Portals marks the 27-year-old NYC-born singer-songwriter-filmmaker’s first full-length release in nearly four years following her 2 billion-streaming, RIAA Gold-certified second album, K-12. Melanie Martinezs creative drive and talents have always distinguished her from other musicians. Her compelling music and visual art have created a rabid global fanbase with over 8.4 million followers on Instagram, 11.4 million subscribers on YouTube, 6.3 billion global streams, and 2.4 billion official YouTube views. After releasing her platinum-certified 2015 debut album, Cry Baby—which reached No. 1 on Billboards alternative albums chart and has amassed over 3.5 billion streams worldwide —she conceived and directed a video for each song on the album. These mini-movies traced the traumas and insecurities experienced by the albums character, Cry Baby. As of 2020, every song on Cry Baby is RIAA certified Gold or higher, including the 2X Platinum “Dollhouse” and the Platinum “Pity Party,” “Carousel,” “Mad Hatter,” and “Soap.” Melanie’s sophomore album and film, K-12, is another ambitious triumph with debuts at #3 on the Billboard 200 Chart, #1 on the Billboard Alternative Album Chart, #1 on the Billboard Soundtrack Chart, and a nomination for “Top Soundtrack” at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards. K-12s music is a vibrant and singular melting pot of low-key hip-hop, soulful pop and indie-leaning electro. K-12s universe is an expansion of the one introduced in Cry Baby. Using lyrics rich with metaphor, songs address the struggle to find a place to belong—including within friendships, the physical world and romantically—even when fitting into society feels like an uphill battle. Since releasing her K-12 album last September, Melanie has released 13 new music videos from the project which have now garnered over 100 million views collectively.