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Marina and the Diamonds - Electra Heart |OT| - Anything for the crown, crown, crown.
- Thread starter Sai-kun
- Start date
- Status
Souldriver
Member
YAS!
Have been waiting for this.
Have been waiting for this.
Happy Electra Heart day!! Electra Heart has FINALLY been released in the USA, and Marina is beginning the US leg of The Lonely Hearts Club Tour! Y'all better stan and show your support! Electra Heart's been steadily climbing the iTunes charts and went from nowhere to #14 in just the past 2 hours! Hopefully it'll climb even higher, but #14 is great!
If you still haven't listened to the album, there are links to all the songs on YouTube! My personal favorites up to this point are:
Teen Idle
Lies
Power & Control
Living Dead
If you still haven't listened to the album, there are links to all the songs on YouTube! My personal favorites up to this point are:
Teen Idle
Lies
Power & Control
Living Dead
Fox Mulder
Member
So the deluxe mp3 album is $4 on amazon, I'll give it a buy.
You better!
Awesome Animals
Member
Great album. Absolutely loving it.
Nemesis_
Member
I've yet to hear any of those tracks you mentioned, or SEX YEAH.
RobotsAnger
Member
Really loving Sex Yeah and Teen Idle, gonna have to spend more time with this album to get into the rest.
'Sex Yeah,' 'How To Be A Heartbreaker,' and 'Radioactive' should be in the US track list. 'Buy The Stars' and 'Lonely Hearts Club' are only in the UK deluxe edition :<
show me your skeleton
Member
really enjoyed certain tracks from her first album but didn't initially like this when i first heard it. after a few playthroughs i've grown to love it though & i think it's a stronger album as a whole. plus, holy moly she is beautiful.
shame about the experience above, hopefully it was just a bad night.
shame about the experience above, hopefully it was just a bad night.
Nemesis_
Member
I've always been intrigued as to how she sounds live with these more electronic based tracks.
Oh my gosh oh my gosh I can't believe I'm seeing her already. Aaaahhh I've been waiting for this for like 2 years!
Agent Cooper
Member
haiodwldmlewkmwe
I saw her tonight with Sai.
It was mathematical.
My feet hurt, though.
I saw her tonight with Sai.
It was mathematical.
My feet hurt, though.
show me your skeleton
Member
you can shout at me if you like, i mean, perhaps a repost of an old picture isn't exactly bump worthy but...
whatever.
whatever.
Super LTTP, but I just bought the album off of Amazon after it popped up on my Amazon recommendations and I saw it was cheap. I've only listened to it once, and while I liked The Family Jewels more on first listen, Electra Heart's songs are more solid overall, and there aren't as many forgettable, throwaway songs. I'm really liking it so far.
Davey Cakes
Member
I've been thinking of branching out to more pop music.
Is Marina more on the Britney/Kesha/New Madonna side or the Ellie Goulding/Robyn/La Roux side of pop?
Is Marina more on the Britney/Kesha/New Madonna side or the Ellie Goulding/Robyn/La Roux side of pop?
I guess she'd be in the latter camp, but I wouldn't compare her to any of them besides Ellie Goulding, and that's really only because their debut albums came out around the same time. You could look at last.fm's similar artists, but I don't think they're comparable either.
i have no idea
Davey Cakes
Member
Interesting. I guess it's better that you can't really place her anywhere. Might make her more compelling in the end.
Depends on what era.
Her first album, The Family Jewels, doesn't really fall into either section, really, although it aligns more with the latter group in that they each have a pretty distinct sound (and I would agree with Wikipedia that she's indie pop/new wave).
Her latest, Electra Heart, still has a pretty unique sound to it, although some of her songs (Heartbreaker, Primadonna, Radioactive, and Lies, specifically) wouldn't sound out of place on a new Katy Perry or Britney album. However, her new, more radio-friendly sound hasn't affected her writing or vocal delivery, because the writing is still sarcastic and dark.
If you like pop music in any capacity, I would definitely say give both albums a shot. Some people like one and don't like the other, some people (like me
) love both. There are links in the OP to all of the songs from Electra Heart, and links to the singles (and SpiffyG and I's favorite tracks) off of The Family Jewels. I'd love to hear your thoughts on her
edit:
I think her voice is really the best part. The lady can sing, for real. I think that's why I don't mind the shift in genre on Electra Heart, because her kickass vocals give every song (even the Britney-esque ones) a unique spin.
I didn't care for the lyrics of most songs on The Family Jewels, and a lot of the lyrics on Electra Heart fall short, but her songwriting has really improved and songs like Sex Yeah and Teen Idle are a lot more ambitious than most other pop songs. I'm already excited for her third album, but, in the meantime, this album is so damn good.
spindashing
Banned
Bubblegum Bitch sounds like some anime shit!
I like.
I like.
That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about. A lot of her lyrics and rhyme schemes are really predictable, and sound stupid when you write them down. When they work though, they really work.
I haven't actually listened to Hypocrates because I saw that you hated it. It'll go the way of the last three tracks of The Family Jewels that I always skip. I don't even remember their names.
