 2 to up the high end, bump the low, and adjust the mids to be a bit cleaner (same as I did for The Contortionist and a few other tracks I otherwise liked) as well as layering in the old riser. 

I think the new production elements are really cute but the mixing is... an interesting choice. It's just so quiet because it's missing mids. I personally took the track into FL Studio and used Parametric EQ 2 to up the high end, bump the low, and adjust the mids to be a bit cleaner (same as I did for The Contortionist and a few other tracks I otherwise liked) as well as layering in the old riser. 

I think the new production elements are really cute but the mixing is... an interesting choice. It's just so quiet because it's missing mids. I personally took the track into FL Studio and used Parametric EQ 2 to up the high end, bump the low, and adjust the mids to be a bit cleaner (same as I did for The Contortionist and a few other tracks I otherwise liked) as well as layering in the old riser. 

Tunnel Vision demo >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Final

 I don't like the mixing 

I was just on the fan wikia and I was reading more into Verde and I found this
 
Super cute.  

I tend to agree it’s a stylistic choice but I can’t imagine why anyone would think that was a good idea. It takes away from a (perfect) song. 

Hot tea. That 96 kbps mp3 filter all over the song is not it

What was the Faerie Soiree intro before the transitions were added? Was it that bah bah bah BAH EE-YEA thing at the end of Tunnel Vision or was it just like the intro on the actual song is now?

Someone should ask why Evil is so poorly produced if he likes it so much 

the vinyl pressings for this era have been terrible
 
 

An interesting fact about the interludes is that they came very late in the game / were last minute additions while the album was being finalised, even the "Death is life is death is…" loop. 
 
Amulet being added onto Nymphology was also very random and spontaneous, she probably wanted Verde to have a production credit— but I'm glad she did! 

Okay so imma rank Melanies eras as I see them now:
 
Dollhouse EP (9,8/10): Great introduction to her artistry, you could tell she had potential. The aesthetic was already there but she still hasn’t found her sound yet (songs like Gold Diggin Love, Dead to Me, Trophy Wife didn’t match the baby theme). Really promising nonetheless. During this time I think her inspiration from Marina or Lana were really clear, specially in BOPs like Bittersweet Tragedy, You Love I, Night Mime or Bombs On Monday. Her writing also was really clever and sassy during this time in songs like Dear Porcupines or Million Men. Loooove her here, and it has a special place in my heart cause it was the time I discovered her.
 
Crybaby (1000/10): Show stopping, amazing, spectacular, never done before, etc. Now THIS is a debut album! The story was so cleverly crafted and made perfect sense, the sound was groundbreaking for the time and everything she delivered was top noch. From the videos to the cover to the booklet. During this era I still found her really misterious and intriguing. Something about her made me gravitate to her, maybe it was the pastel looks with the dark meanings (always loved that duality). The outtakes also demonstrate the cuality, it’s clear to me that around this time she had lots of ideas and she surrounded herself with the correct people (designers, producers, songwriters). I’m also glad the label deposited that much faith in her to give us those outstanding music videos. The fact that 14 of 16 tracks are over 100k in spoty speaks volumes, I honestly don’t get the hate from critics…
 
K-12 (7/10): I had REALLY big expectations for this one and the wait was long so… the trailer got me pumped! Sadly, this was the first time I think she dropped the ball. I’m not that mad about the childish themes (it’s what she does better), the school concept to me sounds great but the execution… dear god! The storyline in crybaby seemed more organic and here feels a little forced. It has great moments like Drama Club, Nuses Office, Show & Tell or Detention but songs like Class Fight, Orange Juice and Strawberry Shortcake sound undercooked to me. You can tell her ambition, but this time around she tried to make it all by herself and it didn’t work. With more producers and a little help in the lyric department this could have been GREAT but sadly this is when her stubbornness starts to show… Also she’s so stuck up on certain ideas she ends up choosing storyline over quality. And don’t get me started on the movie… what a waste of budget and time. Really bad, I was expecting some Coraline / Tim Burton type of film and instead I got something a 5 year old would make full of unnecessary “woke” ideas. Even if it’s not my favourite from her I come back to a few songs from time to time.
 
