Electra Heart
| Marina and the Diamonds
Electra Heart
Electra Heart is the second studio album by Welsh singer Marina Diamandis, known professionally as Marina and the Diamonds. It was released on 27 April 2012 by 679 Artists and Atlantic Records. Diamandis collaborated with producers including Liam Howe, Greg Kurstin, Dr. Luke, Diplo and Stargate during its recording, and subsequently transitioned from the new wave musical styles seen throughout her debut studio album, The Family Jewels (2010). Their efforts resulted in a concept album consisting of electropop and dance-pop music, a distinct departure from her earlier projects. Lyrically, the album discusses topics of love and identity. Diamandis created the title character "Electra Heart" to represent female archetypes in popular American culture (House Wife, Beauty Queen, Homewrecker and Idle Teen). -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
Marina Lambrini Diamandis' second album is a high-gloss record made with Dr. Luke, Stargate, Greg Kurstin, and Liam Howe, and dressed in layers of philosophy, mythology, and blonde wigs.
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The Guardian
Perversely, it's good enough to make you hope it does sufficiently well to grant her another shot. 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.
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Popfection
Each were inspiring different, and held an interesting topic. But, when the lead single for Electra Heart dropped, that all changed. Described as her “most personal album”, ‘Electra Heart’ is a bubblegum pop concept record, which talks about a different side of love, a darker side, which is shown by the album character, ‘Electra Heart’.
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Sputnik Music
A sonically and lyrically expansive journey through the mind of Marina Diamandis.
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MUU Muse
Somewhere at the intersection of a campy Broadway production, the raw angst of the ’90’s school of female singer-songwriters, unabashed bubblegum pop and just a touch of macabre exists Electra Heart, a collection of brilliantly crafted, smart pop songs with a healthy sense of humor that refuses to be any one thing. It’s an album that criticizes, indulges and wears as many hats as it damn well pleases. Or, in Electra’s case, wigs and diamonds.
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Diffuser
Through it's probably too long at 46 minutes, 'Electra Heart' does what it does well -- though it's hard to say if that's a good thing. 6/10 stars.
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BBC
There are moments where the songs themselves aren't quite interesting enough to prop up Marina's voice; and the inclusion of the teaser single Radioactive would have perked up a second half that sags slightly. But these are minor quibbles. Electra Heart manages to balance the ironic and the heartfelt, the quirky and the mainstream, the real and the fake with remarkable aplomb.
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All Music
The second studio album from Marina Lambrini Diamandis finds the mercurial Welsh singer/songwriter assuming the role of diva in waiting, trading in the ballsy, quirky retro-pop of her 2010 debut, Family Jewels, for the glitzy (and still relatively ballsy) electro-thump pomp of Ke$ha and Lady Gaga.
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Drowned in Sound
Electra Heart is 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. But in failing to meet its own ambition, it feels listless. 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.
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The Quietus
Maybe a little less time for both her and Electra gazing into the glass, and more finding her way out of her own ass, and her career won't have to.
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Music OMH
There are some strong singles which are bound to bounce around throughout the summer, but what comes next will be interesting; with her debut album she showed she can do credible ballads and quirky pop, and Electra Heart showcases glimpses of a clever, ballsy pop star. But which will she settle on?
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Sites At Penn State
“Electra Heart” is an untraditional and unprecedented product for the field of modern pop music. It serves to portray a hidden strength that lives beyond skin-deep splendor. Marina Diamandis executes with her own brand of feminist flair, flipping the concept of bubblegum pop on its head and reworking a notoriously stale genre into a buzzing manifesto of female empowerment.
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Entertainment Weekly
Electra Heart‘s attitude-fueled dance tracks and rapturous ballads take inspiration from female archetypes, from ”Bubblegum Bitch” to ”Teen Idle.” On ”Primadonna,” she quips, ”You can count on me to misbehave.” And that’s just how we like her.
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Louder Than War
The legacy of Marina and the Diamonds remains intact the interest in her remains undimmed and the talent that she has remains immense future output should be followed with interest.
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Daily Mail
Marina has tempered her ambitions with a sense of perspective. Oddly enough, it could be that which finally makes her a star.
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Clash Magazine
‘Electra heart’ is an ingloriously languid statement of Marina’s demise, the final stamp of disapproval on her flailing excuse of a musical career. There is actually a song called ‘Bubblegum Bitch’ on this album. ’nuff said.