Robot is just a bad song in general though. Not surprising that the lyrics are shite!
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa @ skipping the last three tracks.
Numb and Rootless are pretty low on my list of favorite Marina songs, but Guilty is absolutely fantastic. Pretty simple, but I think lyrically it's good, and it's got a great melody and backing beat/rhythm.
"Killed a dog, so small and red
Touched his technicoloured hair
I left it bruised and black and lame
I left it running full of shame"
Who can hate on Hollywood, either?
"I fight security makin' plays for me
Soon as I touch down in, oh, LA!
He said, 'Oh. My. Gawd! You look just like Shakira!
No no, you're Catherine-Zeta!'
Actually, my name's Marina."
I think the way she sings makes the simpler and sillier things she writes sound a lot better. Oh No! and Girls are probably my two favorite tracks next to Hermit the Frog. Not only are they great just from a musical standpoint, they are witty as hell.
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa @ skipping the last three tracks.
Numb and Rootless are pretty low on my list of favorite Marina songs, but Guilty is absolutely fantastic. Pretty simple, but I think lyrically it's good, and it's got a great melody and backing beat/rhythm.
"Killed a dog, so small and red
Touched his technicoloured hair
I left it bruised and black and lame
I left it running full of shame"
Who can hate on Hollywood, either?
"I fight security makin' plays for me
Soon as I touch down in, oh, LA!
He said, 'Oh. My. Gawd! You look just like Shakira!
No no, you're Catherine-Zeta!'
Actually, my name's Marina."
I think the way she sings makes the simpler and sillier things she writes sound a lot better. Oh No! and Girls are probably my two favorite tracks next to Hermit the Frog. Not only are they great just from a musical standpoint, they are witty as hell.
I think Girls through Hollywood are all really great songs and then Oh No! is a good album ending (because the last three songs don't exist!). The first three songs are decent, but I don't like Marina's voice in any of them, and the lyrics leave a bit to be desired. I'll give the entire album another listen when I've sufficiently exhausted Electra Heart. So far though, I'd put EH > TFJ.
Welcome to the life of Electra Heart.
I loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove Homewrecker.
Seventeen is fantastic and more people need to love it.
So, speaking of things which are fantastic, THE BLONDE IS GOING. The brunette is returning!
All hail our Queen of Diamonds.
I know I predicted somewhere that (the) Electra Heart (era) would end with her cutting off/getting rid of her blonde hair. Seriously makes Fear & Loathing the perfect closing track to Electra Heart.
So, speaking of things which are fantastic, THE BLONDE IS GOING. The brunette is returning!
All hail our Queen of Diamonds.
I know I predicted somewhere that (the) Electra Heart (era) would end with her cutting off/getting rid of her blonde hair. Seriously makes Fear & Loathing the perfect closing track to Electra Heart.
Thank God.
show me your skeleton
Member
oh no. ultra crush is returning
Davey Cakes
Member
So what's her natural hair color?
SecretMoblin
Member
Just got the deluxe edition a few seconds ago. Will give it two listens throughout the day.
I listened to the first album back when it came out. I like her voice, but the music didn't really do much for me. I'm not really fond of the Dr. Luke-style slick dance-pop, but I'll give it a chance for her.
Also: she's really pretty.
I listened to the first album back when it came out. I like her voice, but the music didn't really do much for me. I'm not really fond of the Dr. Luke-style slick dance-pop, but I'll give it a chance for her.
Also: she's really pretty.
SecretMoblin
Member
Should have posted earlier, but whatever.
I've listened to the entire Deluxe Edition six times since getting it, and a few songs a bunch more times. I think I set myself up to be disappointed; like the first album, I'm really fond of her voice and much less fond of the music it's attached to.
I like when she allows herself to get a bit weird and sings over interesting music. I wish there was more stuff like "Fear and Loathing" on the album. And even though it's obviously much different from the overall feel of the original album, I kind of like the stuff that sounds like it would fit in on a good 90s Adult Contemporary radio station, like "Hypocrates" and "The State of Dreaming".
The strength of (some of) the songwriting comes through on the acoustic versions of the songs. Every song on the acoustic sessions is better than the version that appears on the album, without exception.
But there's a lot of stuff I'm wary about. The production is really heavy-handed, and the difference between Electra Heart and something like Lana Del Rey's Born to Die is that LDR's image feels consistent with her music. With Marina it just ends up sounding like she's trying too hard. Songs like "Primadonna" and "Homewrecker" aren't really bad songs, they're just so over-the-top and ridiculous that it feels like I'm being beaten over the head with the production. "Lies" and "Teen Idle" are really pretty, but they're so heavy and dripping with production effects that it's tough to listen to. I wish she would do a cleaner studio version of all of the album's songs... or at least acoustic versions of the ones she hasn't already done acoustic versions of.
And some of the songs are just really mediocre. "Bubblegum Bitch" just sounds lazy to me, and the only thing that makes "Radioactive" worthwhile is Stargate. The song sounds like something Calvin Harris would do if he had actual production talent. Seriously, the resemblance
is
almost
uncanny. The acoustic version of the song is a bit better.
