Since her 2012 debut on NBC’s “The Voice”, Melanie Martinez has bountifully illustrated enrapturing and magical aesthetics to strengthen her storytelling. Both her debut album, “Cry Baby,” and newest body of work, “K-12,” are visual albums, but “K-12” takes a deeper dive into the universe of cinema.

When releasing her 2016 album, Martinez introduced her audience to her fantasized alter ego Crybaby, chronicling her life and the growth she endured through various experiences. Filmed in Budapest, Crybaby returns in “K-12,” whimsically displaying her and her friends’ misunderstood personalities as they attend a boarding school named after the musical and album. Immediately, viewers are thrown into a pastel-stained universe of insanity.

From dealing with typical bullies to a strict administration filled with cold-hearted teachers and a principal who forces drugs on the student body to keep them under his control, Crybaby becomes our protagonist. With every chance she gets, she tries enforcing good in such a toxic environment, helping fellow students escape “K-12’s” grittiness. Seamlessly, Martinez integrates the 13-track album within this production, touching on topics such as eating disorders, abuse, body positivity and more.

The aesthetics are purely stunning, so captivating that it is hard not to let your eyes wander onto the scenery and away from dialogue. “K-12” freely showcases Martinez’s creativity and phenomenal artistry. With how dreamy its cinematic production is, it’s only right to indulge in the film first before diving straight into the album.

“K-12” the film and album are out now, streaming on all platforms. Viewers can also catch the film in select theaters and it is streaming now on her official YouTube channel.