Peak
61
Weeks
1
Score
105
Chart Year
2023
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A "void" refers to something that is empty, lacking, or without substance or value. This song finds Melanie Martinez going through some rough times with severe anxiety, sadness, and overthinking. She feels like she's stuck in a bottomless pit of self-criticism. In other words, a void. Martinez needs to dig deep to find her inner light. The song starts with Martinez realizing something's wrong inside her and feeling society is to blame for some of it. But she knows she's the only one who can judge herself. The chorus focuses on the negative voices in Martinez' head that bring down her self-esteem. She wants to escape this void and turn down those voices, but it's easier said than done. In the post-chorus, Melanie uses the image of confessing to a priest to symbolize her own self-evaluation and quest to defeat her dark side. She describes herself as feeling tangled up in her own thoughts and emotions, like a bloody mess. Martinez released "Void" as the second single from Portals. The album contains 13 tracks about death, grief and what lies beyond. The singer wrote most of the songs in her home's "portal room" - a space she described to Apple Music as "an entry point for benevolent spirits to come and rest on their journey." Portals begins with the song "Death," which is about the initial shock and pain of losing someone close to you. "Void," the second track, is about the numbness and confusion that can come with grief. "'Void' has many layered meanings for me aside from it being generally about my anxiety, my tendency to overthink, and being overly critical of myself," explained Martinez. "It is also the second stage of the afterlife that I found was the most commonly described experience in hypnotherapy. It is about finding yourself in a dark place that feels like an endless abyss of self-criticism. There is not God, nor man there are able to judge you. You are left alone with your harshest critic, yourself, and the only way out is to find The light within." "Void" was the first song Melanie Martinez fully produced on her own. She started with the bass guitar top line, which she had recorded in a voice memo a few days earlier. The chorus melody and lyrics came naturally while looping the bassline. Martinez added a basic programmed drum loop that Rhys Hastings later replaced and mixed with live drums.
[Intro] In the void, in the void In the void, in the void In the void, in the void In the void, in the void In the void [Verse 1] Baby I'm spinnin’ 'round the corner It's tasting kinda lonely And my mind wants to control me E-e-e-empty There’s rotten things left in me Injected by society No one here but me to judge me [Pre-Chorus] Pipe down with the noise, I cannot bear my sorrow I hate who I was before I fear I won't live to see the day tomorrow Someone tell me if this is Hell [Chorus] I gotta escape that void There is no other choice, yeah Tryna turn down the voices The void ate me Look at the mess I've done There is nowhere to run, yeah Holdin' a loaded gun The void Like a priest behind confession walls, I judge myself Kneeling on a metal grater Bloody like a body that has died and it's myself Tangled in my own intestines I gotta escape the void There is no other choice, yeah Gotta escape the void [Verse 2] So strange I'm tryna find a doorway My eyes are starin' at me And they seem so damn unhappy C-c-c-collect My fickle insecurities And turn them into beauty Alchemize the dark within me-ee (Ah) See Melanie Martinez Live Get tickets as low as $82 You might also like SPIDER WEB Melanie Martinez EVIL Melanie Martinez TUNNEL VISION Melanie Martinez [Pre-Chorus] Pipe down with the noise, I cannot bear my sorrow I hate who I was before I fear I won't live to see the day tomorrow Someone tell me if this is Hell [Chorus] I gotta escape that void There is no other choice, yeah Tryna turn down the voices The void ate me Look at the mess I’ve done There is nowhere to run, yeah Holdin’ a loaded gun The void Like a priest behind confession walls, I judge myself Kneeling on a metal grater Bloody like a body that has died and it's myself Tangled in my own intestines I gotta escape that void There is no other choice, yeah Tryna turn down the voices The void ate me Look at the mess I’ve done There is nowhere to run, yeah Holdin' a loaded gun The void
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 15, 2023 | 61 | 65 |