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Marina Lambrini Diamandis (; el, Μαρίνα-Λαμπρινή Διαμάντη; born 10 October 1985), known

mononymously A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...

as Marina (often stylised in all caps), and previously by the stage name Marina and the Diamonds, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. Born in Brynmawr to a Welsh mother and Greek father, Diamandis was raised in

Abergavenny Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of the River Gavenny") is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a ''Gateway to Wales''; it is approximately from the border wi ...

and moved to London as a teenager to become a professional singer, despite having little formal musical experience. In 2009, she came to prominence upon placing second in the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Sound of 2010 Sound of... is an annual BBC poll of music critics and industry figures to find the most promising new music talent. It was first conducted by the BBC News website in 2003, and is now widely covered by the corporation's online, radio and TV outl ...

. Her debut studio album, '' The Family Jewels'' (2010), incorporated

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...

and new wave musical styles. It entered the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

at number five and was certified gold by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

. The album's second single, " Hollywood", peaked at number 12 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. Her follow-up record, ''

Electra Heart ''Electra Heart'' is the second studio album by Welsh singer Marina Diamandis, released under the stage name Marina and the Diamonds. It was released on 27 April 2012 by 679 Artists and Atlantic Records. Diamandis collaborated with producers ...

'' (2012), was a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

about a character of the same name which became her first number one project in the United Kingdom. The album was certified gold in the US and UK, with its singles "

Primadonna In opera or commedia dell'arte, a prima donna (; Italian for "first lady"; plural: ''prime donne'') is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. ''Prime donne'' often had grand off-stage pers ...

" and "

How to Be a Heartbreaker "How to Be a Heartbreaker" is a song by Welsh singer Marina Diamandis, released under the stage name Marina and the Diamonds, from her second studio album, '' Electra Heart'' (2012). It was released on 7 December 2012 by 679 Artists and Atlant ...

" becoming international hits. Diamandis's

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

-inspired third studio album, ''

Froot ''Froot'' (stylised in all caps) is the third studio album by Welsh singer Marina Diamandis and her last under the stage name Marina and the Diamonds. It was originally scheduled to be released on 3 April 2015 by Neon Gold Records and Atlan ...

'' (2015), became her third top 10 album in the UK and her first top 10 entry on the US ''Billboard'' 200, where it charted at number 8. Produced entirely by Diamandis and

David Kosten Faultline is the musical alter ego of producer and artist David Kosten. Working under the name Faultline, Kosten produced the largely instrumental debut ''Closer, Colder'' and the follow up ''Your Love Means Everything'', which featured guest ...

, it was praised for its cohesive sound and introspective lyrical content. In 2018, she was featured on

Clean Bandit Clean Bandit are an English electronic music group, formed in Cambridge in 2008. They have had four number 1 hits and ten top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart. They direct and produce their own music videos, many of which have been nominated for ...

's single "

Baby An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

", which reached the top 15 in the UK. Her fourth studio album, ''

Love + Fear Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the lov ...

'', was released on 26 April 2019. The album charted at number five on the UK album chart. She released her fifth studio album, '' Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land'', on 11 June 2021 which charted at number 17 in the UK. The deluxe version was released on 7 January 2022.

Early life

Marina Lambrini Diamandis was born on 10 October 1985 in Brynmawr, and grew up near

. She has one sibling; an elder sister named Lafina. Her Welsh mother and Greek father met at

Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...

and separated when Diamandis was four years old. Following the separation, her father returned to

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

but would occasionally visit, while she remained in a bungalow in Wales with her mother. She described her childhood as "simple and idyllic" and "peaceful, very normal, poor". Diamandis admitted to being a "

tomboy A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...

" as a child, playing football every day and spending more time with the opposite sex. As a child, Diamandis attended

Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls is an independent school in Monmouth, Wales. The school was established by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in 1892, and continues to enjoy their support. It is part of a family of schools known as ...

. She said, "I sort of found my talent there... I was the one who always skived off choir, but I had an incredible music teacher who managed to convince me I could do anything". At the age of 16, she moved to Greece to her father "to connect with erheritage and learn to speak

the language "The Language" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his third studio album ''Nothing Was the Same'' (2013). "The Language" was produced by frequent collaborator Boi-1da, along with additional production by Allen Ritter and Vinylz. It also fea ...

