"Strawberry Shortcake" is a song by Melanie Martinez that is featured as the seventh track on her sophomore album, K-12. The music video, originally available as part of the film, was later separately released on December 12, 2019.
Background[]
In April 2017, Melanie collaborated with photographer Emily Soto on a photoshoot to create visual imagery for each track on K-12. In the visual for Strawberry Shortcake, Cry Baby is seen to be climbing a rope while holding a knife and being chased by a man, although this does not happen in the final product.
On August 6, 2019, a snippet of the song was released on Facebook and Instagram through an advertisement for the K-12 Tour. A second snippet was released exclusively in France and Italy as an assignment on September 4, 2019, prior to being released worldwide.
In 2020, a short, one minute video of Melanie explaining the meaning behind the song was released through Apple Music. In this video, Melanie stated that the song's theme was partially based around her own experiences as a child and as a female artist; in sixth grade, it would be a dress code violation to wear "a spaghetti strap and a short skirt" because it was a concern that 'what will boys do?' or 'what will boys think if you're dressed like that?'. Melanie also stated that there was always this attention on how she looks as opposed to what she thinks.[1]
Track list[]
Physical track listing - K-12 Pink Heart-Shaped Vinyl
- 🅴 indicates the song is explicit, but also has a clean version.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "High School Sweethearts 🅴" | Melanie Martinez, Michael Keenan | Keenan | 5:11 |
| 2. | "Strawberry Shortcake 🅴" | Melanie Martinez, Keenan | Keenan | 3:04 |
Total length: |
8:15 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "High School Sweethearts 🅴" | Melanie Martinez, Michael Keenan | Keenan | 5:11 |
| 2. | "Strawberry Shortcake 🅴" | Melanie Martinez, Keenan | Keenan | 3:04 |
Total length: |
8:15 | |||
Theme[]
The song is about how many girls are taught from a young age that they are only valued if they are attractive to men. This regularly causes them to feel insecure about how they look since they do not fit society's standards. Cry Baby takes several measures to change her appearance so that she is considered more attractive, such as waxing her legs and stuffing her bra so her breasts appear larger. Due to this, she draws an excessive amount of attention from boys, causing her to feel as if it is her fault that they are becoming distracted by her and her body-- in the film, the song plays during swimming class when Cry Baby has to wear a skimpy, school-provided swimsuit, further reinforcing the theme of the song. Therefore, the song addresses sexual harassment and carries a critique of rape culture and victim-blaming.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
Feeling unsure of my naked body
Stand back, watch it taking shape
Wondering why I don't look like Barbie
They say boys like girls with a tiny waist
Now, my mom is preaching to make sure I'm pure
But I never really cared about that shit before
Look around the room to whoever wants me
[Pre-chorus 1]
Got boys acting like they ain't seen skin before
Got sent home to change, 'cause my skirt is too short
[Chorus]
It's my fault, it's my fault, 'cause I put icing on top
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
That's my bad, that's my bad, no one taught them not to grab
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
[Verse 2]
Gotta make sure that my legs are shiny
Hot wax melting, burn my skin
People all around me watching closely
'Cause it's how I look and not what I think
[Pre-chorus 2]
Mikey's eyes seem to be glued to her chest
So, I'm stuffing my bra so that mine look the best
[Chorus]
It's my fault, it's my fault, 'cause I put icing on top
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
That's my bad, that's my bad, no one taught them not to grab
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
[Bridge]
Instead of making me feel bad for the body I got
Just teach him to keep it in his pants and tell him to stop
[Chorus]
Sayin' it's my fault, it's my fault, 'cause I put icing on top
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
That's my bad, that's my bad, no one taught them not to grab
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
[Verse 1]
Feeling unsure of my naked body
Stand back, watch it taking shape
Wondering why I don't look like Barbie
They say boys like girls with a tiny waist
Now, my mom is preaching to make sure I'm pure
But I never really cared about that shit before
Look around the room to whoever wants me
[Pre-chorus 1]
Got boys acting like they ain't seen skin before
Got sent home to change, 'cause my skirt is too short
[Chorus]
It's my fault, it's my fault, 'cause I put icing on top
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
That's my bad, that's my bad, no one taught them not to grab
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
[Verse 2]
Gotta make sure that my legs are shiny
Hot wax melting, burn my skin
People all around me watching closely
'Cause it's how I look and not what I think
[Pre-chorus 2]
Mikey's eyes seem to be glued to her chest
So, I'm stuffing my bra so that mine look the best
[Chorus]
It's my fault, it's my fault, 'cause I put icing on top
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
That's my bad, that's my bad, no one taught them not to grab
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
[Bridge]
Instead of making me feel bad for the body I got
Just teach him to keep it in his pants and tell him to stop
[Chorus]
Sayin' it's my fault, it's my fault, 'cause I put icing on top
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
That's my bad, that's my bad, no one taught them not to grab
Now, the boys want a taste of the strawberry shortcake
Official versions[]
| Version | Released on | Release date | Producer(s) | Creation date | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final | K-12 | September 6, 2019 | Michael Keenan | 2015 | 3:04 | |
| Clean version | K-12 | September 6, 2019 | Michael Keenan | 2015 | 3:04 | |
| Instrumental | Unreleased | April 27, 2020 (leaked) | Michael Keenan | 2015 | 3:04 |
Gallery[]
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To view the gallery of Strawberry Shortcake, click here.
|
Music video[]
The music video starts with Cry Baby standing in the gym locker room, before the choreography starts. With a group of girls around her, which Celeste and Angelita are part of, the girls take off Cry baby's towel which reveals her swimsuit, then she, Angelita and Celeste visibly uncomfortable go to the pool.
During the music video, Cry Baby is seen topless and in a giant cake skirt, while she is surrounded by a group of boys, who start screaming, which cut and start eating her skirt. the video ends, with choreography in the pool.
Cast[]
Synchronized Swimmers[]
- Lili Baraksó
- Adél Fodor
- Réka László
- Zsófia László
- Kinga Mészáros
- Natália Szappanos-Nagy
- Sára Tringer
Trivia[]
- This song transitions into "Lunchbox Friends".
- Strawberry Shortcake was one of the first songs from K-12 to be performed live, along with "Recess" and "High School Sweethearts". The three songs were first performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 16, 2019.
- All of them are now taken down due to unknown reasons.
- The hairstyle Cry Baby wears in the gym's lockers room scene is very similar to Mrs Potato Head's hairstyle.
- The music video was separately released on iTunes and Apple Music before YouTube; however, it was taken down a few days later. It is unknown whether this was an accident or on purpose for an upload test.
- In an interview with Apple Music, Melanie stated that the music video was inspired by visual artist Nicoletta Ceccoli's artwork "Just Dessert".[1]
- Each song on K-12 represents a different grade level in school, from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
- "Strawberry Shortcake" represents sixth grade.
- During a live stream on Lucy Loone's Instagram, Iz Verdea said that the outfits the dancers wear while dancing on the K-12 Tour are meant to represent period blood.[2]
- Gym lockers being opened and closed, squeaking, spray paint cans being shook, basketballs bouncing, a bag zipping up and people talking can be heard throughout the song.
- The gym background sounds at the end are removed in the film and music video versions, but the whistle at the end can still be heard.
- This version of the song was released on Spotify and Apple Music.
- The gym background sounds at the end are removed in the film and music video versions, but the whistle at the end can still be heard.
- Strawberry Shortcake was one of the first songs to be recorded for K-12.
- On May 30, 2024, "Strawberry Shortcake" surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify
