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!
