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Electra Heart

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Untitled

Electra Heart is the second studio album by Welsh recording artist Marina and the Diamonds. It was released on 27 April 2012 by 679 Artists and Atlantic Records. Diamandis worked with several record producers on the album, including previous collaborators Liam Howe and Greg Kurstin, as well as Dr. Luke, Diplo and Stargate.

An electronic album, Electra Heart represents a change in musical direction from the indie pop and New Wave styles of Diamandis's previous releases. The song "Radioactive" was released as a promotional single on 23 September 2011.[3] The album's official lead single, "Primadonna", premiered on BBC Radio 1 on 12 March 2012,[4] and was released digitally in the US on 20 March 2012.[5]

Background

The announcement of a second studio album came from Diamandis herself, who revealed plans to begin working on new material in 2011 at a concert in Glasgow on 1 November 2010.[citation needed] On 8 August 2011, Diamandis uploaded a music video titled "Part 1: Fear and Loathing", containing the tagline "Electra Heart: The Start". Directed by Caspar Balslev, the video sees Diamandis in front of a bathroom mirror cutting off her hair.[6] A second Balslev-directed music video, "Part 2: Radioactive", was uploaded two weeks later and featured Diamandis recollecting her relationship with an ex-boyfriend.[7] The Stargate-produced track was then released in the United Kingdom on 30 September 2011,[8] where it debuted at number twenty-five on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Diamandis's fourth top forty single.[9]

A third music video, "Part 3: The Archetypes", was uploaded on 15 December 2011 and, at a length of one minute and twenty-one seconds, hinted at the title of four album tracks with the lyric "Housewife, beauty queen, homewrecker, idle teen".[10] Two other songs were released to YouTube prior to the album release, a demo version of "Starring Role" on 20 November 2011, and "Homewrecker" on 27 February 2012. Early versions of tracks that leaked before the album were "Sex Yeah", "Power & Control" and "Living Dead".

On 1 March 2012, Diamandis unveiled the track listing for the twelve-track standard edition of Electra Heart via Twitter and Facebook, while also uploading the album's cover image.[11] The four bonus tracks contained on the deluxe edition, including promotional single "Radioactive", were announced on 5 March 2012. The video for the first single "Primadonna" premiered on Diamandis's YouTube channel on 12 March 2012, and it was simultaneously released to UK radios. It was released to Swedish radio stations on 3 April 2012.[12] It was released digitally on 15 April 2012.[13]

Concept and influences

"Electra Heart is the antithesis of everything that I stand for. And the point of introducing her and building a whole concept around her is that she stands for the corrupt side of American ideology, and basically that's the corruption of yourself. My worst fear—that's anyone's worst fear—is losing myself and becoming a vacuous person. And that happens a lot when you're very ambitious."

—Marina and the Diamonds discussing Electra Heart, the album's titular character.[14]

Diamandis told Popjustice that "basically Electra Heart is a story", calling it "a really cinematic 70s Americana-type film" divided into three parts.[14] The album is centred around the titular character Electra Heart, who, according to Diamandis, is not an alter ego, but rather "it's kind of basically a vehicle to portray part of the American dream, with elements of Greek tragedy and that's all going to be coming out through the visuals."[14] She added that she "wanted to create a cold, ruthless character who wasn't vulnerable."[15] She described the album as "an ode to dysfunctional love" and elaborated, "I based the project around character types commonly found in love stories, film and theatre, usually ones associated with power and control in love, as opposed to weakness or defeat [...] Rejection is a universally embarrassing topic and Electra Heart is my response to that. It is a frank album."[16]

The idea of basing the songs around the Electra Heart character and four archetypes—Diamandis's own take on the facets of female personality that include the Primadonna, Sue-Barbie-A, the Teen Idle and the Homewrecker—originated from the time she spent travelling in the United States after the release of her debut album, The Family Jewels (2010). She explains:

"I was starting to think about our Tumblr generation, and how photos appear on Tumblr and people become almost like mini-stars of the internet, and you don't know who the hell they are—they're just anonymous faces. So I started to take photos, and make an effort to look completely different in each one, in different hotels and apartments all across America when I was travelling. And it just started to build from that. It was more the prima donna archetype at the beginning, really; I was reading a lot of books like Hollywood Babylon, focusing more on the gossipy, suicidal side of the '30s and '40s in Hollywood. That's how it started, and then it grew into a real project."[1]

