Melanie Martinez’s thigh tattoos are a pair of illustrations from Japanese artist Masami Yanagida which represent the complexity of relationships. On her right leg is a naked couple with their head in a lottery wheel and on her left leg is a clothed couple with their heads in a maze. Both designs show the detachment between our minds and our bodies. Together they show that sex is a game based on luck while relationships are a challenge. Notably, both heads in the relationship illustration are together at the end of the maze, while in the sex illustration they are apart. Though Melanie omitted the text from her tattoo, in the original artwork the clothed man has the word “tough” on his shirt to show that relationships are difficult — but worth it to complete the challenge together.
She got the outlines on both legs in December 2015 (seen in her music video for “Crybaby”) and had them colored in April 2016 (seen in the “Alphabet Boy” video).
