Quotes from Melanie Martinez

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

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

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've always been super into photography and the visuals that support my music.

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.

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'm a perfectionist, and even if something comes out great, it's still not perfect, you know?

Once I was done making my album 'Cry Baby,' I knew I wanted to make a vintage-inspired baby bottle perfume.

I got a lot of very bad hate on social media from some people from my school. I think people thought I changed because they saw me on TV. They weren't close enough to know that I was still the same human being... When I walked at graduation, I got booed. It was kind of stupid.

My music is like a baby pink frosted cake with sprinkles, but when you cut into it, there's a gooey, dark chocolate center.

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

I definitely have worked trying to create music that inspires girls to feel confident and strong, and feel like they can do anything.

Make sure this [music industry] is what you love to do, and you can't imagine doing anything else.

"Dollhouse" was definitely inspired by the whole Edward Scissorhands vibe where all of the houses are perfect, but inside each home there are very messed up families.

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 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 only wear vintage clothing. I'm pretty obsessed with things in the '60s, like fashion and music, too.

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

When I was 16, I was watching '101 Dalmatians,' and my mom never let me bleach my hair, so I told her I was going to dye my hair like Cruella De Vil; she didn't believe me. I came home with my hair like this, and she didn't talk to me for, like, a week. It was really hilarious.

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

I'm happy that I don't have to do covers anymore, because that's not what I do.

I'm not used to writing about happy emotions, I'm just used to pulling from my sad or angry - happy emotions are very hard for me to portray in music.

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.

'Cry Baby' is like this fairytale version of me. A lot of it is based on real events, and some of it is made up to make it more whimsical.