", and sang

Greek folk songs Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

with her grandmother. Having earned an

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...

at St. Catherine's British Embassy School in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, she returned to Wales two years later. She and her mother then moved to England, settling in

Ross-on-Wye Ross-on-Wye ( Welsh: ''Rhosan ar Wy'') is a market town in England, near the border with Wales. It had a population of 10,582 according to the 2011 census, estimated at 11,309 in 2019. It lies in south-eastern Herefordshire, on the River Wye ...

. Obsessed with becoming a singer "almost as if it was a disease", she worked at a petrol station for two months in order to earn money to move to London. Despite not having a musical background, Diamandis had a childhood love of writing. She first began writing music when she was 18 years old; she moved to London to attend dance school, but quit after two months. She studied music at the

University of East London , mottoeng = Knowledge and the fulfilment of vows , established = 1898 – West Ham Technical Institute1952 – West Ham College of Technology1970 – North East London Polytechnic1989 – Polytechnic of East London ...

and transferred to a classic composition course in

Middlesex University Middlesex University London (legally Middlesex University and abbreviated MDX) is a public research university in Hendon, northwest London, England. The name of the university is taken from its location within the historic county boundaries ...

the following year, but dropped out after two months.

Career

2005–2008: Career beginnings and early recordings

Knowing that the

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...

were formed by an advertisement in ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

'', Diamandis applied for auditions listed in that newspaper. She travelled for several unsuccessful auditions, including opportunities with the musical for ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, it ...

'' and a

boy band A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...

organized by

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...

. It was during this time that she managed to leave her CV with an A&R representative, but was unable to audition at the time of the appointment as she felt sick. In 2005, she created the stage name "Marina and the Diamonds". After she came to prominence, "the Diamonds" was established as a reference to her fans instead of her backing band. Inspired by the example of self-produced

outsider Outsider(s) may refer to: Film * ''Outsider'' (1997 film), a 1997 Slovene-language film * ''Outsider'' (2012 film), a Malayalam-language Indian film * ''Outsiders'' (1980 film), a South Korean film featuring Won Mi-kyung Literature * Outside ...

musician

Daniel Johnston Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. Most of his work consisted of cassettes recorded a ...

, Diamandis decided to compose her own music and stop going to auditions. She taught herself how to play the piano. She self-composed and produced her earlier demos with

GarageBand GarageBand is a line of digital audio workstations developed by Apple Inc. for macOS, iPadOS, and iOS devices that allows users to create music or podcasts. GarageBand is developed by Apple for macOS, and was once part of the iLife software s ...

, and independently released her debut extended play ''

Mermaid vs Sailor ''Mermaid vs Sailor'' is the first extended play by Welsh singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis, released under the stage name Marina and the Diamonds. The EP was independently released on 23 November 2007 and distributed via her official profile ...

'' through Myspace in 2007. She met with fourteen music labels, only being offered one deal, which she also believed was the only one which would not dictate her image. She came to the attention of

Neon Gold Records Neon Gold Records is a New York City-based boutique record label founded in 2008 by Derek Davies and Lizzy Plapinger. Initially operating as a vinyl-only singles label, Neon Gold has launched the debut releases and international careers of ma ...

' Derek Davies in 2008, which managed her for six months, and was hired as the supporting act for Australian recording artist

Gotye Wouter André "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), better known by his stage name Gotye ( ), is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is a pronunciation respelling of "Gauthier", the French cognat ...

. Davies reflected "She just had something that really resonated with me. Even with the quite limited production of her early bedroom demos, she had this powerful yet vulnerable vocal and writing style that didn't sound like anyone else at the time". In October, Diamandis finalized a recording contract with 679 Recordings (eventually renamed

679 Artists 679 Artists (formally known as Sixsevenine and 679 Recordings) was a Warner Music Group-owned record label based in London, England. It was started by Nick Worthington who after leaving XL Recordings in 2001, started the company with War ...

), a subdivision of

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...

2009–2011: Breakthrough with ''The Family Jewels''

Marina & the Diamonds live NME Radar Tour 2009

Diamandis's debut single "Obsessions" was released on 14 February 2009 through Neon Gold Records, while her first extended play ''The Crown Jewels EP'' followed on 1 June. That summer, she performed at

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

's Big Weekend, the

Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...

, and the

Reading and Leeds Festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...

