Melanie Martinez

With 'Pity Party,' it's the first time seeing my vision come to life in front of my face. I'm super happy about it.

I didn't have any real idea that I was going to be an artist; I had no idea what that meant.

I have to stop eating so much grilled cheese and chocolate chip cookies and start really working on everything!

I always try, when I'm singing songs, to interpret them the way that I would've arranged them. I think about the melody first, and then I pull out my guitar and start singing it.

I auditioned for 'The Voice' because I really wanted to try and figure out a way to get myself out there. I really couldn't imagine doing anything else - music was the only thing that I really clung to.

I had been writing songs for awhile - since I was 14 - and playing guitar, but I never really knew how to go about making an actual career.

I grew up on Long Island. It was pretty normal.

I wanted people to understand that I have my own music, and I didn't want to sing other people's songs at shows.

I definitely think it's cool being Puerto Rican and Dominican, but I feel it has no influence on my music.

I feel it's my job as the artist who is making the music to pair it with visuals that I see in my head while writing the music in the first place.

I wrote about scenarios that I was going through and then disguised them.

I don't like a lot of pop music. But I like the idea of pop music.

I always cling to things that remind me of being a kid again.

I've always written the storyboards for the music videos, and it's been hard working with directors trying to get them to understand what I'm thinking.

I'm not necessarily a happy singer. That's not who I am as an artist.

I look at music like an art form, so it's almost like painting for me, you know?

I always have felt that I was six years old.

I wanted to play my original music, but it was really hard because a lot of the people who would come out to the shows found out about me through 'The Voice' and wanted to hear covers.

I think that any female who gets asked if she's a feminist... it's silly... it's so interesting when people ask females if they're a feminist. Of course every female wants to be equal!

I really loved taking photos when I was younger. I think my love for photography sparked my love for creating the visuals to support my music.

The way that I dress is the way I've always dressed. The way I've eaten is how I've always eaten. I dress like a 5-year-old, and I eat like a 5-year-old.

There's a heavy hip-hop influence in my music, some trap influence, but it's always lyrical.

Working on this album has been very emotional and super personal, and creating this character 'Cry Baby' helped me deal with my own insecurities.

When I started, I was very unsure of who I was. There were a lot of things in the songs that I didn't realize I was saying. But more and more, it fell into place... I got more comfortable in my skin.

To me, I absolutely cannot stand Twitter. I hate it more than anything.

I'll always cling to these little girl dresses at vintage shops, and I can never wear them because they're so tiny!

Please understand that I make music to express myself, and if you know anything about me, you know that I'm nothing but honest.

I think if you're going to cover a song, you should definitely take it apart and put it back together as if you wrote it. I don't think you should sing it the same way that the artist sang it - that's kind of pointless.

I had a lot of Barbies growing up, and a lot of porcelain dolls, but I was scared of them. I was so scared of them, I would try to turn their head away and would make my mom take them out of my room.

I have a song called 'Training Wheels,' and it's about being in love with someone and taking it to the next level by taking off the training wheels.

When I'm done with my last album, I want to make a movie with Tim Burton telling the story of all of the albums connected. That's my biggest dream.

It's really hard for me to finish a song unless I have a strong visual in my head while I'm writing it.

Eventually, I started writing down a bunch of titles that related to childhood themes and would pair it with an adult situation that either I was going through or someone else in my life was going through.

The behind-the-scenes kind of process at TV, especially live television - that was super scary, but I think it's made me more comfortable now. If I ever have to go on live TV, I at least remember what it was like when I was 16.

I think that 'Cry Baby' came from a nickname I was called as a kid.

My two favorite parts of what I do are definitely writing the music and then writing and directing the videos to support each song. As well as doing my own makeup and styling for the videos.

I really like milk. I'm a dairy queen.

I'm really stubborn, and I'm okay with that.

I believe everyone should be equal, and we should all love and support each other and express ourselves the way we want to express ourselves and be whoever we want. That's my motto.

I was always called a cry baby, and I was one. I cried a lot as a child. In fact, I still cry a few times a day. I'm still a cry baby.

Remember that I am a human.

Part of the problem with America is that letting go of emotions is viewed as a weakness, but it's my strength. That enabled me to write my songs.

The real me is this deep, kind of somber person. I can't really help that.

I'm just happy I got to express who I am as an artist and touch people's hearts.

I want to encourage people to be themselves and express themselves however they want.

Growing up, I always took things too personal and was very emotional, and I got made fun of for it.

I like scaring myself.

I went to the carnival a lot. The carousel was my favorite ride as a kid.

It's one thing to ask for a picture, but to just take a picture of me is kinda weird, guys.

I liked singing and just took a chance with it.