Cry Baby is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Melanie Martinez , released on August 14, 2015, through Atlantic Records . Between September and December 2012, Martinez rose to prominence upon participating in the third season of the American edition of The Voice . After the show's completion, the singer began working independently on original material, which she says she spent the majority of 2013 writing.
62-487: The album was supported by the release of three singles . " Pity Party ", was released on June 2, 2015, and, " Soap ", was released on July 10, 2015. The third and final single, " Sippy Cup " was released July 31, 2015. Cry Baby is a visual concept album about a character named Cry Baby, who is a fantasy version of Martinez. Musically, Cry Baby is primarily an alternative pop , electropop , and indie pop record, and received generally positive reviews from critics. In
124-426: A single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album or LP record , typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standalone tracks or connected to an artist's album, and in the latter case would often have at least one single release before the album itself, called lead singles . The single
186-535: A "single album" would otherwise be called a "single" or "extended play", depending on the length. As a distinct release type, the single album developed during the CD era in the 1990s. Single albums were marketed as a more affordable alternative to a full-length CD album. The Circle Album Chart tracks sales of all albums released as physical media (described as "offline" media), therefore, single albums compete alongside full-length studio albums (LPs) and mini-albums (EPs) on
248-470: A 46:1 gear ratio, resulting in a rotation speed of 78.3 rpm. With these factors applied to the 10-inch format, songwriters and performers increasingly tailored their output to fit the new medium. The three-minute single remained the standard into the 1960s, when the availability of microgroove recording and improved mastering techniques enabled recording artists to increase the duration of their recorded songs. The breakthrough came with Bob Dylan 's " Like
310-415: A Rolling Stone " in 1965: although Columbia Records tried to make the record more "radio-friendly" by cutting the performance into halves and separating them between the two sides of the disc , both Dylan and his fans demanded that the full six-minute take be placed on one side and that radio stations play the song in its entirety. The next milestone, which cemented pop radio's tolerance for longer songs,
372-403: A display such as a television set . The most common form of the vinyl single is the 45 or 7-inch . The names are derived from its play speed, 45 rpm, and the standard diameter, 7 inches (17.8 cm). The 45 rpm speed was chosen to allow a 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 minute playing time from the 7-inch disc. The 7-inch 45 rpm record was released March 31, 1949, by RCA Victor as
434-437: A foundation to sustain" and added that "When artists have one big record and go run with that, it doesn't work because they never had a foundation to begin with." The same article cited examples such as Cardi B , Camila Cabello and Jason Derulo releasing four or more singles prior to their album releases. Kanye West released singles weekly in 2010 with his GOOD Fridays series. He did this to support his upcoming release at
496-401: A large-hole record on a player with a quarter-inch spindle by inserting a single "puck" or by using a spindle adapter . Although 7 inches remained the standard size for vinyl singles, 12-inch singles were introduced for use by DJs in discos in the 1970s. The longer playing time of these singles allowed the inclusion of extended dance mixes of tracks. In addition, the larger surface area of
558-460: A major marketing mistake on the part of record companies, as it eliminated an inexpensive recording format for young fans to become accustomed to purchasing music. In its place was the predominance of the album, which alienated customers by the expense of purchasing a longer format for only one or two songs of interest. That in turn encouraged interest in file sharing software on the internet like Napster for single recordings, which began to undercut
620-402: A new form of indie-pop music that the world has been waiting to hear." Spin named the album number 22 on their list of "The 25 Best Pop Albums of 2015". Notes Production Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. Cry Baby's Extra Clutter EP is the third extended play by American recording artist Melanie Martinez , released on November 25, 2016. The EP
