Possession (Melanie Martinez song)

"Possession"
Single by Melanie Martinez
from the album Hades
ReleasedJanuary 28, 2026 (2026-01-28)
Genre
Length3:08
LabelAtlantic
Songwriters
ProducerCJ Baran
Melanie Martinez singles chronology
"Evil"
(2023) 		"Possession"
(2026) 		"Disney Princess"
(2026)
Audio video
"Possession" on YouTube

"Possession" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American singer-songwriter Melanie Martinez. It was co-written and produced by CJ Baran, and Atlantic Records released the song on January 28, 2026 as the first single from her upcoming fourth studio album, Hades (2026). After concluding the Trilogy Tour in support of her studio albums, Martinez started to tease her upcoming era in January 2026, clearing her social medias and an official website. The single was announced a day before, served with an accompanying visual snippet.

Background and release

Since May 2024, Martinez embarked on the Trilogy Tour in support of her studio albums, Cry Baby (2015), K–12 (2019), and Portals (2023).[1] In January 2026, she cleared all of her social media accounts alongside an official website, to prepare her upcoming new era.[2] Soon after, the singer uploaded a new video, which introduces a new character named Circle.[3]

A day before the release of "Possession", Martinez announced that it would be released on January 28.[4] The track was accompanied by its audio video[5] as well as a snippet of the visual video.[6] The song marks her first single since "Evil" (2023), which is featured in Portals.[7][8]

Music

A pop,[9] alt-pop,[10] and rock[8] ballad,[9] "Possession" runs for three minutes and eight seconds.[11] Martinez sings in a near whisper, yet with gusto, about the experience of feeling like someone's "possession", while describing the role of a "good housewife".[12] It "peels back the ways power can masquerade as love" and "spotlights Melanie's trademark blend of charm, mischief and bite".[13] Lars Brandle from Billboard saw Martinez "tackl[ing] the ugly scenario of domestic violence", calling the song as "edgy number built on a bed of rock".[8] Daily Times said the track depicts "her signature surreal visuals, sharp lyrics, and strong social commentary",[4] while Flood magazine's Will Schube referenced that it would not "sound out of place on a Spaghetti Western soundtrack", before she sings the lines such as "I hit my head real hard / I woke up in the dark".[7] EIN Presswire stated that "Possession" is "haunting, satirical and spotlights Melanie's trademark blend of charm, mischief and bite".[14]

Reception

"Possession" reached at number 1 on Billboard's This Week's Favorite New Music, gaining 80% of the vote behind Bruce Springsteen, Cannons, Noah Kahan and Labrinth.[15] It also accumulated over 2.7 million Spotify streams in its first 24 hours and has exceeded 10 million streams to date, marking Martinez's fastest-streaming release and the largest female debut of 2026.[16] Atwood magazine's Danielle Holian described it as a track that follows the conclusion of the Cry Baby trilogy with a sense of reckoning. She wrote that if Portals ended with "cosmic rebirth", "Possession" feels "like the reckoning that follows reincarnation". The editor also characterized it as a "candy-coated gut punch", noting its contrast between a "glossy" surface and "bruising underneath", and added that the song reintroduces Martinez "not as a character, but as an architect of power dynamics".[17]

Personnel

Credits were adapted from Tidal.[18]

  • Melanie Martinez – lead vocals, songwriter
  • Nick Trapani – assistant engineer
  • CJ Baran – producer, bass, engineer, keyboards, sequenced drums, sound desginer, synthesizer, songwriter
  • Rhys Hastings – drums

Charts

Weekly chart performance
Chart (2026) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[19] 15
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[20] 1
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[21] 11

Release history

List of release histories
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various January 28, 2026
Atlantic [11]

References

  1. ^ Mier, Thomás (November 9, 2023). "Melanie Martinez 'Cry Baby' Character for First-Ever Arena 'Trilogy Tour'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 27, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  2. ^ "Melanie Martinez Website". January 23, 2026. Archived from the original on January 23, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  3. ^ "Melanie Martinez Website". January 24, 2026. Archived from the original on January 24, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Melanie Martinez makes comeback amid fresh controversy". Daily Times. January 29, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  5. ^ Martinez, Melanie (January 28, 2026). Melanie Martinez - Possession (Official Audio) (video). Archived from the original on January 29, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ Atlantic Records [@atlanticrecords]; (January 28, 2026). "@littlebodybigheart Is Back. Possession Is Out Now". Retrieved January 29, 2026 – via Instagram.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ^ a b Schube, Will (January 28, 2026). "Melanie Martinez Shares Surprise New Single "Possession"". Flood. Retrieved January 29, 2026.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ^ a b c Brandle, Lars (January 29, 2026). "'Cry Baby Is Dead:' Melanie Martinez Ushers in New Era with 'Possession'". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2026.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ^ a b "Melanie Martinez starts a new musical era with the single "Possession"" [Melanie Martinez dá início a uma nova era musical com o single "Possession"] (in German). Teco Apple. January 28, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  10. ^ Stickler, Jon (February 5, 2026). "Melanie Martinez Announces Fourth Studio Hades". Stereoboard. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  11. ^ a b "Possession - Single". Apple Music. January 28, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. ^ Havens, Lyndsey (January 30, 2026). "Friday Music Guide: New Music from Noah Kahan, Labrinth, Cannons & More". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  13. ^ "Release Roundup: Beck, Don Caballero, Melanie Martinez". Spin. January 29, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  14. ^ "Melanie Martinez Drops Surprise Track "Possession" Today" (Press release). EIN Presswire. January 28, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026 – via The National Law Review.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  15. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (February 1, 2026). "Fans Choose Melanie Martinez's 'Possession' as This Week's Favorite New Music". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
  16. ^ Brandle, Lars (February 4, 2026). "Melanie Martinez Sets Fourth Studio Album Hades". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  17. ^ Holian, Danielle (February 4, 2026). "Melanie Martinez's "Possession" Is a Candy-Coated Descent into Hades". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  18. ^ "Possession". Tidal. January 28, 2026. Credits. Retrieved January 29, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  19. ^ "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  20. ^ "Melanie Martinez Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  21. ^ "Melanie Martinez Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
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