. She also performed at iTunes Live, releasing a second EP in July 2009 of performances from that festival. In December 2009, Diamandis was ranked in second place on the

poll organized by

...
, behind

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...

. She was one of three nominees for the Critics' Choice Award at the 2010 BRIT Awards, which also went to Goulding. " Mowgli's Road" was released on 13 November 2009, with Diamandis describing it as "uncommercial". Despite this, it received attention after its video was shared by the likes of

Perez Hilton Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. (born March 23, 1978), known professionally as Perez Hilton, is an American blogger, columnist, and media personality. His blog is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities, and for posting tabloid p ...

and

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

. "Mowgli's Road" was followed by " Hollywood" on 1 February 2010, which reached number 12 on the

, and was eventually certified silver by the

(BPI). Diamandis's debut studio album '' The Family Jewels'' was released on 15 February 2010. It debuted at number five on the

with first-week sales of 27,618 copies, and was eventually certified gold by the BPI. A 2012 press release from

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

noted that the album had sold 300,000 copies.

signed Diamandis to

Chop Shop Records Chop Shop Records is a record label under partnership with Republic Records, headquartered in South Pasadena, California. The label was founded by Alexandra Patsavas, who also founded Chop Shop Music Supervision, which works with soundtracks on TV ...

in the United States in March 2010. Through the label, she released her third extended play ''The American Jewels EP'', and ''The Family Jewels'' in the United States. The latter project debuted at number 138 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 4,000 copies, and on ''Billboard''s

Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new an ...

and

Top Rock Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

charts, where it peaked at number 2 and 49 respectively. Later in 2010, Diamandis released three more singles from the album; "

I Am Not a Robot "I Am Not a Robot" is a song by Welsh singer Marina Diamandis, released under the stage name Marina and the Diamonds, from her debut studio album, '' The Family Jewels'' (2010). It was released digitally on 23 April 2010 and physically on 26 Apr ...

", " Oh No!" and "

Shampain "Shampain" is a song by Welsh singer Marina Diamandis, released under the stage name Marina and the Diamonds from her debut studio album, '' The Family Jewels'' (2010). It was released on 11 October 2010 as the album's fifth and final single, o ...

", which peaked at 26, 38 and 141 in the UK charts. In October 2010, she won Best UK & Ireland Act at the

MTV Europe Music Award The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...

s. To further promote ''The Family Jewels'', Diamandis embarked on

The Family Jewels Tour The Family Jewels Tour is the first major headlining concert tour by Welsh singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis, known professionally as MARINA (formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds) in support of her debut album, '' The Family Jewels''. In D ...

, which visited Europe, North America and Australia throughout 2010 and 2011. In January 2011, in an Australian radio interview, she expressed disappointment at her career, particularly in her failure to attract an American audience. She put this down to inaction by her label and American listeners' contemporary taste for "pumping beats" by artists such as

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

2012–2013: ''Electra Heart'' and international success

Marina and the Diamonds @ MICHALSKY StyleNite

In the summer of 2011, Diamandis and Swedish recording artist

Robyn Robin Miriam Carlsson (born 12 June 1979), known as Robyn (), is a Swedish pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. She arrived on the music scene with her 1995 debut album, ''Robyn Is Here'', which produced two Billboard Hot 100, ''Bil ...

performed as the opening acts for American recording artist

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...

California Dreams Tour The California Dreams Tour was the second concert tour by American singer Katy Perry, in support of her third studio album '' Teenage Dream''. The tour played 124 shows beginning February 20, 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal and concluding on January 22 ...

. On 30 September, Diamandis released the track "

Radioactive Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is consid ...

" through the

iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

. It peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart. Her second studio album was preceded by its lead single "

" in April 2012. The song is notable for being Diamandis's highest-charting track on the UK Singles Chart, where it reached number 11. It is certified Silver by the BPI, gold in Austria and the United States, and platinum by the respective authorities in Australia, Denmark and New Zealand. The final product ''

'' is a

lyrically united by the ideas of "female identity" and "a recent breakup". Diamandis created the titular character "Electra Heart" as a protagonist for the project. She portrays the personas "Teen Idle", "Primadonna", "Homewrecker", and "Housewife", which represent several female archetypes of stereotypical American culture. The project was released on 27 April 2012, and debuted at number one on the

with first-week sales of 21,358 copies. It became Diamandis's first chart-topping album in the United Kingdom, although at the time it was additionally distinguished as the lowest-selling number-one record of the 21st century in the country. The album was certified gold by the

and the

Irish Recorded Music Association The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) is a non-profit association set up in 1999 to promote certain interests of the music industry in Ireland. It is particularly active in addressing copyright issues, and it compiles the official music ...