682-422: A range of playback speeds (from 16 to 78 rpm ) and in several sizes (including 12 inches or 30 centimetres). By about 1910, however, the 10-inch (25 cm), 78-rpm shellac disc had become the most commonly used format. The inherent technical limitations of the gramophone disc defined the standard format for commercial recordings in the early 20th century. The relatively crude disc-cutting techniques of
SECTION 10
#1732791816333744-518: A remix. "Irony" was later included on their debut studio album The Wonder Years . A single album is distinct from a single even if it includes only one song. The single " Gotta Go " by Chungha was released on a single album titled XII , which was a one-track CD. Even though "Gotta Go" was the only song on XII , the two releases charted separately: XII reached No. 4 on the Gaon Album Chart, and "Gotta Go" reached No. 2 on
806-634: A smaller, more durable and higher- fidelity replacement for the 78 rpm shellac discs. The first 45 rpm records were monaural , with recordings on both sides of the disc. As stereo recordings became popular in the 1960s, almost all 45 rpm records were produced in stereo by the early 1970s. Columbia Records , which had released the 33 + 1 ⁄ 3 rpm 12-inch vinyl LP in June 1948, also released 33 + 1 ⁄ 3 rpm 7-inch vinyl singles in March 1949, but they were soon eclipsed by
868-443: A stream of foam with their mouth. "Sippy Cup" was released as the third single on July 31, 2015, with a music video. It was the darker side to the music video of her 2014 single, "Dollhouse". Martinez said in an interview that she would be releasing music videos for all tracks of the album. The song "Training Wheels" had a music video released on November 18, 2015, as a double-feature with a new video for "Soap", but "Training Wheels"
930-793: Is a physical vinyl release and her first EP without a digital release of the three bonus tracks from Cry Baby as well as the limited-release 2015 Christmas single, "Gingerbread Man". The vinyl was only available for purchase via Urban Outfitters and Martinez's website. The EP's cover art was drawn by Chloe Tersigni. The Cry Baby Tour was the second concert tour by American singer Melanie Martinez, in support of her first studio album Cry Baby . The tour consisted of nine legs and 124 shows, beginning on August 26, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina , and concluded on April 2, 2017 in Santiago , Chile. Encore Notes Single (music) In music ,
992-506: Is a rare pop record that is both catchy beyond belief and an artistic triumph." Jason Scott at Popdust.com described the album as "13 tracks of pure hypnotic bliss [that] tests the absolute bounds of alt-pop , puncturing and bleeding out of [Martinez's] Lesley Gore and Purity Ring influence," highlighting "Sippy Cup", "Mrs. Potato Head", "Soap", "Cry Baby" and "Alphabet Boy". AllMusic 's Matt Collar compared Martinez to Björk and Beyoncé , and said that "her songs also fit nicely next to
1054-472: Is actually about taking a relationship to the next level. The storybook available in the pre-order bundle features rhymes and illustrations based on the album, written by Martinez herself. The album was released on August 14, 2015, by Atlantic Records , through digital download , CD, vinyl, and audio cassette. The vinyl and CD have special packaging, which includes a storybook that follows the album by illustrator Chloe Tersigni. Cry Baby debuted at number 6 on
1116-431: Is not known, perhaps a copyright or other legal problem. The lightweight and inexpensive 45 rpm discs introduced by RCA were quickly popular and in the early 1950s all major US labels had begun manufacturing seven-inch singles. In the decades that followed, the seven-inch single was the format that many major artists made their recording debut on and some recordings were exclusively released as vinyl 45s only. According to
1178-500: Is released specifically on physical media. A "single album" refers to a physical release (such as a CD, LP, or other media) that typically contains one to three unique tracks, while a "single" is only a song itself, typically a digital stream or download. Although the terms "single albums" and "singles" are similar and sometimes may overlap, they are generally considered two distinct release types in South Korea. In Western contexts,
1240-533: Is unique and includes an additional term, the single album ( Korean : 싱글 음반 ; RR : singgeul eumban ). In contemporary usage in English, the term "album" refers to an LP-length recording regardless of the medium. In contrast, under the country's copyright law, the Korean usage of "album" ( Korean : 음반 ; RR : eumban ) denotes a musical recording of any length that
1302-621: The Billboard 200 with 41,000 units sold in its first week; it also debuted at the top of the Alternative Albums Chart. It was announced on August 2, 2016, that the album had sold 263,050 copies. On February 24, 2017, the album was certified Platinum, having sold 1,000,000 copies in the US. "Pity Party" was released as the first single. The music video was released on Vessel by Martinez on May 29, 2015, for early access users. It
