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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Melanie Martinez’s PORTALS is a 2023 album built around death, what may lie beyond it, and rebirth. Its opening track, “DEATH,” arrived with a cinematic video directed, conceived, and costume designed by Martinez. The eerie imagery belongs to the album’s story of Cry Baby’s transformation—not a factual claim about an afterlife.
What was announced—and what the video is
Warner Music Ireland identified PORTALS as Martinez’s third studio album and “VOID” as its official first single. “DEATH,” however, opens the album and has the cinematic companion video at the center of the eerie rebirth imagery. The label credits Martinez with directing, conceiving, and costume designing the video; the official artist YouTube channel also credits her as director.
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PORTALS | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Melanie Martinez Vinyl Collection: "After School" EP (Blue) / "Portals" LP (Clear) + Including Bonus... | $69.36 | Buy on Amazon |
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PORTALS | $123.72 | Buy on Amazon |
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K-12 & Portals (Bloodshot Translucent LP Vinyl) & After School Ep (X) (Baby Blue LP Vinyl) | Buy on Amazon | |
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After School EP | $13.40 | Buy on Amazon |
The label described a series of otherworldly clips as teasers for the track and as glimpses of Cry Baby’s rebirth. That gives the rollout its uncanny tone, but the exact original announcement post, its publication date, and its platform are not established here. The title’s word “creepy” is an editorial description rather than the label’s wording.
What PORTALS is about
Martinez frames the album through the mythology of Cry Baby, the character whose story runs across her work. In an artist statement distributed by Warner Music Ireland, she described the record’s mission as offering “a perspective of true togetherness and immortality,” and said it begins at death, ends at the womb, and is meant to loop. Apple Music reproduces her explanation that Cry Baby’s earthly “vessel” has died and that the character lives on as a spirit in the cosmos.
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These statements explain the record’s creative premise, not a verified account of what happens after death. Martinez has also said, as quoted in Apple Music’s introduction, “I hope grief becomes easier for people while listening to this record.” The album’s afterlife and rebirth language can therefore be read as character mythology and an artistic way of approaching grief.
Why the sequence runs from “DEATH” to “WOMB”
The original 13-track sequence makes the cycle explicit: it starts with “DEATH” and closes with “WOMB.” Martinez’s stated intention is for the ending to loop back into the beginning, making the album’s order part of its concept rather than just a collection of song titles.
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- Blue Vinyl "After School" EP
- Clear Vinyl "Portals" LP
- “DEATH”
- “VOID”
- “TUNNEL VISION”
- “FAERIE SOIRÉE”
- “LIGHT SHOWER”
- “SPIDER WEB”
- “LEECHES”
- “BATTLE OF THE LARYNX”
- “THE CONTORTIONIST”
- “MOON CYCLE”
- “NYMPHOLOGY”
- “EVIL”
- “WOMB”
Apple Music’s album page includes Martinez’s track-by-track explanations, offering her own commentary on how the songs fit the record.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Release date, runtime, and editions
Apple Music displays PORTALS as released on March 30, 2023: its listing identifies the original version as 13 songs, 51 minutes, and ℗ 2023 Atlantic Recording Corporation. Martinez’s official store gave March 31, 2023, as the shipping date for its physical CD preorder. Those dates refer to different contexts—Apple Music’s album date and the store’s stated shipping date—and should not be treated as interchangeable.
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Apple Music also lists versions with 14 and 16 songs. The official store documents a separate “Portals Album Artwork Lenticular CD,” whose cover changes appearance with the viewing angle; the store page showed that edition as sold out when checked. The listing does not establish that the CD includes bonus tracks.
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- Melanie Martinez- After School
Rank #4
- Your favorite artist, Melanie Martinez, on LP Vinyl.
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