Once viral for her “M to the B” video, Bella Poarch released her debut full-length studio album, “Picnic at the Cemetery.”
Known for her dark aesthetic since her breakout hit “Build a Bitch,” Poarch signed to her own label, M TO THE BEE LLC, under Canadian record label Last Gang Records and MNRK Music Group.
While her eerie aesthetic is familiar, Poarch frames the cemetery as a sanctuary inspired by visiting graveyards during the All Saints’ Day holiday as a child, even hand-drawing the “Bigheads” characters to represent each song’s emotions.
Starting with the three singles, “Ribcage” opens with low violin tunes that mimic a funeral dirge to show mental health struggles, where a sorrowful melody supports her rejection of treatment in the line, “I don’t like medicine, I’d rather eat my brain,” while the instrumental expands beneath the lyric, “Looking for my ribcage, I don’t feel my bones,” expressing an overwhelming numbness.
By contrast, “My Boy” shifts into an upbeat melody to describe light obsession, driven by a playful bass line underneath the lyrics, “Feels like I’ll love you ‘til I’m lifeless.”
Closing the trio of singles, “Stay Gone” pairs firm vocals with a steady, driving rhythm to emphasize walking away from toxic relationships through the line, “Don’t matter if you stay, I’m gonna stay gone.”
The shortest song on the album, “Hideaway” relies on a sorrowful beat and a haunting yet delicate melody to dive into the album’s dark theme.
The opening line, “Come with me where the flowers bloom / But the seasons never change” acts as a gentle invitation to the graveyard.
The lyrics, “Drop your brain, run into the gloom / Then we can hideaway,” present the cemetery as a peaceful place.
The album explores love through contrasting melodies in “Loverghost” and “Chase Me.”
In “Loverghost,” an ethereal, floating vocal sings the lyric, “Bodies will decompose / The way I love you won’t,” overcoming the fear of death through immortal affection.
Meanwhile, “Chase Me” presents a tense pulse that mirrors a heartbeat as Poarch challenges a suitor to make a move with the line, “Be my love, you better run / Hunter with a gun, you could chase me if you wanna.”
Themes of trauma and infidelity unfold in songs like “Bighead” and “Nice to Meet Ya.” “Bighead” features a melancholy melody behind lyrics of isolation: “I don’t have any friends / So I go paint them instead.”
In “Nice to Meet Ya,” there is a sharp, aggressive melody aligning with the story of learning a partner was unfaithful, matching the intensity of the lyric, “Murder would’ve been much better / I’d help you bury anybody who’d come between our love.”
Deeper in the track list, “Pomegranate” uses a synth loop to represent addiction alongside luring lyrics such as, “Oh, I know you need it, need it / So don’t be shy, come take a bite.”
In “My Heaven Is Alone,” a mid-tempo rhythm with heavy emphasis on long “o” and “ay”sounds to establish a haunting melody as Poarch sings, “I learned to lеt you go, no one left to call my own / Without you I’ll be okay, baby, you were my grave.”
“Down” secures its underground metaphor in heavy basslines, describing it as a space of protection in the line, “I’ll meet you down, down underground.”
Closing the album, “Garden” builds from quiet chords into a more melancholic melody, using soil as a metaphor to represent growth and renewal.
Soft instrumentation highlights the lyric, “Rain never came, so you watered me with hope / I’m all withered up, but at least I found home,” as Poarch learns to let go and return to the surface.
With this debut release, Poarch has transitioned from a viral TikTok creator to a dark-pop artist.
Fans of Poarch cannot wait to see where her growing music career will take the singer next.
