Melanie Martinez, IS THIS A CULT? | Bangerz N Bopz

In the 37^th edition of Bangerz N Bopz (2026), we highlight “IS THIS A CULT?” performed by alternative pop singer-songwriter Melanie Martinez. 

Bring on the bold, fierce songs! Bangerz N Bopz serves up background info and insight into songs of various styles, especially songs that raise eyebrows and/or stir the pot.  Featured records can be classic or brand new. In the 37^th edition of Bangerz N Bopz (2026), we break down “IS THIS A CULT?” performed by Melanie Martinez.

👀 Uh-oh, Melanie Martinez… smells like trouble. Hades, a fine fellow? Methinks not! Perhaps the attraction is the long hair resembling Jesus, which makes this cult leader appealing.  These lyrics appear in the verse of the marvelous song, “IS THIS A CULT?” “IS THIS A CULT?” appears as the second track from Martinez’s fourth studio album, HADES.  Conceptually, Martinez paints a picture of a situation where she and other women have been tricked and mistreated by men.   Of course, she and a squad of powerful women aren’t going to stand for that! Martinez wrote “IS THIS A CULT” with producers CJ Baran and Halo Boy.

“IS THIS A CULT?” is a Melanie Martinez track through and through, and we ain’t mad about it! It commences with an enigmatic, dark instrumental, set in a minor key.  Given the mention of “cult” in the song title, this is fitting. Martinez sings beautifully as always; her tone is haunting.  She brings those dark, rhythmic, tuneful melodies to life. The lyrics are striking and… hellish, unsettling… After discovering Hades was a bad, abusive fella with all kinds of women, Martinez asserts in the first pre-chorus, “He doesn’t know I’m the jealous type / His face made me wet when I pulled out a knife.” Oh, snap! The chorus is the crème de la crème, varied each iteration.  It adds more instrumentation, including a banging, syncopated beat. Most importantly, Martinez and her squad of girls kick ass and take names against this no-good cult leader. Memorably, in the first iteration, Martinez sings, “Is this a cult? Can we revolt? / I don’t play nice, and you’re not listening / I’ll be the first one to steal all your bitches.” Woo! In the second iteration, “We see the future and get what we want / We killed the leader, and now we’re on top.” Mic drop! Before Hades is killed, the second verse adds more dark goodness, including the memorable coda: “Cracked some eggs on his bruised-up tummy / Let him cook, yeah, let him cook, yeah.” The outro is delightful, yet unsettling with the effects-laden “la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la.” “IS THIS A CULT?” is a jam-packed, dark alternative pop song. Martinez and the women mistreated, disrespected, and underestimated get their lick back on this undisputed, unbelieving asshole.

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Melanie Martinez » HADES » Atlantic Recording Corporation » 2026

Melanie Martinez, IS THIS A CULT?: Bangerz N Bopz No. 37 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic Recording Corporation; Art Laurence Luzon, cottonbro studio, Osmar Vasques, Sebastian Ervi, Wallyson Nascimento from Pexels; Gordon Johnson from Pixabay]

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