Marina and the Diamonds: Electra Heart
I first found out about Marina and the Diamonds in the Spring of 2012. I had seen the release of "Primadonna" as a single on iTunes and didn't think anything of it at the time. I cannot remember for the life of me how I discovered the single and actually listened to it. It may have been the music video on YouTube. I instantly fell in love. I bought the single immediately and then did quite a bit of searching for this artist whose name I had seen but never really investigated. I then found "The Family Jewels" and loved that album too. I quickly pre-ordered "Electra Heart" as soon as it was available. Since I discovered her, Marina has quickly become one of my most played artists that I have. She has an absolutely fantastic voice and her lyrics are incredible. Some of what she writes is extremely unique and absolutely wonderful.
1. "Bubblegum Bitch" A very poppy and fun song, especially lyrically. It definitely introduces Marina's new sound as well as her idea of the archetypes and her alter-ego Electra Heart. (Or at least I think that's what she means). It's a good intro track as it's catchy, drawing the listener in and of course the line "Welcome to the life of Electra Heart" is a good intro. Rating 8.5/10
2. "Primadonna" The song that introduced me to Marina and the Diamonds. It is definitely one of my absolute favorite songs. Marina's voice is incredible on both the chorus and the verses and the lyrics are snazzy and smart. I couldn't help but sing along. The beat during the verses is fantastic and definitely one of the more dancier tracks in that regards. Though I did like the guitar during the chorus, though the last chorus that included the dance bit is the a great closer to the song. I don't agree with all the folks that say the song sounds like Katy Perry. Though yes it was written with Dr. Luke, who has written with Ms. Perry, Marina makes the song her own and it was a great intro for me to a fantastic artist. I did really hope that this would be Marina's breakthrough hit into the US markets, but alas. I can also relish in knowing that I have a fantastic artist that not many americans knew about. Rating 9.5/10
3. "Lies" Along with Primadonna, "Lies" was one of the first songs that I heard from Marina as she had uploaded an acoustic cover of the song to her YouTube page. I loved that version, but when I heard that the album version was going to be a dubstep-esque song, I didn't know what to expect. I was honestly a little disappointed as the acoustic version was so beautiful. However the album version is fantastic and I love it just as much. It almost seems to have a different tone, a more angry one perhaps compared to the sad tone of the acoustic version. The beat of this mid-tempo song fits well and the song is lyrically sad as it is a depiction of a romance gone bad. Marina's voice is equally impressive here, though perhaps not quite as impressive as the acoustic. Rating 9/10
4. "Homewrecker" This is perhaps one of the most unique songs that I have ever heard. The talking in the chorus is neat and the lyrics are impressive. The chorus is very impressive with Marina's vocals reaching impressive heights. It's a very fun song that talks of Marina's character "break[ing] a million hearts just for fun." Like most of her stuff "Homewrecker" is extremely catchy. The bridge is neat as well as it exemplifies the home-wrecker archetype that she created for the album. Rating 8.5/10
5. "Starring Role" I will admit I wasn't sure how I felt about this song at first. But I will have to say it has definitely grown on me. It's another song about a bad relationship, this one being that Marina's character is not the main interest in her love's heart. The song definitely shows her anguish about the relationship not being equal, "It almost feels like a joke" for example. Again Marina's penmanship shines as the lyrics fit the mood of the song. Her vocals are excellent here as well. Rating 8.5/10
6. "State of Dreaming" Tied for my favorite song on the album out of many. I seriously love this song. I love how it starts out slow and soft and builds up to the chorus. The "My life is a play" part is gorgeous and of course fits the message that too man people focus on the fake and superficial to actually live their lives. I love the drumbeat on the track and the strings that accompany it. Her voice is fantastic and her range is very impressive on the song. Though the song is a little repetitive in terms of lyrics, it never gets old for me. That's a sign of a really good song in my book. Rating 9.5/10
7. "Power and Control" another solid track on the album. Again showing a relationship that is unequal, but this time has the woman (Marina) veering for control. My favorite line would have to be "Love will always be a game" The song is good, with a strong beat, lyrics and vocals. However the song is repetitive and that hurts it a little as it isn't as strong of a song as "State of Dreaming" I do love the music video for this song as I feel it fits it perfectly. Rating 8/10
8. "Sex Yeah" This is a fun song in my opinion that definitely has a strong message and is obviously a little explicit. It deals with the whole idea that sex and the image of what a perfect woman should be and how that's wrong. And Marina does this to a catchy beat with excellent lyrics and beautiful vocals. While I do tend to skip the song a lot, as it's kinda forgettable, I do like it. Rating 8/10
9. "Teen Idle" Probably her smartest song. The lyrics are incredible and have a deep meaning. Definitely some of the best lyrics I have heard. I often see snippets of them floating around tumblr. The song is interesting, it's a slower song and unfortunately rather uninteresting to me. I will listen to it and love it, but it depends on my mood. While it is a great song , very smart and definitely adds to the album well, it is not a favorite of mine. (Feel free to try and convince me otherwise :) Rating 8/10
10. "Valley of the Dolls" Another of my favorites. I love the music, the lyrics and her voice on this song. Especially the bridge. The enunciation on the "Back to Zero here we go" part is fantastic. I love the lyrics to the song and it's theme of having to pick personalities and changing who you are for certain things. Obviously she's conveying the message that that is not what humans should do. I do love the song, her voice and range is fantastic here. Rating 9/10
11. "Hypocrates" A very, very forgettable song in my opinion. It's the least listened to song from Electra Heart for me. Her voice is gorgeous and her range is impressive but the song is just meh. The music is good but it doesn't compare to the rest of the album. It also doesn't help that it was smashed between two very good songs. Rating 6.5/10
12. "How To Be A Heartbreaker" Another favorite of mine. Probably the most fun song on the album and a really cheeky fun song with a hilarious video as well. the lyrics are hilarious and fun. The chorus is amazing, the song is fantastic in general. The beat is great, kinda the reverse structure of Primadonna where the beat is heavy in the chorus and the guitar is prominent during the verses. Rating 9.5/10
13. "Radioactive" the danciest track on the album and a really solid track overall. Her voice again is fantastic and the bridge contains some of my favorite lyrics on the album. "Tonight I feel like Neon Gold" The beat and the way she sings during this part is wonderful. It does seem a little out of place on the album because of the beat and lyrics, but it is still a great song in my opinion. The music video is neat, albeit a little weird. Rating 9/10
14. "Fear and Loathing"An excellent closer and the albums longest track. It's a solemn song with tremendous lyrics and Marina's vocals soar. The music is soft and slow and fits the song well. I feel that it provides closure to the epic tale of Electra Heart. The bridge again is glorious. The way she sings "I wanna be completely weightless, I wanna touch the edge of greatness, don't wanna be completely faithless" is wonderful. It's an excellent song and closes an excellent album. Though the thirty seconds of noise at the end is a little odd. Rating 9/10