SECTION 20
#17327918163331364-543: The New York Times , the popularity of the seven-inch single reached a peak in 1974 when 200 million were sold. In the 1980s its popularity began to decline as jukeboxes became fewer, consumers tended to prefer to buy albums and formats such as cassettes and CDs was overtaking vinyl 45s. Despite its major decline, vinyl seven-inch singles has continued to released in the 2000s by indie labels such as Sub Pop and Third Man Records . In some regions (e.g. US),
1426-512: The Bandcamp storefront. Nowadays physically-released music is mainly bought in the form of full-length albums instead of singles. The most common physical formats of singles had been the 7" (45) vinyl records and the CD single , but singles have also been released on other formats such as 12" vinyl records , 10" shellac records, cassette single , and mini CD . The origins of the single are in
1488-605: The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) introduced digital single certification due to significant sales of digital formats, with Gwen Stefani 's " Hollaback Girl " becoming RIAA's first platinum digital single. In 2013, RIAA incorporated on-demand streams into the digital single certification. Single sales in the United Kingdom reached a low in January 2005, as the popularity of
1550-535: The "best birthday present ever". On May 1, 2020, the song was certified Gold by RIAA and as of December 8, 2020 the song has been certified Platinum. In an interview with Idolator on May 8, 2020, Martinez revealed plans to record a music video for the song from home. Cry Baby received generally positive reviews from music critics . Allan Raible at ABC News gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5, describing it as "a jarring, affecting record that will stick with you days after listening. It's not for passive listening. It
1612-469: The 12-inch discs allowed for wider grooves (larger amplitude) and greater separation between grooves, the latter of which results in less cross-talk. Consequently, they are less susceptible to wear and scratches. The 12-inch single is still considered a standard format for dance music , though its popularity has declined in recent years. Before the 7-inch single was introduced, 78 rpm 10-inch shellac records with around three minutes of music on them were
1674-442: The 2000s. Distinctions for what makes a "single" have become more tenuous since: the biggest digital music distributor, the iTunes Store , only accepts as singles releases with three tracks or fewer that are less than ten minutes each (with longer releases being classified as " EPs " or "albums"). However, releases which do not fit these criteria have been promoted as singles by artists and labels elsewhere, such as on Spotify and
1736-593: The 2007 holiday season. The format included three songs by an artist, plus a ringtone accessible from the user's computer. Sony announced plans to release 50 singles in October and November, and Universal Music Group expected to release somewhere between 10 and 20 titles. In a reversal of this trend, a single has been released based on a ringtone itself: the Crazy Frog ringtone, which was a cult hit in Europe in 2004,
1798-509: The 24th, the track list of the album was leaked, although the websites that leaked it replaced "Tag, You're It" with "Jump Rope" and "Play Date" with "Half Hearted". The track list was officially revealed on the 24th with the pre-order. Starting on July 27, Melanie released a snippet of each song (apart from the ones on the deluxe edition) on her Instagram page. On July 28, Melanie released the snippet for " Sippy Cup " and announced that it would be released on July 31. On July 30, Spin premiered
1860-517: The 45 player in March 1949. There was plenty of information leaked to the public about the new 45 rpm system through front-page articles in Billboard magazine on December 4, 1948, and again on January 8, 1949. RCA was trying to blunt the lead Columbia had established upon releasing their 33 + 1 ⁄ 3 LP system in June 1948. To compete with Columbia, RCA released albums as boxes of 45 rpm seven-inch singles that could be played continuously like an LP on their record changer. RCA
1922-665: The Circle Digital Chart. Even when a single album and single share the same name, they still chart separately, as was the case with the Wonder Girls single album and single " Why So Lonely ": the single album peaked at No. 3 on the Gaon Album Chart, while the single peaked at No. 1 on the Gaon Digital Chart. Cry Baby (Melanie Martinez song) " Cry Baby " is a song by American singer-songwriter Melanie Martinez from her debut studio album of
