UK-based electro pop singer Marina Diamandis, known as her stage name, Marina And The Diamonds, put on an eclectic performance of 15 songs with a 2 song encore in the famous Great Hall in the New York Hall of Science in Corona, NY. Just 350 lucky fans got to see this intimate performance where she performed hits such as “How to be a Heartbreaker,” “Primadonna,” as well as songs from her most recent album Froot.
Everyone loves a good comeback, and that’s exactly what Marina (formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds) has done with the recent release of her trio of singles entitled “Orange Trees” after a nearly four-year hiatus.
Of Greek and Welsh descent, Marina Diamandis moved to London to begin her musical career. After many failed auditions, Diamandis began self-recording and self-releasing her own music. After the release of her first EP “Mermaid vs. Sailor” via MySpace in 2007, Diamandis signed with 679 Recordings, a subgroup of Warner Music Group.
2010 marked the release of her debut studio album entitled “The Family Jewels.” The project was met with critical success, especially the slightly avant-garde single “Mowgli’s Road” and the more traditional indie-pop track “Hollywood.”
While “The Family Jewels” was met with success in England, it wasn’t until Diamandis’ second record “Electra Heart” that she captured a global, and specifically American, audience. “Electra Heart” was created as a concept album in which Diamandis pretended to be the titular character. When touring the album, Diamandis dressed as the protagonist Electra Heart and said she represented many different American female archetypes, including “Teen Idle,” “Primadonna” and “Homewrecker,” all of which are titles of tracks on the album.
2015 marked the release of Diamandis’ third studio album “Froot.” This album had a much heavier techno influence and was no longer associated with a character but rather Marina herself. “Froot” ended up being her highest charting album in the United States and was praised for its cohesive sound. Diamandis announced she would be taking a break from music after the release and tour of this album.
Despite a few collaborations with electronic group Clean Bandit in 2018, last Friday, March 22 marked the first time she released her own music since 2015. Diamandis released three tracks entitled “Orange Trees,” “Superstar” and “Handmade Heaven” to tease her fourth studio album “Love + Fear” which is currently available to pre-order.
The new singles have Marina’s classic mix of slightly haunting vocals, catchy beats and beautiful lyricism. At the same time, the new tracks seem more mature than Marina’s previous work, perhaps a nod at the fact that she dropped the “and the Diamonds” portion of her moniker to the more streamlined “Marina.”
“Love + Fear” is already highly anticipated and is not likely to disappoint. What has always been so fascinating about Marina is her ability to combine avant-garde artistry with the creation of chart-topping hits, a unique combination that is sure to resonate on “Love + Fear.” Welcome back, Marina.
Lucie Turkel is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at lucie.turkel@uconn.edu.
