"SPIDER WEB", also referred to as "SPIDERWEB", is a song by Melanie Martinez. It is the sixth track on her third studio album, PORTALS.
The full song was first played exclusively at a streaming party on March 23, 2023. It was officially released for the standard version of PORTALS on March 31, 2023. The music video was released on December 4, 2024.
Background[]
In the Apple Music interview attached to PORTALS release, Melanie revealed the background of the song:
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According to Melanie, this song was personal to her as it describes the interconnectedness she felt under hypnosis. "SPIDER WEB" was the track she had in mind in order to have the opportunity to add double meaning for earthly resonance.
On March 4, 2023, a fan account, @pacifysrvthi, received a message from Atlantic Records asking for an address in order to send them a package. Moving to March 6, 2023, the fan received the package with an edible white chocolate egg along with a USB drive inside with a note:
Hatch me. A piece of the puzzle has been given to you. Eat the shell, eat the goo. What's inside is important, so please do share. I trust that you'll handle this portal with care.
The drive was later found to contain a snippet of the song when inserted into a compatible device.[1][2] Melanie later this day posted a video using the same audio into all of her socials.[3][4]
The song was confirmed as the sixth track on PORTALS on March 16, 2023, through Melanie's social media.[5] The song's lyrics were revealed on March 24, 2023, on Melanie's official website.[6]
On December 2, 2024, a teaser for the music video was posted on Melanie's Instagram.[7] 2 days later, on December 4, 2024, the "SPIDER WEB" music video was released on Melanie's YouTube channel.[8]
Theme[]
This song is about the servile behaviors of people on the internet, using clever metaphors such as a spider web. Social media is often described as a kind of "web" that traps people, feeding on their highs and lows—whether it’s validation from likes, shares, or even criticism and outrage. The “spider” could symbolize the algorithms and corporations that profit from people’s engagement. Lines like “spinning all your silk and moving all of your eight legs” capture how these platforms work tirelessly to expand their reach, drawing people in and keeping them hooked.
The lyrics also reflect the darker side of social media, where people sometimes feel vulnerable, like in the line "I wish to not be perceived." The verse about “liquify the insides” even hints at how the process can drain people emotionally or mentally, leaving them feeling empty or "lifeless" by the end. This song paints a vivid picture of how social media can trap people in cycles they can’t easily break free from, fueling curiosity but ultimately controlling them.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
I move like a moth or a butterfly
Craving a change in the wind
I swirl by all the insects and all the flies
Watching the cycle they're in
[Pre-chorus 1]
Better off dead than wasting my hours
Flying where I shouldn't be
Flexing like pricks with their stolen power
They're just who the spider will eat
[Chorus]
Spinning all your silk and moving all of your eight legs
To build a web that'll spread through the world
Feeding off our highs and lows
And curious to see us struggle
No one can leave once they merge
[Post-chorus]
Oh, no one can leave once they merge
Oh, no one can leave once they merge
[Verse 2]
I'm hiding myself from the enemy
I wish to not be perceived
Didn't ask for this dangerous visibility
I'm feeling too scared to sleep
[Pre-chorus 2]
Better off dead than stuck in a maze
The center may seem like a gift
Once you arrive, it'll strip you of your life
And you'll wish that you never did
[Chorus]
Spinning all your silk and moving all of your eight legs
To build a web that'll spread through the world
Feeding off our highs and lows
And curious to see us struggle
No one can leave once they merge
[Post-chorus]
Oh, no one can leave once they merge
Oh, no one can leave once they merge
[Outro]
Big bite, they liquify the insides first
Then wrap them tight
Securing their spot in the spider web
Up all night, bound to their addiction to it
Lifeless eyes
They die in the pit of the spider web
[Verse 1]
I move like a moth or a butterfly
Craving a change in the wind
I swirl by all the insects and all the flies
Watching the cycle they're in
[Pre-chorus 1]
Better off dead than wasting my hours
Flying where I shouldn't be
Flexing like pricks with their stolen power
They're just who the spider will eat
[Chorus]
Spinning all your silk and moving all of your eight legs
To build a web that'll spread through the world
Feeding off our highs and lows
And curious to see us struggle
No one can leave once they merge
[Post-chorus]
Oh, no one can leave once they merge
Oh, no one can leave once they merge
[Verse 2]
I'm hiding myself from the enemy
I wish to not be perceived
Didn't ask for this dangerous visibility
I'm feeling too scared to sleep
[Pre-chorus 2]
Better off dead than stuck in a maze
The center may seem like a gift
Once you arrive, it'll strip you of your life
And you'll wish that you never did
[Chorus]
Spinning all your silk and moving all of your eight legs
To build a web that'll spread through the world
Feeding off our highs and lows
And curious to see us struggle
No one can leave once they merge
[Post-chorus]
Oh, no one can leave once they merge
Oh, no one can leave once they merge
[Outro]
Big bite, they liquify the insides first
Then wrap them tight
Securing their spot in the spider web
Up all night, bound to their addiction to it
Lifeless eyes
They die in the pit of the spider web
Official versions[]
| Version | Released on | Release date | Producer(s) | Creation date | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final | PORTALS | March 31, 2023 | CJ Baran | 2021-2022 | 3:03 | |
| Demos | ||||||
| Voice memo | Unreleased | Unleaked | Melanie Martinez | 2021-2022 | Unknown | |
Live performances[]
"SPIDER WEB" was performed at:
Tours[]
- PORTALS Tour (debut performance)
- The Trilogy Tour
Festivals[]
Gallery[]
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To view the gallery of SPIDER WEB, click here.
