You may have heard of Marina and the Diamonds through her break through single, “Primadonna”. While this ode to the “femme fatale” might in itself be catchy enough to sing in the shower, her other albums, “Electra Heart” and “ The Family Jewels”, have so many more songs that deserve praise. And yes, I did use pronouns correctly in the previous sentence. Marina and the Diamonds is not a band, it is just her, Marina Diamandis. She explains her name by stating that “the Diamonds” are actually her fans, so basically one more reason to put on extra glitter, ladies!
Enough about her name though, the music tells it all. Her first two albums take the listener on an honest journey through both personal and societal issues. With songs such as “ Are You Satisfied” and “Mowgli’s Road” documenting her unhappiness living a seemingly mundane life in Wales (yes, she’s from Wales) and her decision to go out on a limb: move to London, make tapes with GarageBand, and do anything in her power to get noticed by the music industry (she even dressed up as a guy and auditioned for a boy band; evidently, she did not get in). With an accompanying orchestra, the journey through her decision making process comes to life.
Marina’s second album, “Electra Heart” documents a tale of a different tone: heartbreak. “Electra Heart” is written through the eyes of a fictional, dramatic character that encompasses every girl’s psyche in one form or another. From fun, poppy songs such as “Primadonna” to more serious songs that address feminism such as “Sex Yeah”, she seems to have a tune to address every mood. And while some of her songs have lyrics that document the hardships of women growing up and discovering themselves in this day and age, the undertow of her melodies always seems to make me feel more empowered. The best example of this is probably in “Power and Control” where I want to beat my fist against my chest like a gorilla when the lyrics, “It doesn’t mean that I am weak, I am weak” come on.
Maybe it is the honesty of her lyrics or the passion behind her personal story, but whenever she comes on my iPhone, I have to legitimately hold myself back from turning College Ave into my own personal dance party (it would probably look more like a massive freak out/spaz attack, but hey, I can dream). I just love it. So whenever you feel like someone (professor, friend, significant other, or almost-kind-of-not-really-significant other) is putting you down, tune into some Marina and the Diamonds and maybe you will be imagining yourself (or actually be) beating your fist against your chest on College Ave too.