Melanie Martinez, an erstwhile competitor on The Voice USA and unmistakable anomaly in the music industry, kicked off her European tour at 3Arena, Dublin with a surreal array of visuals and gothic outfits. This former Voice USA contestant’s inaugural gig mirrors an eerie blend of Hieronymus Bosch and Teletubbies or a gruesome revamp of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
This captivating performance is the equivalent to indulging in an overload of Gummy Bear confectioneries in a bewildering, dreamlike world. Martinez offered a dazzling spectacle with highlights including iridescent wings, horrifying fair-like attractions, and 29-year-old New Yorker was confined to a mobile bed contraption by her dancers. Mirroring the style of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, Martinez performed sequentially from her trio of studio albums – collections that are linked by their sheer visually striking peculiarity.
Martinez’s unusual presence on The Voice was underlined by her large childlike bow head accessory that created an eerie contrast with her two-toned Cruella de Vil-inspired hair (now black and strawberry red). Interestingly, this eccentric aesthetic seems to resonate with a demographic of adolescents who made up the majority of 3Arena’s attendance. The correlation between Martinez’s Halloween-like aura and its attraction to children could possibly be attributed to the subtle hint of adult danger associated with it or perhaps it’s her peculiar fashion sense and sweet, rhythmic melodies. It’s a question that would require a child psychologist’s perspective to decode.
Martinez doesn’t skimp on her popular tracks. Opening with the eponymous number from her 2016 debut album, Crybaby, which she often refers to as a “fairy tale interpretation of herself”. She then transitions into Sippy Cup and Playdate, tunes taken straight from a dystopian nursery. Forget Lady Gaga: this is Lady GooGooGaaGaa.
After a brief intermission in which her dance crew frolic around amidst a cascade of dry ice engulfing the stage, Martinez re-emerges atop a bus, then a giant seesaw, set to perform tracks from her K-12 album – a nod to the American schooling system comparable to primary education in the UK. Her music bears the hallmarks of mainstream goth-pop influences akin to the likes of Billie Eilish or Lorde, delivered in a distinct, resonant tone. There’s an uncanny twist to her portrayal of childhood memories, likened to reflections warped by a carnival mirror.
As the act progresses into the final segment, the performance blossoms. Martinez delved into tracks from her comeback album, Portal, marking her return after a five-year absence and themed around the concept of rebirth. It has been a worldwide success, soaring to spot number three on the Irish music charts.
In a peculiar yet captivating element of her performance, Martinez dons a prosthetic mask that mirrors a Simon Cowell-inspired incarnation of Dobby the House Elf from Harry Potter. This, however, in no way detracts from her stunning vocals in the piece Battle of the Larynx – a song inspired by personal conflict and accompanied by bursts of fire.
Her encore is celebrated with a flurry of confetti as she performs the skew-whiff power ballad, Womb. Amid the chromatic spectacle, she addresses her audience for the first time. In a humble gesture of appreciation, she thanks her loyal fans and urges them to join in a chant of “Free Palestine” in unison. This unexpected touch of political advocacy marks the conclusion of a concert full of pop highlights, creating an eerie undercurrent reminiscent of a lullaby recited by a lurking monster.