|
Music video[]
The video first takes place in a pink showcase room, with a monologue from a businessman with glasses and a light blue suit pitching a brand new phone model, called "Fl!Fone" (a pink-colored fly-shaped phone accessorized with antennas and small popsocket wings, as well as two oval eyes functioning as separate small screens). He explains the phone's purpose as a mind control device, using highly calculated algorithms in order to distract people from the government's nefarious plans, as well as tracking data and information about every person who uses it and subliminally controlling them into doing whatever they want. The businessman is seen explaining the phone's purpose to nine different men, seemingly a board of directors or higher-ups, with most of them having taken a liking to this idea as well.
Meanwhile, the video then switches to a forest, panning to a huge brown cocoon from which The Creature, after waking up from their dream comes out of. The Creature continues to wander and fly around the trees as the camera pans to a big pink factory in the middle of the forest. It then leads us to the interior of the factory, covered in pink walls and conveyor belts, filled with laboring children working around, packaging, and sorting the Fl!Fones in pink boxes. We are then shown a full view of the factory's three-story manufacturing dome. Children on the top level of the dome can be seen studying and writing while those at the bottom are instead seen busy working and laboring. The phones are then seen being sorted and transported through the main center of the factory as The Creature is seen flying above the big circular glass roof on it. Posters and advertisements for the phone are then shown being plastered, with a bunch of people throwing away their old phones and lining up outside a pink, dome-shaped store to buy the latest Fl!Fone. The Creature is seen watching this all unfold.
It is now nighttime, and The Creature is again seen flying around the forest. They notice multiple small sources of light appear from the trees and go to check it out. They then watch as a group of people wandering the forest are seen using the Fl!Fone, with their eyes seemingly glued to the screen, unaware of their surroundings. Most of them constantly do not know where they're going and walk around aimlessly as they bump into trees or others. Unbeknownst to them, a giant black spider with 8 pink illuminating eyes and bioluminescent legs slowly approaches the forest, looking for prey. It begins to shoot webs at everyone, gluing them to their phones and surroundings even more, with some falling into ponds. The excessive amounts of webs shot at them causes their eyes to be more stuck to their screens, which in turn causes some to have their eyes start to bleed and some even start to bash their phones to their heads. After a while, the giant spider had managed to cover every person with a thick layer of cobwebs, making them unable to escape, with only the flashing lights coming from their phones the only thing seen from them again. The Creature has been watching all of this happen yet is unable to do anything. The spider then catches a glimpse of them and tries to shoot its web towards their direction. Luckily, The Creature manages to escape. Unfortunately for the others, the spider is seen devouring one of its victims and biting off their head. The spider then continues to walk while eating it as it gets closer to the camera, and the video ends.
Trivia[]
- The first snippet of the song was shared through egg hatching.
- The rest of the tracks on PORTALS, except "DEATH", "TUNNEL VISION", "FAERIE SOIRÉE", and "LEECHES" also had a snippet released in this type of promotion.
- This is the second track to be revealed under Atlantic's deliveries.
- The rest of the tracks on PORTALS, except "DEATH", "TUNNEL VISION", "FAERIE SOIRÉE", and "LEECHES" also had a snippet released in this type of promotion.
- The location where Melanie filmed the promotional video of the snippet is El Nido De Quetzalcoatl (Quetzalcoatl's Nest in English), an apartment building in Naucalpan, Mexico.
- This was the same location where Melanie filmed the promotional videos for "BATTLE OF THE LARYNX" and "LIGHT SHOWER".
