UW
Unfamous with Justin Tranter

Melanie Martinez + CJ Baran | Building Worlds Through Intuition, Trust, and Experimentation

March 25, 2026·1h 18m
Episode Description from the Publisher

Melanie Martinez and CJ Baran make dark, beautiful, deeply specific art. But more importantly? They know how to build a universe together. In this episode of Unfamous, Justin Tranter sits down with the longtime collaborators behind Cry Baby, Portals, and Melanie’s upcoming double-album world to talk about storytelling, trust, experimentation, intuition, and what it takes to make something both wildly ambitious and emotionally precise. It’s imaginative. It’s meticulous. It’s weird in all the right ways. And it’s a real look at how two artists build a fully realized world without sanding off what makes it special. If you love pop culture, music, and the messy, magical truth behind how things get made, this one’s for you. Follow, subscribe, like and comment wherever you watch and listen. Instagram: www.instagram.com/unfamousthepodcast Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@unfamousthepodcast Join our Patreon for exclusive access to private AMA's with Justin, song breakdowns, "Unfamous Advice" from Justin and more: https://patreon.com/Unfamousthepodcast Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Bobbie Gale, Nina Savio and Kyle Stuart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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