. ''Electra Heart'' debuted at 31 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 with 12,000 copies sold its first week, and as of May 2015 has sold 150,000 copies in that country. " Power & Control" and "

" were subsequent single releases, with the latter missing the cut-off for initial inclusion on the record. However, it was featured in the revised track listing for the American version. The two songs were minor chart entries in the UK, and the latter was certified gold in the United States for sales over 500,000 copies. Throughout 2012, Diamandis travelled for

The Lonely Hearts Club Tour The Lonely Hearts Club Tour is the second concert tour by Welsh singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis, formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds. Background and development The UK dates were announced on Valentine's Day with the North American da ...

, which her second headlining concert tour, and the

Mylo Xyloto Tour The Mylo Xyloto Tour was the fifth concert tour undertaken by British rock band Coldplay. It was announced in support of their fifth album, ''Mylo Xyloto'' (2011), and became marked by two parts: from 31 May to 31 October 2011 they made a seri ...

headlined by

Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...

, for which she served as an opening act. On 8 August 2013, she released a music video for the previously unreleased title track "

". It depicted the death of the character, and symbolically ended the promotional campaign for ''

''.

2014–2016: ''Froot'' and musical hiatus

After spending one month in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, Diamandis announced in February 2013 that she had begun writing material for an upcoming third studio album. The single "

" was released on 10 October 2014, her 29th birthday, and announced as the title track. The album was announced to be released on 3 April 2015, with a new track from the album being announced each month. However, due to an Internet leak, the release was brought forward. Entirely produced by Diamandis and

, the album was praised for its cohesive sound. ''

'' debuted at number 8 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, and is her highest-charting album in the United States. ''Froot'' peaked at 10 in the UK. In early 2015, it was announced that Diamandis would perform at

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...

Brazil,

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...

and the

Boston Calling Music Festival Boston Calling Music Festival is a Boston-based music festival. The festival debuted in May 2013 and previously took place twice a year, May and September, at City Hall Plaza. The festival reportedly attracted 20,000–22,000 fans with its earlie ...

that March, April and May respectively. From October 2015 to the following October, she embarked on the

Neon Nature Tour The Neon Nature Tour is the third concert tour by Welsh recording artist Marina (formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds) in support of her third studio album, ''Froot'' (2015). The tour was officially announced three months after the release o ...

across Europe and the Americas. Each performance was split into three acts; one for each of her albums, with most of the songs coming from ''Froot''. Her performance at the

House of Blues House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

in November of that year was broadcast live by

Yahoo Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo! Inc. (2017–present), Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds ma ...

. During a question-and-answer video, Diamandis said that subsequent tours would be different, as her usual tours had been "a hard lifestyle". In April 2016, she said she would take a break from music after her tour. She returned to performing two months later, clarifying that she would rather work on a consistent basis than a cycle of touring and resting.

2017–2019: Stage name change and ''Love + Fear''

In June 2016, Diamandis told ''Fuse'' that she had begun writing new material for upcoming songs. In December 2016,

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

group

confirmed that " Disconnect", a song they had performed with Diamandis at the 2015

, would be released on their new album. It was released as a single in June 2017, and she performed it with them at

Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...

To mark a new stage in her career, Diamandis announced via

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

in 2018 that she would be dropping her "and the Diamonds" moniker to release music as simply "Marina". She explained that "It took me well over a year to figure out that a lot of my identity was tied up in who I was as an artist and there wasn't much left of who ''I'' was". In November 2018, a second collaboration with Clean Bandit and Puerto Rican singer

Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for multiple songs, one of them being "Despacito" featuring rapper Daddy Yankee. Fonsi received his first ...