Cry Baby (Melanie Martinez album) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1984-699: The RCA Victor 45. The first regular production 45 rpm record pressed was "PeeWee the Piccolo": RCA Victor 47-0146 pressed December 7, 1948 at the Sherman Avenue plant in Indianapolis ; R.O. Price, plant manager. The claim made that 48-0001 by Eddy Arnold was the first 45 is evidently incorrect (even though 48-0000 has not turned up, 50-0000-Crudup, 51-0000-Meisel, and 52-0000 Goodman are out there) since all 45s were released simultaneously with
2046-516: The United States as albums, which on compact disc had virtually identical production and distribution costs but could be sold at a higher price, became most retailers' primary method of selling music. Singles continued to be produced in the UK and Australia and survived the transition from compact disc to digital download. The decline of the physical single in the US during this time has been cited as
2108-427: The United States, the album was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America , after earning 2 million album-equivalent units (sales, streaming, and track sales). In 2020, the song " Play Date ", went viral on video-sharing platform TikTok , causing the album to re-enter charts globally. Martinez had an extended play completely done around 2013, which she began recording soon after she
2170-478: The chart, even if they only contain one song. The Circle Digital Chart , which tracks downloads and streams of sole tracks, is regarded as the official "singles" chart. To give an example of the differences between full-length albums, single albums, and singles, the K-pop girl group Wonder Girls released the single album The Wonder Begins , which consists of the single "Irony" alongside two other unique tracks and
2232-553: The compact disc was overtaken by the then-unofficial medium of the music download. Recognizing this, on 17 April 2005, Official UK Singles Chart added the download format to the existing format of physical CD singles. Gnarls Barkley was the first act to reach No.1 on this chart through downloads alone in April 2006, for their debut single " Crazy ", which was released physically the following week. On 1 January 2007, digital downloads (including unbundled album tracks ) became eligible from
2294-475: The conclusion to the Cry Baby visual story. In April 2020, Martinez's song " Play Date ", one of the deluxe edition's bonus tracks, reached the "Viral 50" songs on Spotify and subsequently had risen on the charts. This resulted from a popular trend on multiple platforms where users make an edit of a celebrity with the song playing in the background. Martinez posted on Instagram, addressing the song's success as
2356-430: The default hole size fitted the original RCA 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) hub which, due to a format war , was incompatible with the 0.25-inch (6.4 mm) spindle of a Columbia-system 33 1/3 RPM 12-inch LP player. In other regions (e.g. UK, Australia), the default was a small hole compatible with a multi-speed 0.25-inch spindle player, but with a "knock out" that could be removed for usage on a larger hub player. One could play
2418-457: The introduction of Apple's iTunes Store originally known as iTunes in January 2001, along with the emergence of portable music devices like the iPod . In September 1997, with the release of Duran Duran 's " Electric Barbarella " for paid downloads, Capitol Records became the first major label to sell a digital single from a well-known artist. Previously, Geffen Records also released Aerosmith 's " Head First " digitally for free. In 2004,
2480-546: The late 19th century, when music was distributed on phonograph cylinders that held two to four minutes' worth of audio. They were superseded by disc phonograph records , which initially also had a short duration of playing time per side. In the first two to three decades of the 20th century, almost all commercial music releases were, in effect, singles (the exceptions were usually for classical music pieces, where multiple physical storage media items were bundled together and sold as an album). Phonograph records were manufactured with
2542-495: The list. To be eligible for inclusion in charts, the single must meet the requirement set by the charting company that governs the playing time of the single. In popular music , the commercial and artistic importance of the single (as compared to the EP or album) has varied over time, technological development, and according to the audience of particular artists and genres. Singles have generally been more important to artists who sell to