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Pop Crush
On April 27, 2012, Welsh artist Marina and the Diamonds dyed her hair bleach blonde, adopted the persona of a suburban housewife-cum-bubblegum pop star and released her critically polarizing, delightfully melodramatic sophomore album, Electra Heart.
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Idolator
The best parts of the album aren’t Marina’s self-conscious moments, when she’s obviously speaking to us through the Electra character. No, it shines when she’s sharing something real. “You only ever touch me in the dark / Only if we’re drinking can you see my spark,” she sadly reveals on “Lies”. “It almost feels like a joke to play out the part when you are not the starring role in someone else’s heart,” she sings on “Starring Role” about being someone’s girl on the side. Whether the singer was ever really in these situations doesn’t matter because the feeling is true.
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Entertainment
With Electra Heart, you'll find a dynamic and contextually layered pop album. Explorations in themes of love, rejection, and crisis of identity with a brutally honest yet tongue-in-cheek lyrical approach, delivered with the might of that ever-distinctive voice against a backdrop of rich production. Pure unadulterated pop goodness.
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Lip Mag
However, for the listener who chooses to follow Electra Heart‘s biting social commentary (wrapped up as it is in Diamandis’ loose narrative), this is a clever, vibrant and at times strikingly intelligent collection of songs inhabiting an aural space which complements its message almost perfectly.
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Hit The Floor
‘Electra Heart’ is guaranteed to be an enjoyable album. So if you love colossal choruses, vocal quirkiness and honest lyrics then download your copy below!
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The Independent
Ironically, what masquerades as self-knowledge simply serves to conceal the real reasons why she ends up mired in “Fear and Loathing.”
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Metro
Marina And The Diamonds’ Electra Heart is four-to-the-floor pop crunch.
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Music Bloggery
Marina is an example of a talented singer/songwriter, and I believe she has so much more potential than this. It’s fine to experiment but I pray to whatever God they may be that this does not last.
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Under the Gun Review
I really feel that Electra Heart is a tremendously realized album. It’s glitzy and glamorous but this is no reason to dismiss it as vacuous, and you may be surprised to feel how easily it takes hold. This is not a matter of writing a catchy jingle and attaching words, but of using something a bit more deranged to explore the conviction of her words.
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NOW
On Electra Heart, Diamandis trades her cabaret post-punk vocal histrionics and thrift-store chic for an unconvincing Jacqueline Susann bombshell image and more overtly top-40-friendly sound courtesy of A-list pop producers Dr. Luke, Diplo and Greg Kurstin.
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The VPME
Vocally Marina sounds stunning throughout and has produced a commercial pop album, which conversely actually contains too many great moments to be dismissed by sniffy purists as simply a “commercial pop album.”
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Express
The songs are mostly driving electronica with refreshingly intelligent lyrics. It’s definitely not a by-numbers pop album but there are enough radio-friendly hooks to make it a commercial hit.
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Musik Express
Eine Frau kennt keine Gnade und setzt auf der Suche nach Erfolg auf brachialen Mainstream-Pop.
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POP! BANG! BOOM!
‘Electra Heart’ is not for everyone, but don’t be afraid. A statement like that is like saying that Ellie Goulding, Hurts, Lights, or Little Boots aren’t for everyone. No, they may not be, but they are making great pop music that is easily identifiable and kick ass. I respect anyone who moves the genre into something a little different, takes it somewhere new. Marina and the Diamonds are certainly doing this, and I believe she is doing it better and better as time goes on.
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Transistor
Written and based entirely on her own teenage experiences, Marina provided us with a bittersweet ode to the American dream turning sour. This collection of songs is sharp, honest and humorous at times, and although the concept of the album can be difficult to grasp, Marina’s eccentric tapestry of alter-egos makes for a hugely enjoyable yet poignant listen.
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Glamour
Though the songs tread matters of Marina's dark, complex, ambitious heart, they maintain an immediacy that is totally refreshing.
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EQ Music
Overall, Electra Heart is a shining pop triumph that will undoubtedly be the sound of 2012.
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The Second Row
Weighing in at an unecessary 16 tracks it’s nothing if not indulgent, and let’s be honest Diamandis has a history of self-indulgence – from her music to her interviews. But hey, that’s her schtick – and maybe we buy into it. Just a little bit.
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Yuppee Review
Electra Heart is soulful, with a variety of elements that will keep you hooked. Marina’s passionate vocals make the songs come alive, and that is what makes this album a class act.
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The Edge
Electra Heart will find an audience – and increase her fan-base – but, in doing so, Marina has lost the very style and identity that differentiated her from her contemporaries. Despite the early signs, Marina is looking to turn out to be just another lifeless product from the Katy Perry-eqsue pop factory; maybe a robot after all then?