, "

", was released. It peaked at number 15 in the UK. On 11 December of the same year, Diamandis performed at the

Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...

alongside Clean Bandit with their song "Baby". On 31 January 2019, Diamandis teased the new album by posting a picture on her Instagram with the caption "8 Days". The day after, she revealed in an interview that the new album would come out sometime in early 2019. On 6 February 2019, it was revealed that the title of the lead single of the album would be " Handmade Heaven", which was subsequently released two days later. Her bipartite fourth studio album ''

'' was then released in two halves on 4 and 26 April 2019. On 29 April 2019, Diamandis embarked on her Love + Fear Tour with six UK gigs, including sold-out dates in London and Manchester. In July 2019, she was scheduled to play a number of music festivals across Europe and the UK, before taking the tour to North America with 19 dates across the US and Canada in September and October. This would then be followed by a second run of UK dates and a short European tour. She was featured on

Gryffin Dan Griffith (born September 29, 1987), known by his stage name Gryffin (often stylized in all caps), is an American musician, DJ, songwriter, and record producer. He gained recognition for remixing some well-known songs such as Tove Lo's " Ta ...

's song (also featuring Model Child) "If I Left the World''"'', released on 23 October 2019.

2020–present: ''Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land''

Marina Diamandis at Ryman Auditorium 01 March 2022

On 16 January 2020, Diamandis posted two photos on

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

with the caption "Writing songs in Paris". On 24 January 2020, she posted a photo on Instagram with the caption "Album 5". On 7 February 2020, Diamandis released "About Love" from the soundtrack for the movie '' To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You''. On 14 February 2020, she announced her upcoming April tour, ''The Inbetweenie Tour''. However, on 16 March 2020, she announced that this tour would be cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. On 8 March 2020, she posted a snippet of a new song named " Man's World" on her Instagram story. The song was released on 18 November 2020. The single debuted at number 99 on the Official UK Singles Sales Chart and at number 96 on the Official UK Singles Download Chart after two days release. On 12 April 2021, Diamandis announced a new single, "

Purge the Poison "Purge the Poison" is a song written and recorded by Welsh singer-songwriter Marina for her fifth studio album, '' Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land'' (2021). It was released as the project's second single on 14 April 2021, through Atlantic Reco ...

", alongside a website and a mailing list to accompany it. Later that day, her web team accidentally uploaded the music video onto YouTube, resulting in an early leak of the song and music video. Diamandis released the single cover and release date soon after, possibly as a result of the early leak. '' Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land'' was released on 11 June 2021. The album was well received by critics. The album's fifth single, "Happy Loner", was released on 3 December 2021 to coincide with the deluxe version of the album which released on 7 January 2022. On 1 October 2021, Diamandis announced on Instagram that she started working on her sixth studio album. On 27 April 2022, Diamandis announced that ''

'' would be getting an expanded version, which was called ''Electra Heart:'' Platinum Blonde Edition. The album was released digitally two days later, with the vinyl release following on 23 September 2022. On 22 May 2022, Diamandis announced while performing in London that ''Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land'' would be her last album with

. She had been signed to the record label for the past 14 years.

Artistry

Musical style and influences

Diamandis has a musical style consisting of

art pop Art pop (also typeset art-pop or artpop) is a loosely defined style of pop music influenced by art theories as well as ideas from other art mediums, such as fashion, fine art, cinema, and avant-garde literature. The genre draws on pop art's ...

electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...

experimental pop Experimental pop is pop music that cannot be categorized within traditional musical boundaries or which attempts to push elements of existing popular forms into new areas. It may incorporate experimental techniques such as musique concrète, al ...

bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...

, and

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

- pop. She is known for her

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

vocal abilities. As a child, she would take inspiration from the differing musical tastes of her parents –

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

Enya Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...

and

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...

from her mother, and

Haris Alexiou Haris Alexiou ( el, Χάρις Αλεξίου, ; born 27 December 1950 in Thebes, Greece as Hariklia Roupaka, el, Χαρίκλεια Ρουπάκα, ) is a Greek singer. She is considered one of the most popular singers in Greece and has been co ...

from her father – while also admiring pop acts of the era including the

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

and

S Club 7 S Club 7 were a British pop group from London, created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller and consisting of members Bradley McIntosh, Hannah Spearritt, Jo O'Meara, Jon Lee, Paul Cattermole, Rachel Stevens and Tina Barrett. The group ...

. Diamandis has said that "

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

was the reason I wanted to be a pop star from the age of 15"; however she also stated that she did not listen to music "properly" until the age of 19, when she took influence from acts including

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...