Speaking on ITV's morning chat show Lorraine, Diamandis cited Madonna, Marilyn Monroe and Marie Antoinette as inspirations for the album: "[Madonna is] a fearless person. She's been knocked down so many times—for someone to keep going, it shows that they don't want to just have fame and success. They want to be a successful artist."[17] Speaking further about the album's concept, she said, "It's a bit cringe, but I wanted it to be a way of personifying love and heartbreak. The whole campaign is pink and fluffy, it's about love. I can never just make up a story, it has to be something that's happened in my life."[17]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
BBC Musicpositive[18]
Daily Express[19]
Digital Spy[20]
Drowned in Sound5/10[21]
Evening Standard[22]
The Guardian[2]
The Independent[23]
The Independent[24]
The Irish Times[25]
The Observer[26]
The Times[27]

Michael Cragg of BBC Music wrote that "[t]here are moments where the songs themselves aren't quite interesting enough to prop up Marina's voice", but noted that "these are minor quibbles", commending the album for its ability to "balance the ironic and the heartfelt, the quirky and the mainstream, the real and the fake with remarkable aplomb."[18] The Guardian critic Alexis Petridis expressed that the best songs on the album are "not the ones involving the big-name songwriters", but rather "those Diamandis came up with in collaboration with the producer of The Family Jewels, Liam Howe." He concluded, "There's clearly an interesting pop star somewhere in there: last time she was submerged by her own zaniness, this time she's somewhere beneath some half-hearted songs, a confused concept and someone else's image. Perhaps next time—if there is a next time—she might come good."[2] Krystina Nellis of Drowned in Sound found the album's concept confusing, calling Electra Heart "a reasonably fun listen, and even if it falls short of its stratospheric ambition, still has more to say than many of Marina's contemporaries." Nellis continued, "Weighed down by too much pseudo intellect and, crucially, not enough amazing pop songs, this is one tightrope act that was always going to end more with a whimper than a great flourish."[21] Digital Spy wrote: the earworm hooks, colossal choruses and sheer barminess ensures that Electra Heart is a thoroughly enjoyable listen throughout - regardless of whether you buy into the concept. The Evening Standard agreed writting:Marina excels at slower tempos, as in PM, Lies, Valley of the Dolls and The State of Dreaming, where her swooping vocals over an electro-pop beat bring to mind Kate Bush taking the easier option of her earlier days. Best of the lot is Homewrecker, a part spoken-word epic, which the Pet Shop Boys would not have been ashamed to put their signature on.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Bubblegum Bitch"Marina Diamandis, Rick NowelsNowels2:34
2."Primadonna"Diamandis, Julie Frost, Łukasz Gottwald, Henry WalterDr. Luke, Cirkut3:41
3."Lies"Diamandis, Gottwald, Thomas Wesley Pentz, WalterDr. Luke, Cirkut, Diplo3:46
4."Homewrecker"Diamandis, NowelsNowels3:22
5."Starring Role"Diamandis, Greg KurstinKurstin3:27
6."The State of Dreaming"Diamandis, Nowels, KaraoğluNowels, Devrim Karaoğlu3:36
7."Power & Control"Diamandis, Steve AngelloKurstin3:46
8."Living Dead"Diamandis, KurstinKurstin4:04
9."Teen Idle"DiamandisLiam Howe, Dan Dare, Thomas Broderick4:14
10."Valley of the Dolls"Diamandis, Nowels, KaraoğluNowels, Karaoğlu4:13
11."Hypocrates"Diamandis, NowelsNowels, Karaoğlu4:01
12."Fear and Loathing"DiamandisHowe6:07
Total length:46:51
Deluxe edition bonus tracks[28]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Radioactive"Diamandis, Clyde Narain, Fabian Lenssen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik HermansenStargate, DJ Chuckie, Lenssen3:47
14."Sex Yeah"Diamandis, KurstinKurstin3:46
15."Lonely Hearts Club"Diamandis, Ryan McMahon, Ryan RabinMcMahon, Rabin3:02
16."Buy the Stars"DiamandisHowe4:47
Total length:62:13
iTunes deluxe edition bonus videos[29]
No.TitleLength
17."Radioactive"3:48
18."Primadonna"3:47
Total length:69:48

Release history

Country Date Label Format(s) Edition(s)
Ireland[30] 27 April 2012 679 Artists, Atlantic Records CD, digital download Standard, deluxe
United Kingdom[31][28] 30 April 2012
France[32] Warner Music
Sweden[12] 2 May 2012
Germany[33] 11 May 2012
Poland[34] 14 May 2012
Australia[35] 18 May 2012
Netherlands[36] 25 May 2012
United States[37] July 2012 Atlantic Records