So yeah. It's certainly not a bad album, given that it's clearly aiming for a top 40 sound. I just wish she'd be more weird and take more chances. I like her voice well enough, it's just that her music isn't doing much for me... yet. I'm certainly invested in whatever she does next.
Also: she looks better as a brunette.
I've listened to the entire Deluxe Edition six times since getting it, and a few songs a bunch more times. I think I set myself up to be disappointed; like the first album, I'm really fond of her voice and much less fond of the music it's attached to.
I like when she allows herself to get a bit weird and sings over interesting music. I wish there was more stuff like "Fear and Loathing" on the album. And even though it's obviously much different from the overall feel of the original album, I kind of like the stuff that sounds like it would fit in on a good 90s Adult Contemporary radio station, like "Hypocrates" and "The State of Dreaming".
The strength of (some of) the songwriting comes through on the acoustic versions of the songs. Every song on the acoustic sessions is better than the version that appears on the album, without exception.
But there's a lot of stuff I'm wary about. The production is really heavy-handed, and the difference between Electra Heart and something like Lana Del Rey's Born to Die is that LDR's image feels consistent with her music. With Marina it just ends up sounding like she's trying too hard. Songs like "Primadonna" and "Homewrecker" aren't really bad songs, they're just so over-the-top and ridiculous that it feels like I'm being beaten over the head with the production. "Lies" and "Teen Idle" are really pretty, but they're so heavy and dripping with production effects that it's tough to listen to. I wish she would do a cleaner studio version of all of the album's songs... or at least acoustic versions of the ones she hasn't already done acoustic versions of.
And some of the songs are just really mediocre. "Bubblegum Bitch" just sounds lazy to me, and the only thing that makes "Radioactive" worthwhile is Stargate. The song sounds like something Calvin Harris would do if he had actual production talent. Seriously, the resemblance
is
almost
uncanny. The acoustic version of the song is a bit better.
So yeah. It's certainly not a bad album, given that it's clearly aiming for a top 40 sound. I just wish she'd be more weird and take more chances. I like her voice well enough, it's just that her music isn't doing much for me... yet. I'm certainly invested in whatever she does next.
Also: she looks better as a brunette.
I can't believe how long this post is. This is what happens when it's 1 AM and I'm waiting for my comforter to finish drying. I'm sure none of this makes sense, but I'm too tired to edit it.
I can't touch on the production comments as I don't have the ear for that sort of stuff. At the Drive-In's Relationship of Command is completely unlistenable for me because of the production, but that's the only time I've ever noticed it.
I just listened to Born to Die (the song, not the album) for the first time as I was writing this and I feel really guilty for liking it.
I bought the album a month ago or so and I've literally been listening to it every day, which is a bit insane. Every now and then I completely latch onto a pop album, and I guess this has taken Cults place. I was fairly lukewarm on the album when I first listened to it, and I actually wasn't interested in listening to it to begin with because Radioactive turned me off so much. I'm like you in that I love her voice but don't really care for her songs or her songwriting.
I haven't listened to Hypocrates, but I really like Fear and Loathing and The State of Dreaming too. Fear and Loathing in particular has really shaky songwriting, but it's different and especially with its place on the album right after Radioactive feels really refreshing. Electra Heart, more so than The Family Jewels, feels really safe, and How to be a Heartbreaker is the primary example of that.
I haven't listened to any of the acoustic versions of the songs, but I really liked her cover of Starstrukk. Considering how awful the source is, her cover's great.
I've rewatched the 3OH!3 video three times in the course of writing this.
Haven't listened to Born to Die, but I definitely agree that Electra Heart feels like Marina is trying too hard, specifically in the music videos. Homewrecker is a bit...shallow of a song, so I don't care much for it, but I really like Primadonna, yet found the music video obnoxious. When I listened to The Family Jewels I felt like I stumbled upon a budding pop singer and I was really enthusiastic and excited about the album. Electra Heart doesn't have the same fun or experimentation as The Family Jewels, and while I find Primadonna a fun pop song, it's not nearly as earnest of a song as Hollywood.
I can't touch on the production comments as I don't have the ear for that sort of stuff. At the Drive-In's Relationship of Command is completely unlistenable for me because of the production, but that's the only time I've ever noticed it.
I completely agree with your comments about Radioactive.
Completely agreed with this as well. I came in expecting to listen the album a few times and then forget about it, and I've found myself loving it, but I really hope her third album is something really crazy and different. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening.
yep yep yep
I just listened to Born to Die (the song, not the album) for the first time as I was writing this and I feel really guilty for liking it.
Hahaha yesssss. Was it you who I played that quick little mashup of We Found Love/Radioactive for? Seriously, the chorus of Radioactive fits perfectly over We Found Love's chorus. It's amazing. I need to do a mixtape of all these songs that sound the same :lol At least it'd be easy to transition!
I really hope she goes back to the sound of The Family Jewels. I don't see it happening either, but I can hope! Or I hope it's at least a mix of the very top 40 sound of primadonna, and some of the weirder stuff like hermit the frog and hollywood.
SecretMoblin
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