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Everything Express
Electra Heart‘s title, with its’ classical allusion, labels this too-clever-by-half second album with it’s art-school pretensions. If you like Marina already, you’ll like the intelligent songs with playground lyrics and a decidedly jaded world view.
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Pop Monarch
While “Electra Heart” may not be as quirky and memorable as “The Family Jewels”, it is an incredibly crafted piece of pop music that travels through selfishness to selflessness. It’s wise and spirited, and without a doubt a very very good album.
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Pop Messiah Blog
All conflict surrounding the fact or fiction behind the concept of the album aside, “Electra Heart” by Marina and the Diamonds is [a gift from pop heaven].
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RTE
Electra Heart has a punchy Euro rave allure but somehow Marina just doesn’t sparkle like before.
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Howls of the Wolf Pack
The songs themselves are catchy – they’ll grown on you like weeds. And yes – they in many ways sound like bubblegum pop at it’s fluffiest – but keep listening. The amount of time put into this album is clear, and Marina’s unique brand of odd is there in every note.
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notabledance
Electra Heart is the album that Marina needed to really expose herself musically and emotionally. Her prior tracks were either too novelty or too whiny to really come across as truly artistic, with perhaps the exception of “Shampain” and “Oh No!” What we have here is a concise and entertaining collection of tracks that speak inwardly and outwardly, all with Marina’s capable and welcoming vocals.
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Rolling Stone
Electra Heart is the album that Marina needed to really expose herself musically and emotionally. Her prior tracks were either too novelty or too whiny to really come across as truly artistic, with perhaps the exception of “Shampain” and “Oh No!” What we have here is a concise and entertaining collection of tracks that speak inwardly and outwardly, all with Marina’s capable and welcoming vocals.
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Rolling Stone
"Electra Heart" is pretty to listen to and has melodically memorable moments to offer.
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Sound Of Brit
Proof that Electra Heart is not an album like the others but a kind of acidulous candy so the taste remains a long time in the palace , it is the first title which opens the album. "Bubblegum Bitch" sounds like a hit, a sort of pop-rock cross with a parody of a teen tube sauce Selena Gomez.
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Culture the Hero
Electra Heart still manages to access the parts of the Hollywood-diva which are buried behind the facade, with enough soul-exposing ballads to show that this character Marina is portraying is very close to her heart. The only complaint I have is how terribly the songs are lined up. These songs are amazing by themselves, but going from start to end, this album could have been so much smoother.
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The Gizzle Review
If only someone would tell Diamandis it's not all about fame and success. The key? Stop being such a Primadonna and focus on being yourself.
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YAM Magazine
It might take a while to adjust to the electropop sound in Electra Heart, but the album is still at least worth a listen once (or maybe twice) because Marina explores characters and archetypes with her lyricism in a very interesting way. Let’s hope for her third album turning out better than this.
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The Stanford Daily
Both self-destructive and fiercely honest, “Electra Heart” is a dialogue of the post-breakup rage and “man-sanity” that has inspired testaments of talent throughout music history (Joan Jett, the godmother of punk, would not approve of this kind of blasphemy). If this hyperbole seems overwrought with fan-girl worship, Marina and the Diamond’s “Electra Heart” can at least be designated as a great soundtrack for ex-boyfriend effigy burning, mixed martial arts training and target practice. Save your internship money from Katy Perry’s watered-down electro-pop on the big screen and download “Electra Heart” instead.
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Flush the Fashion
To an innocent passer-by this could be dismissed as just another ‘punchy pop princess turned mainstream’ (think Avril Lavigne), but if you break the layers away this has stunning moments that are beautiful in their simplicity. The contrast of bubblegum pop and spine tingly ballads make this is a stand out in a genre full of eccentric females.
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Softsynth
Does this album sometimes veer too closely to the dark side? Yes, without question. But the artist who so caught our attention and passion a couple of years gone now is still front and centre on Electra Heart and as a whole the album gets a thumbs up from Softsynth.
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Flow of Music
Brilliant album all in all. A+. There's not any direct flaws on "Electra heart", and this is a great second album. It's better than I thought, I have heard it through more than five times now, but I can't get enough of it.
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Rocksucker
“Don’t care if you think I’m dumb” sings Marina on opening track “Bubblegum Bitch”, and that’s a ruddy good job because, frankly, Electra Heart oozes ‘dumb’ from every musical orifice.
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