The Marina and the Diamonds has always been one of my favorite artists. She is a raw talent that hasn't been in the spotlight as much as she should be. Her recent album, "Froot" was the "sequel" to "Electra Heart," and it was Marina's way of going back to her roots. "Electra Heart" was the trials that Marina was facing-- the floating between different personas. She was like an apparition drifting around to find its new host, in a sense. However, when "Froot" came out, it reflected upon the need to find her identity once again and how it was inside her all along.
Lately, I have been in a little bit of a throwback kick. So, I ended up digging up her first album, "The Family Jewels," on Spotify. I forgot how brilliantly crafted the album was and continued to listen it on repeat for the next seven days. Seven days? Yeah, seven long but blissful days of Marina singing to me about topics ranging from the seduction of commercialism, to modern social values, to family and female sexuality. There was something so utterly real about this album, and perhaps, it was because Marina finally got a record deal and felt like she had nothing to lose. This was her time to tell the world what she wanted to be as an artist; a truth-teller.
If you haven't listened to "The Family Jewels" recently, I would listen to it again. But, before you do that on your own--here are some of my top three favorites from the album and why they should be your newest anthem:
1) Are You Satisfied?
The album’s opener, "Are You Satisfied?", begins with lyrics addressing Diamandis’ feelings concerning her record deal; "I was pulling out my hair the day I got the deal /Chemically calm / Was I meant to feel happy that my life was just about to change." We know right from the start we know this is going to be an interesting listen. I never realized how candid Marina was with her first album where she started with a song quite literally addressing the fact that she got a record deal. She expresses in this song in particular that she has been invited into the "glamorous" life, but she is unsure if she is able to ultimately fulfill the demands of such a life. It also introduces the album as being also easy but entertaining to the ears, as the piano and drums kick in, accompanied by strings and synth to cover these conflicting feelings towards the road to success. As Marina puts it, "Are you satisfied with an average life?/Do I need to lie to make my way in life?"
2) Seventeen
Personally, this song struck a cord with me significantly. The song reflects on class conflicts between Marina and perhaps a romantic partner. However, I took it as anyone who thinks that they are above you and start to question your actions based on your familial background. However, a person's past,especially their family ties, should never be the crux of judgement upon them. As Marina puts it, "You teach me how to behave/I felt you question the way/I was brought up as a baby/Well you don't know fuck about my family." Particularly the last stanza really hit me because I have come from a background where my family life has been used to demean who I am as a person. However, what is really powerful about this song is how Marina touches upon ascribed gender roles in relationships. In this song, she is expected to be the stereotypical "picture-perfect" partner, when she is never going to be that for them or anyone for that matter. She is her own individual person, not a trophy for them to put up on the mantle. In the words of Marina,
"You want a hassle free life/Go get your upper class wife/She's got all the personality, oh
Of a lemon that has been/Truly sucked dry." Yet, what even amazes me even more so is that Marina can encapsulate these personal testaments in an upbeat fashion. Is it strange that I can dance a little to such an important topic on combating ascribed gender roles?
3) Oh No!
"Oh No!" touches upon the seduction of commercialism. Although, "I'm Not A Robot," is a better depiction of the topic--I enjoy the contrast in this song better. I think it is because Marina is able to take her personal experiences with the media and expresses that she is conscious of how it has had some control over her life. Marina states, "I know exactly what I want and who I want to be/I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine/I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy." She is bringing awareness to the fact that the media does have a certain grasp on our persona, but, she can (and we can!) rise above the standards it has pushed onto us. She perfectly portrays this when she states: "If you are not very careful/Your possessions will possess you/TV taught me how to feel/Now real life has no appeal/It has no appeal." We are a society that is bred upon our materialistic possessions, and in turn, we start to attach ourselves to objects instead of to our individual self. It is seduction, essentially, because what television shows feed us and commercials--it looks good and we want to emulate it. And, perhaps, this is better resonated by Marina's surreal cherry-pop sounding voice singing: "I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly/I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna die." It's all alright--life is just as beautiful and worth being a conscious member of regardless of anything.
Marina is a goddess on earth, and you all better be cranking up "The Family Jewels" once again (if you haven't already)!
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