Cry Baby (Melanie Martinez album) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2604-426: The music recording market. Dance music , however, has followed a different commercial pattern and the single, especially the 12-inch vinyl single, remains a major method by which dance music is distributed. Another development of the 2000s was the popularity of mobile phone ringtones based on pop singles. In September 2007, Sony BMG announced that it would introduce a new type of CD single, called "ringles", for
2666-423: The part where Cry Baby gets kidnapped and kills her kidnapper. Each song on the tracklist has a childhood related title and contains childhood related metaphors, while the deeper messages being crossed to the listener carry more adult themes and problems. For example, the song " Cry Baby " refers to someone who is teased for openly displaying their emotions (as opposed to an actual baby), and the song "Training Wheels"
2728-430: The point of release, without the need for an accompanying physical. Sales gradually improved in the following years, reaching a record high in 2008 that still proceeded to be overtaken in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In the late 2010s, artists began a trend of releasing multiple singles before eventually releasing a studio album. An unnamed A&R representative confirmed to Rolling Stone in 2018 that "an artist has to build
2790-543: The same name (2015). The song's music video was released on March 14, 2016. "Cry Baby" runs for three minutes and fifty-nine seconds. The alt-pop song opens the album, creating a "spooky" atmosphere with minimalist electronic sounds and whispered lyrics. The song is positioned in the key of F minor and runs at a tempo of 95 BPM. Although it was composed in said key, a chord progression isn't followed. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. This 2010s rock song -related article
2852-505: The standard explicit, with the deluxe and clean being digital exclusives. The album is about a character, named Cry Baby, a fantasy version of Martinez when she was a very young child (specifically before she started education), and a representation of her vulnerable and messed-up side. Martinez described Cry Baby as "a child who experiences adult things". She states that many of the things that have happened to Cry Baby are embellished versions of things that have happened in her own life, except
2914-462: The standard format. Later, 10-inch vinyl singles have commonly been released as limited edition collectors items, which sometimes includes rare tracks or special artwork. With the rise of digital downloading and audio streaming, individual tracks within an album became accessible separately. Despite this shift, the notion of a "single" from an album remains, pinpointing the more promoted or favored songs. The surge in music downloads escalated following
2976-411: The time and the thickness of the needles used on record players limited the number of grooves per inch that could be inscribed on the disc surface and a high rotation speed was necessary to achieve acceptable recording and playback fidelity. 78 rpm was chosen as the standard because of the introduction of the electrically powered synchronous turntable motor in 1925, which ran at 3,600 rpm with
3038-514: The time, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , and ended up releasing 15 tracks in the program. CD singles and 7-inch records are now obscure and uncommon for new releases: as of the 2020s singles are predominantly digital, and physical releases are mainly full-length albums instead, on CD and 12-inch LPs. The sales of singles are recorded in record charts in most countries in a Top 40 format. The charts are often published in magazines and numerous television shows and radio programs count down
3100-440: The video for " Carousel " and postponed her release date for her album, and stated that she hoped to have it out in spring. That spring, Kinetics & One Love announced that all of the vocals for Melanie's album were finished, and Melanie officially announced that her album would be titled Cry Baby . Melanie began teasing some titles for tracks. The first single was " Pity Party " and was confirmed on May 27, 2015. The music video
3162-404: The video, and "Sippy Cup" was released the day after. The album was released on August 14. The CD was packaged as a storybook, with jewel case CDs available later. Both a picture disk and a standard black vinyl were released in the future. Cassettes were then released, advertised as being in yellow, blue, and pink. There is also a less common green cassette. All physical copies of the album are
SECTION 50
#17327918163333224-458: The work of contemporaries like Lorde and Lana Del Rey ." Emma Guido at Under the Gun Review gave the album a 9.5 out of 10, calling the album "a journey with Martinez’s creepy alter ego as she battles her demons and obsessions", calling her songwriting methods "expressional, passionate and marvelously creative" and writing that "the haunted carnival -esque ambience of Cry Baby ...takes on
