After School: The EP That Dives Into Melanie's Personal Life

Posted Jan. 24 2024

Nancy Kushniryuk

Cub Reporter

Melanie Martinez’s most recent EP, released on September 25th, 2020, titled After School, includes the most artistically unique and emotional song lyrics ever produced. Only a year after one of her most popular albums, K-12, was released, After School shortly followed, containing more of her personal life experiences.

Each and every album, EP, and single produced by Melanie follows the story of a character named Cry Baby, which Melanie uses to write about her experiences along with others, which just makes her music stand out from other artists and that much more relatable. In this specific EP, she based every song on her own personal experiences, still following the metaphorical nursery-rhyme style she's had since 2014.

Each song in After School has a sharp, almost aggressive, but magical feel to it that screams feminine rage and just femininity in general. When comparing the audio of one song and looking at its lyrics, it has a completely different feel as to what Melanie is trying to communicate, making the songs on this EP that much more complex and emotional.

The song “Glued” has a soft and smooth melody playing in the background of her singing. Without the lyrics, one would think that this song was about an innocent romance. One lyric that contrasts the softness of the music is, “I don't wanna think about the morbid parts of life no morе” and “Glue-less, life would be borin' Empty but no hurting (hurting) Is it necessary? Detachment is scary.” This song and lyric itself present an unhealthy attachment to someone or something and not wanting to let go of it due to fear of stepping out of the comfort zone. Melanie explains this stylistic choice in an interview saying, “There are very clear feelings of sadness within it even if it sounds happy. That exact contrast is what made me feel like it needed to be on the EP.”

Of course, not every song on this album is like this. Some are more straight to the point or idea Melanie is trying to communicate. This doesn’t make certain songs better than others because they still have very impactful lyrics and a catchy, unique melody that leaves one humming, and thinking about, for days.