"Death"
Single by Melanie Martinez
from the album Portals
ReleasedMarch 17, 2023 (2023-03-17)
Length
  • 5:07 (album version)
  • 3:40 (radio edit)
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Melanie Adele Martinez
Producer(s)
Melanie Martinez singles chronology
"The Bakery"
(2020)		 "Death"
(2023)		 "Void"
(2023)
Music video
"Death" on YouTube

"Death" is a song by American singer-songwriter Melanie Martinez. It is the lead single from her[lower-alpha 1] third studio album, Portals.[1] It was released as a single on March 17, 2023, through Atlantic Records.[2] It is her first song to chart in the Billboard Hot 100 since 2012, peaking at number 95.[3][4]

Background

After being on two-year hiatus for music, Martinez started to archive all of her Instagram posts and teased the upcoming album on February 18, 2023.[5] The singer also released a twelve-second snippet with no single cover, on Spotify.[6]

In March 2023, Martinez uploaded a post to Instagram featuring a cryptic message and a photo showcasing the alter-ego pink fairy character "emerging from a prone human form". The post also showed a set of lyrics, a release date, and the title of the lead single.[7] The song was later released on March 17, 2023.[8]

Music video

The video begins with five masked dancers glancing into Cry Baby’s grave, where they place plants. Cry Baby is in the grave with an open wound on her heart. A version of Martinez with pink skin, multiple eyes, and fairy-like wings then appears from Cry Baby's heart and elevates to the surface. Throughout the video, the camera cuts to the dancers on an island with Cry Baby's grave, and this version of Martinez with blue hair singing or on a hoop performing tricks with dancers, still elevating. She then stabs Cry Baby's corpse with nine swords. Near the end, the elevating Martinez rips a cord connecting her alter-ego, Cry Baby, trying to escape the grave. As the dancers finish burying Cry Baby, Martinez pops out of the ground and the video ends.[9]

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Death"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australia Hitseekers (ARIA)[10] 12
Global 200 (Billboard)[11] 161
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 66
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[13] 7
UK Singles (OCC)[14] 67
US Billboard Hot 100[3] 95
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[15] 9

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Death"
Chart (2023) Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[16] 94

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Death"
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various March 17, 2023 Atlantic [17]

Notes

  1. ↑ Martinez uses she/her and they/them pronouns. This article uses she/her pronouns for consistency.

References

  1. ↑ Mier, Tomás (February 22, 2023). "Melanie Martinez Transforms Into a Pink Creature for New Album 'Portals'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  2. ↑ Fabris, Andres (March 20, 2023). "Melanie Martinez Releases Comeback Single "Death"". Music Daily. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Melanie Martinez Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  4. ↑ ""Death" by Melanie Martinez Debuts at #95 on the Hot 100. It Marks Her First ... - Latest Tweet by Pop Crave | 🎥 LatestLY". LatestLY. March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Melanie Martinez Takes a Fresh Start After Cleaning Most of Her Instagram Photos". Latestly. February 19, 2023. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Melanie Martinez Gives a Glimpse of Her 2023 Single; Singer Releases 12 Seconds Audio of Her New Song on Spotify". Latestly. February 18, 2023. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  7. ↑ Rivera, Kelsey (March 15, 2023). "Melanie Martinez to release first single 'Death' from upcoming album 'Portals' on Friday". Diario AS. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Melanie Martinez is back from the dead with new song 'Death'". Music-News. March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  9. ↑ Martinez, Melanie (March 24, 2022). "Melanie Martinez - Death (Official Video)". YouTube. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  10. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 27 March 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1725. Australian Recording Industry Association. March 27, 2023. p. 25.
  11. ↑ "Melanie Martinez Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Melanie Martinez". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  13. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Melanie Martinez Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  17. ↑ Martinez, Melanie (March 17, 2023). "Death". Apple Music (US). Retrieved March 10, 2023.
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