The 10 Best Marina and the Diamonds Songs of All-Time
Marina Diamandis is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Currently, she goes by the mononym Marina. However, there was a time when she used the stage name Marina and the Diamonds.
Amusingly, the latter referred to her fans rather than her backing band, which was an interesting departure from convention. In any case, Marina started pursuing a music career in 2005.
Since then, she has released five studio albums. The first was The Family Jewels in 2010, while the fifth was Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land in 2021. These five studio albums represent a now concluded part of her career.
That is because they marked the start and end of her decade-plus contract with Atlantic Records. As such, Marina is now an independent artist.
Here is our opinion of the ten best Marina and the Diamonds songs ever released:
10. “Savages”
“Savages” is one of the more memorable songs from Froot in 2015. It is more or less what it sounds like – a meditation on the true nature of humanity.
The song doesn’t go as far as to suggest we are irredeemable monsters. However, it is a useful reminder that we aren’t as different from our predecessors as we like to pretend, meaning the same potential for savagery exists within us. People can react to this in the manner of their choosing.
One potential response would be treating it as an encouragement for self-monitoring, which matters because blind complacency can lead us down unpleasant paths.
9. “Teen Idle”
Age gives people perspective. “Teen Idle” is an excellent example of a work in which the artist laments their wasted youth. The neat thing about the song is that it captures something of the confusing messiness of adolescence, as shown by its lyrics’ deliberate use of often contradictory imagery.
8. “State of Dreaming”
“State of Dreaming” comes from Marina’s second studio album Electra Heart. Its lyrics aren’t the happiest ever penned. After all, the viewpoint character talks about how she is trapped in a delusion, not least because she wants it so much that she would be willing to go to extreme lengths to have it. Fittingly, “State of Dreaming” is catchy and upbeat, which is very much in line with its subject matter.
7. “I’m Not a Robot”
Reportedly, “I’m Not a Robot” tackles the subject of social awkwardness. However, its lyrics are vague enough to support other interpretations, thus enabling interested individuals to assign their meaning to the music. Regardless, “I’m Not a Robot” is an emotional song that is easy to like, which makes for a pleasing combination.
6. “I’m a Ruin”
“I’m a Ruin” is another song from Froot. It is a breakup song, though it is more sad than vindictive. The viewpoint character explains that her issues will ruin her significant other in the end, which is why they need to break up before that happens.
It is interesting to note that the choruses aren’t quite as downcast as the rest of the song. Something that some people have interpreted as a potential sign of optimism in the long run.
5. “Buy the Stars”
“Buy the Stars” is another song from Electra Heart. It has a certain soothing quality to it, though it covers loneliness and other not-so-soothing subjects.
The song mocks the titular action for being a hollow gesture of affection, which is a wonderful bit of criticism. For those unfamiliar, buying a star has no real meaning.
The relevant companies don’t even have naming rights because the International Astronomical Union is responsible for such things. As such, buying a star is a novelty gift at best, meaning it is as fake as the supposed emotion described in this song’s lyrics.
4. “How to Be a Heartbreaker”
“How to Be a Heartbreaker” is deeper than it seems on initial consideration. The viewpoint character spends a great deal of time talking about how to use people before dumping them.
However, consideration suggests that she knows these things because she was the victim rather than the victimizer in such relationships. Sadly, the viewpoint character still longs for love, but she has decided to adopt the practices of those who hurt her in the past so that she can’t be hurt by others ever again.
3. “Can’t Pin Me Down”
People who enjoy spirited songs should check out “Can’t Pin Me Down” from Froot. Its title makes its message clear in an instant. Something that should resonate with a wide range of listeners. Some people are straightforward. Others tend to be more complicated, so much so they can be downright contradictory.
2. “Immortal”
There is a longstanding belief that there are two kinds of deaths. One would be the death of the body, while the other would be the death of memory. Essentially, we affect everyone around us throughout our lives, meaning we can continue to exert influence on the world even once we are gone.
Of course, that is truest when people manage to have a meaningful impact on one another. “Immortal” sees Marina expressing her thoughts on death, which are suffused with a very relatable sense of longing for something impossible.
1. “Fear and Loathing”
Fear and loathing are powerful emotions. They have caused people to do terrible things. However, it is interesting to note that fear and loathing are so strong that they wear down those who feel them.
As such, it is easy to sympathize with Marina when she sings that she wishes to be free of these emotions in “Fear and Loathing.” Some emotions uplift. In contrast, others drag down. Fear and loathing are very much the latter rather than the former.
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