Melanie Martinez

Melanie Martinez's surreal alt-pop draws from an array of influences, from The Beatles to 2Pac to Britney Spears, the latter who would help bring the young singer-songwriter to TV screens across the U.S. The Queens-born, Long Island–raised Martinez started writing poetry in kindergarten and taught herself how to play guitar by the time she reached high school. In 2012, during her junior year, she landed a televised audition on NBC's The Voice, where she sang Spears' "Toxic."