References

  1. ^ a b Murphy, Lauren (13 April 2012). "Hollywood pop". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Petridis, Alexis (26 April 2012). "Marina and the Diamonds: Electra Heart – review". The Guardian. guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  3. ^ "Radioactive – Single by Marina & the Diamonds". iTunes Store Australia. Apple Inc. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  4. ^ Stern, Bradley (12 March 2012). "MuuMuse Approved: Marina And The Diamonds – "Primadonna"". MuuMuse. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  5. ^ "Primadonna – Single by Marina & the Diamonds". iTunes Store US. Apple Inc. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  6. ^ "♡ PART 1: FEAR AND LOATHING ♡ | MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS". YouTube. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  7. ^ "♡ PART 2: RADIOACTIVE ♡ | MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS". YouTube. 22 August 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  8. ^ "Radioactive by Marina & the Diamonds". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  9. ^ "Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive". Official Charts Company. 15 October 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  10. ^ "♡ PART 3: "THE ARCHETYPES" ♡ | MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS". YouTube. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  11. ^ "♡ ELECTRA HEART ♡ 3 0 . 0 4 . 1 2". TwitPic. 1 March 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  12. ^ a b Persson, Malin (13 March 2012). "Marina and The Diamonds tillbaka med nytt album, Electra Heart släpps den 2 maj" (in Swedish). MyNewsdesk. Warner Music Sweden AB. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  13. ^ "Primadonna (Remixes) – EP by Marina & the Diamonds". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  14. ^ a b c Robinson, Peter (7 August 2011). "Marina & The Diamonds interview". Popjustice. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  15. ^ Thrills, Adrian (5 April 2012). "'I'm the Anti-Adele': Forget lovelorn ballads, Marina & The Diamonds' second album is full of spiky pop inspired by failed romance". Daily Mail. Mail Online. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  16. ^ Morgan, Clive (12 April 2012). "Exclusive: Marina and the Diamonds premieres Lies music video". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  17. ^ a b "Marina And The Diamonds: ''Electra Heart' is inspired by Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Marie Antoinette'". NME. IPC Media. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  18. ^ a b Cragg, Michael (26 April 2012). "Review of Marina and the Diamonds – Electra Heart". BBC Music. BBC Online. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  19. ^ Gage, Simon (27 April 2012). "CD REVIEW - MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS, ELECTRA HEART". Daily Express. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  20. ^ Copsey, Robert (26 April 2012). "Marina and the Diamonds: 'Electra Heart' – Album review". Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  21. ^ a b Nellis, Krystina (26 April 2012). "Marina & the Diamonds – Electra Heart". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  22. ^ Clark, Pete (27 April 2012). "CDs of the week". Evening Standard. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  23. ^ Gill, Andy (28 April 2012). "Album: Marina and the Diamonds, Electra Heart (679/Atlantic)". The Independent. Retrieved 28 April 2012. Over brutish electro-stomps and fizzy pop trifles every bit as sickly as that suggests, Marina's shrill Violet Elizabeth Bott inflections proclaim her emptiness: "Primadonna" and the perversely triumphalist "Homewrecker" celebrate selfish bitchiness, while vast tracts of the album – "Starring Role", "The State of Dreaming", "Living Dead" and more – depict a life of theatrical pretence leading to alienation and feeling "super-super-suicidal". Ironically, what masquerades as self-knowledge simply serves to conceal the real reasons why she ends up mired in "Fear and Loathing".
  24. ^ Price, Simon (29 April 2012). "Album: Marina and the Diamonds, Electra Heart (679/Atlantic)". The Independent. Retrieved 29 April 2012. Electra Heart is too professional to be truly terrible, but it's never clever enough to be more than merely toytown.
  25. ^ Clayton-Lea, Tony (27 April 2012). "Marina and the Diamonds". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  26. ^ Empire, Kitty (28 April 2012). "Marina and the Diamonds: Electra Heart – review". The Observer. Retrieved 29 April 2012. Her Heart is not all as craven as that, but these prom queen themes have had a more intriguing musical treatment from Lana del Rey.
  27. ^ "Marina and the Diamonds: Electra Heart", Will Hodgkinson, in Album Reviews, The Times, Published: Saturday, 28 April 2012. On line version accessible to paid subscribers only.
  28. ^ a b "Marina & The Diamonds: Electra Heart: Deluxe Edition". HMV. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  29. ^ "Electra Heart (Deluxe Video Version) by Marina & the Diamonds". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  30. ^ "New Releases – Friday 27.04.12 Albums". Warner Music Ireland. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  31. ^ "Marina & The Diamonds: Electra Heart". HMV. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  32. ^ "Electra heart : Marina And The Diamonds" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  33. ^ "Marina And The Diamonds – Veröffentlichungen" (in German). Warner Music Germany. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  34. ^ "Marina & The Diamonds – Electra Heart" (in Polish). Warner Music Poland. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  35. ^ "Electra Heart – Marina and the Diamonds". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  36. ^ "Nieuwe single Marina And The Diamonds" (in Dutch). Warner Music Netherlands. 4 April 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  37. ^ Hampp, Andrew (23 March 2012). "Backbeat: Marina & The Diamonds Previews Tracks From Upcoming Album 'Electra Heart'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
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