3286-445: The youngest purchasers of music (younger teenagers and pre-teens ), who tend to have more limited financial resources. Starting in the mid-1960s, albums became a greater focus and became more important as artists created albums of uniformly high-quality and coherent themes, a trend that reached its apex in the development of the concept album . Over the 1990s and the early 2000s, the single generally received less and less attention in
3348-480: Was accidentally leaked by Melanie herself on May 29, but she later tweeted that she was happy and excited for the fans who had seen it and promised there was "more to come" during her live stream on June 1. It was officially released on the day of the live stream. During the live stream, Martinez announced that the release day of Cry Baby would be in August. The second single, " Soap ", was confirmed in late June, and it
3410-466: Was also releasing 7-inch singles pressed in different colors for different genres, making it easy for customers to find their preferred music. The novelty of multicolored singles wore off soon: by 1952, all RCA singles were pressed in black vinyl. The lowest recording numbers found (so far) for each genre of RCA 45s are: 47-0146 yellow, 47-2715 black, 48-0001 green, 49-0100 deep red, 50-0000 cerise, 51-0000 light blue. 52-0000 deep blue. What became of 48-0000
3472-411: Was announced soon before it was to be released on July 10. It leaked a day earlier. The one-shot music video came out the same day. On July 16, the album art and release date were leaked on Amazon , although the release date was false. On July 17, the album art was officially revealed, and merchandise bundles were available to pre-order on Martinez's website, with the digital pre-order on July 24. Before
3534-458: Was defined in the mid-20th century with the 45 (named after its speed in revolutions per minute ), a type of 7-inch sized vinyl record containing an A-side and a B-side , i.e. one song on each side. The single format was highly influential in pop music and the early days of rock and roll , and it was the format used for jukeboxes and preferred by younger populations in the 1950s and 1960s. Singles in digital form became very popular in
3596-501: Was eliminated from The Voice and was ready to put it out. However, after creating her song " Dollhouse " in September 2013, she decided not to release the aforementioned extended play. She began conceptualizing her debut album, which differed from the sound of the 2013 EP. In May 2014, Melanie put out her Dollhouse EP, and announced that summer that she hoped to have her album out around October. When October came, Melanie released
3658-437: Was not announced as a single by Martinez. "Alphabet Boy" received a music video on June 2, 2016. A double feature music video for "Tag, You're It" and "Milk and Cookies" was released on August 23, 2016. The song "Pacify Her" had a music video released on November 15, 2016. The song " Mrs. Potato Head " had a music video released on December 1, 2016. The song "Mad Hatter" had its music video released on September 23, 2017, serving as
3720-463: Was released as a mashup with " Axel F " in June 2005 amid a massive publicity campaign and subsequently hit No. 1 on the UK chart. The term single is sometimes regarded as a misnomer since one record usually contains two songs: the A-side and B-side . In 1982, CBS marketed one-sided singles at a lower price than two-sided singles. In South Korean music , the terminology for "albums" and "singles"
3782-770: Was the Beatles Hey Jude ; released August 1968 it clocked in at over seven minutes, pushing the limits of the 45 rpm single. Singles have been issued in various formats, including 7-inch (18 cm), 10-inch and 12-inch discs, usually playing at 45 rpm; 10-inch shellac discs, playing at 78 rpm; maxi singles ; 7-inch plastic flexi discs ; cassettes ; 8 or 12 cm (3.1 or 4.7 in) CD singles, and less commonly on Digital Compact Cassette and many non-standard sizes of vinyl disc (5 in or 13 cm, 8 in or 20 cm, etc.). Singles were also released on DVD and Laserdisc video formats, which would additionally contain music videos to be watched on
SECTION 60
#17327918163333844-511: Was then released three days later, on June 1, 2015, on YouTube . It was certified Platinum by RIAA . "Soap" was released as the second single. It was released on July 10, 2015, along with a music video. It was certified Gold by RIAA. As of the end of 2017, "Soap" became an online trending song on the application TikTok (formerly known as Musical.ly ), and a challenge known as the "Soap Challenge" gained speed, which saw users play Martinez's song while using liquid dish soap on makeup wipes to blow
#332667