Fiona Apple Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Apple has received numerous awards an ...

and

the Distillers The Distillers are an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by vocalist and guitarist Brody Dalle. Dalle co-wrote, played guitar and provided lead vocals for nearly every track on the band's three albums. After the ...

. She began smoking two years later in an attempt to sound like the Distillers' frontwoman

Brody Dalle Brody Dalle (born Bree Joanna Alice Robinson; 1 January 1979) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. She began playing music in her adolescence and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18, where she founded the punk rock band The Di ...

, "but it never worked, and now I'm just stuck with a bad habit." She has cited Dalle and Spears as her musical influences, and has expressed a particular interest in

and the

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...

production he uses. She has jokingly stated that "I probably have a bit of a different sound because I don't really know what I'm doing!", referencing her lack of formal musical training. Diamandis has

synesthesia Synesthesia (American English) or synaesthesia (British English) is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People who re ...

, and as a result associates particular colours with musical notes and days of the week. A self-described "

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

musician" and "

indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...

artist with pop goals", Diamandis considers her music to be " alternate pop".

Paul Lester Paul Lester is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster from Elstree, North London. Career He began his career as a freelance journalist, for ''Melody Maker'' in the early 1990s, as well as ''City Limits'', ''20/20'', ''Sky Magazine ...

wrote in 2008 that Diamandis's musical direction was "hard to fathom", given the frequency with which she alternated "simple keyboards-based ballads" and "quirky new wave-inflected numbers". Whereas '' The Family Jewels'' incorporated prominent elements of

new wave music New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. La ...

, ''

'' was heavily inspired by

musical styles. Diamandis opined that the United States was more welcoming of said musical transition than the United Kingdom, and suggested that the American audience embraced the humour behind the latter "tongue-in-cheek record". ''

'' is a pop record, with elements of

europop Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...

and

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

. At the start of her career, Diamandis was compared to other British female singer-songwriters, with Paul Lester from ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' writing that she had a "

zeitgeist In 18th- and 19th-century German philosophy, a ''Zeitgeist'' () ("spirit of the age") is an invisible agent, force or Daemon dominating the characteristics of a given epoch in world history. Now, the term is usually associated with Georg W. F. ...

-y female essence". Though she took exception at such comparisons, and said that all she shared with

Kate Nash Kate Marie Nash (born 6 July 1987) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. Nash launched her music career in 2005. Her 2007 single " Foundations" became a hit and brought her to public attention in the UK. Her debut album, '' Made of Bricks ...

was "a vagina and a keyboard". During the ''Electra Heart'' era, she called comparisons to

and

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent ...

"really annoying", preferring to be classed as herself. Her vocals have been compared to those of

Karen O Karen Lee Orzolek (born November 22, 1978) is a South Korean-born American singer, musician, and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist for the indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Early life She was born in Seoul, South Korea, the daughter of a Ko ...

Regina Spektor Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian–born American singer, songwriter, and pianist. After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in ...

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...

Florence Welch Florence Leontine Mary Welch (born 28 August 1986) is an English singer, the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Florence and the Machine. The band's debut studio album, ''Lungs'' (2009), topped the UK Albums Chart and wo ...

, Britney Spears, and

Siouxsie Sioux Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She was the lead singer of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976–1996). They released 11 ...

, with an androgynous timbre akin to those of

Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...

and

Heather Small Heather Margarita Small (born 20 January 1965) is a British soul singer and former lead vocalist of the band M People. Her subsequent debut solo studio album, ''Proud'', was released in 2000. Career 1987–1998: Hot House and M People Small ...

. When reviewing ''The Family Jewels'', Joe Copplestone from ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' noted that Diamandis's vocal delivery occasionally overpowers the "inventive" melodies showcased in her songs. Diamandis's lyrical content typically analyses components of human behaviour. She has noted that she would have become a psychologist had she been unsuccessful in the music industry. The song "Savages", from the album ''Froot'', reflects on humanity's proneness to violent acts. Rory Cashin of ''Slate'' lauded Diamandis's lyrics as "esoteric", likening her to an "emotionally intelligent outsider who knew how to perfectly articulate those weird thoughts and reactions we all have but would never admit to". Laurence Day of ''

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

'' considered ''Froot'' to be "an anthology of astute

nihilistic Nihilism (; ) is a philosophy, or family of views within philosophy, that rejects generally accepted or fundamental aspects of human existence, such as objective truth, knowledge, morality, values, or meaning of life, meaning. The term was pop ...

existentialist Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...

discussions".