After School (0/10): By now my hype was already gone… she shaved her eyebrows, put on that mullet and the aesthetic was ruined for me. Sadly the music didn’t get better either… it got worse. You can tell she’s trying to get out of the baby/school concept here but very poorly done. I don’t know what happened here but her writing is so off and cringe I can’t… the flow of her singing is really bad and the songs sound like bad fanmade type beats. Very uninspiring and a low point in her career. At least we got History and Function out of this… it’s not her best but better than anything on the EP. Hate is a strong word and that exactly why I would say I hate this EP. I haven’t revisited it once since first listen for the exception of The Bakery.
 
Portals (5,5/10): After the leaks my hopes got up a little. The concept was clear and some of the songs grew on me a lot (Garden, Dragons Blood, Tunnel Vision, Barely Juice, Needle & Thread, Void). Instead, she scrapped the best material and delivered a really odd album. Half of the songs don’t make sense in the same project, some are rock, others a little hip hop and others full on pop. Also the concept it’s not that clear anymore. Light Shower or BOTL don’t make any sense with the fairy / forest concept. She had great potential for this but once again dropped the ball, and hard. The mixing is really off and the transitions ruin any king of replay value. It almost looks like she doesn’t want to have any success with this. It has cute moments like The Contortionist, Evil, Moon Cycle or Nymphology but the rest is not up to part. The deluxe is cute also with highlights like Powder and Pluto. One thing I admired from her is the way she committed to the theme and made it work without making it look forced but here… it’s a no luv. Also all the Olivia Free diss tracks are out of place… she’s trying too hard to look ethereal and mystical but failing so hard! Lyrics don’t make sense… I have a feeling this is what happens when u surround yourself with ass licking friends and producers that won’t correct you (Leeches). Idk if lyrics like the “penis”, “pussy”, “piss” and “period, YUH” are for shock value or just plain stupid. A disappointment… again! 

The total lack of shipping info on pre-orders from her official store is unprofessional. I opened a support ticket earlier today to request info, and it says someone will be contacting me as soon as possible. No auto-response yet. The website clearly states:
 
When will my Pre-Order Arrive?
US Orders: If you place your order no later than 10 days before the scheduled release, you will receive your shipment on or around the release date. I swear, if my swirl vinyl shows up as a gray blob... 
 
There's no point of offering pre-orders (beyond grabbing cash from fans) if you can't fulfill orders by, or at least on the release date... They should've had shipments packed and ready to go in advance of 3/31 for those who ordered with plenty of time to spare.
 
Also love that her website spelled her name "Melanie Martine". Confidence-inspiring. 

This email is so... 💀 It's obvious laziness and I'm so sick of artists being given a "pass" regarding fraud.. Selling things and saying they will be shipped and then having it delayed months and months is fraud (imo) and it happens all the time with so many artists (especially miss lana). Obviously it's legal so it isn't "fraud" bc when we purchase things we r agreeing to the terms of service but i still think its scummy and artists should feel the pushback from doing this constantly. 
 
Glad that I haven't had any shipping problems this drop, both my vinyls shipped the day after release and my signed cd came yesterday amen  

MY ORDER HAS NOT SHIPPED YET
 
On average, orders containing in-stock items will be processed within 7-10 business days. 
 
We will automatically notify you via email once your order has shipped.
 
During peak holiday seasons, weekends, or new release/high traffic promotions, processing orders may take longer than 7-10 business days.
 

yeah the booklet is lazy af
i'd take pics but my phone camera is fuzzy as FUCK

So there's the Twitter stans lying about Melanie selling songs I see, but I was thinking if she does sell I hope she sells dragons blood to ashnikko it's very her vibe I feel like ashnikko would do it justice tbh 

my dad is dropping of my shirt + signed cd boxset today!!! stay tuned for photos!!!