fire drill & societal conditioning

In her 2020 single, Fire Drill, Melanie Martinez combines her 'Crybaby' era of soft, ethereal tones and pastel goth aesthetics with a discussion of societal control and criticism of the government. Throughout the creative track, Martinez tackles numerous topics of societal conditioning, almost like a musical reinvention of the messages of Orwell in 1984. It starts out with a discussion of a lack of autonomy; how people fail to be their authentic selves and if you do set yourself out from the crowd in any way, you are "deemed an outcast" and "weird". The main message of the song is expressed through the chorus: “What would happen if a nuke just hit? Would you say to your family, would you post about it?". Melanie questions the listener, begging people to be more present in a society that is emotionally attached to a glass box in their hands. Set up to be almost like a children's rhyming song, with giggles and backing vocals reminiscent of children playing at school, Fire Drill's message (that beautifully juxtaposes its rhythmic tone and sound) is a bitter yet brilliant reminder of the worldly state we live in.