- The "spider" crack before the chorus was sampled from CJ Baran's mouth.
- A snippet of this song was featured in a video posted by Melanie on March 6, 2023; with Melanie using lyrics from the song as the caption. [9]
- Melanie used the same lyrics from the song as the caption in another post on April 16, 2023.
- "LIGHT SHOWER" transitions to this track, while this song transitions directly to "LEECHES".
- Like "Numbers" and "TUNNEL VISION", this song's BPM changes during the first chorus only, from 110BPM slowed to 107BPM.
- This song started off with a piano version of its own song during the PORTALS Tour.
- This is the first PORTALS music video in which The Creature is not the center of interest but rather a wandering observer to what is happening around them.
- This is the first PORTALS music video to have any dialogue whatsoever.
- The music video's thumbnail and teaser appear significantly more darker than the actual video uploaded on the YouTube channel.
- Despite The Creature seen flying with their wings for most of the music video, they are only seen flapping them subtly a few times while they're flying. Normally, animals who have butterfly-like wings like The Creature's require them to be flapping at all times to ensure that their body won't fall down.
- The brand of phones introduced in the music video are named "Fl!Fone". A portmanteau of the word "fly" and "iPhone", the famous line of the phones produced by Apple.
- Similarly, instead of the day being shown on the phone as "Friday", it is spelled as "Flyday". A portmanteau of "fly" and "Friday".
- The digital clock consistently shown on the Fl!Fone's lock screen displays the time 2:22, a reference to Melanie's angel number "222" which has been commonly seen throughout her other visual media. The lock screen also displays a date "Friday, March 31", above the time, which is a reference to the release date of PORTALS.
- Seemingly, while the other phones display 2:22 on their lockscreens, the advertisements seen being put on walls in the music video have the time displayed as 9:42. This may be a reference to the time at which the original iPhone model was revealed to the general public.
- William Scott Blair, Melanie's hairstylist, actually appeared in the music video as the man who is seen putting up the posters for the Fl!Fones
- Nyk Allen was the Director of Photography and Cinematography in both the "TUNNEL VISION", "FAERIE SOIRÉE", "SPIDER WEB", and "LEECHES" music videos.
- On February 27, 2025, he was nominated at The Hollywood Music Video Awards in the category of "Cinematographer of The Year". The music video for "SPIDER WEB" was briefly shown as part of the series of clips showcasing his work.[10]
- Despite the music video's release, the Spotify canvas for the song has yet to be updated.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/@pacifysrvthi/video/7207493721682742570
- ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/@pacifysrvthi/video/7207509513283423530
- ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/@littlebodybigheart/video/7207542130305256746
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CpdjE-WMYst/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp6EerFDZd1/
- ↑ https://www.melaniemartinezmusic.com/lyricreveal
- ↑ https:/www.instagram.com/reel/DDFPQn7vr0L/?igsh=YzljYTk1ODg3Zg==
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Qc1vonVAfmk?si=v_J3jIprvT0Qt-D2
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CpdjE-WMYst/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/DGgJf0YP5p2/?img_index=5&igsh=MXc0czQ4bnNlaTRydQ==
[]
v • e  | |
|---|---|
| Featured tracks | DEATH • VOID • TUNNEL VISION • FAERIE SOIRÉE • LIGHT SHOWER • SPIDER WEB • LEECHES • BATTLE OF THE LARYNX • THE CONTORTIONIST • MOON CYCLE • NYMPHOLOGY • EVIL • WOMB |
| Bonus tracks | THE HATCHING • POWDER • PLUTO • MILK OF THE SIREN |
| Scrapped tracks | Barely Juice • Corpse • Death • Dragon's Blood • Emerald • Fairy Dance • Fingers Crossed • Fragile (unconfirmed) • Garden • Hawaii Space Guitar • Inconsistent Flame • Jinx • Labyrinth (version 1) • Labyrinth (version 2) • Magnets • MENace To Society • Mother of Pearl • Needle and Thread • Not Dead, Just Expired • Puzzles • Synchronicities • Tunnel Vision • Void • Walkie Talkie |
| Characters | The Creature (Cry Baby) • Masked Dancers • Faeries |
| Producers | Melanie Martinez • One Love • CJ Baran • Verde • The 23rd • Pearl Lion • Simon Says • Cautious Clay (deluxe) |
| Extras | Egg hatching • Film • Merchandise • Portals Parfums • Portals: The Game • Melanie Madness |
| Tour | PORTALS Tour • The Trilogy Tour |