Public image and personal life

Diamandis has identified

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...

, Leigh Lezark,

Shirley Manson Shirley Ann Manson (born 26 August 1966) is a Scottish musician and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the American alternative rock band Garbage. Manson gained media attention for her forthright style, rebellious attitude, and di ...

and

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...

as her fashion icons, with Asli Polat and Mary Benson being among her favourite designers. As part of Selfridges' "Sound of Music", Diamandis and Paloma Faith designed their own window display for the London Oxford Street branch in May 2010, and additionally appeared as "live mannequins" for the display. In November, Diamandis was featured on the website for the Vogue (British magazine), British edition of ''Vogue'', where she contributed to the "Today I'm Wearing" column that month. In February 2011, she became a brand ambassador for Max Factor. In 2013, she launched a fashion brand named 11 Diamonds and designed a line of T-shirts for it, but has had little involvement with it since. According to Emily Jupp of ''The Independent'', despite various changes in musical direction, an "unconventional fashion sense" has been a constant in Diamandis's career. In the music video for the song "How to be a Heartbreaker", she "subverts the norm" by wearing more clothes than male models in the background. She reflected that "I don't think it suits me to wear very little clothing, it just wouldn't feel right. I'd rather people listen to what I have to say instead of staring at my bum". In 2011, while promoting ''The Family Jewels'', Diamandis described her fashion styles as "Vintage clothing, vintage, cheerleader, and cartoon". Four years later, she described her costumes then as "very badly put together vintage, kind of glittery ensemble", and her outfits for ''Froot'' as a "mix of 1970s in fashion, '70s with digital fiberware ... something Surrealism, surreal and '70s". She has been described as a "pop enigma", an artist who "never felt like she belonged to the masses" and one with a cult following. It was written in ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' in June 2016 that she is among "pop artists with major fanbases in the U.S. and a consistent stream of excellent music who are nonetheless kept a tier below these other musicians in terms of national presence, because they never had that one hit that everyone simply has to know them from". She told ''Vice News'' in February 2016 that "I'm not really a [pop] starry person. Stars are people who equal celebrity culture. I don't really feel part of that at all". Diamandis estimates that gay people comprise 60% of her concert audience. She attributes her status as a gay icon to her campness and sense of humour, in addition to lyrics on being a societal outsider. In 2012, she won the Best Music Award at gay magazine Attitude (magazine), ''Attitude'''s award show. She headlined an NYC Pride event in June 2016 in the aftermath of the Orlando nightclub shooting, wearing a rainbow-striped cape. Diamandis plays down her popularity in the gay community in order to avoid sounding like a "cliché pop star", and hopes for a time when acceptance will mean that people do not label themselves by their sexuality. Despite knowing the elements of Greek Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox, Diamandis states that she was not raised Christianity, Christian and identifies as an atheist. She considers herself an introvert and revealed on

that she is an INFJ in the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator. One of her songs that is especially focused on her introverted side and appreciating solitude is "Solitaire".

Social views

Diamandis has frequently been an advocate of feminism and Gender equality, equal gender rights, sharing her social views in music, interviews and on social media. She had been named "the sound of feminism" in ''Nylon (magazine), Nylon'' magazine. The singer has been critical of traditional gender roles and societal Misogyny, prejudice towards women in general, as well as in the pop landscape and music industry. Her second album ''Electra Heart'' focused on exploring the feminine psyche and the ways women are embodied in Stereotypes of Americans, American cultural stereotypes, with the track "Sex Yeah" often described as a "feminist statement". A few years later, Diamandis decided to work with an exclusively all-female team on her fifth studio album ''Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land'' in order to produce a longer feminist narrative. She explained that "this story can only be told by women". In 2020, Diamandis started speaking openly about growing out her Grey-hair, grey hair on

to challenge unhealthy beauty standards. "I started getting silver / grey hairs around 15 years old. I've been dying my hair since I was 22 because I literally thought I had no other option. Grey equalled old to me – something most women are told is a bad, bad thing. Anything that symbolised this simply HAD to be covered!".

Mental health

Diamandis has openly spoken about dealing with Depression in childhood and adolescence, depression and Anxiety disorder, anxiety. Her song "Happy (Marina and the Diamonds song), Happy", the opening song from the album ''Froot'', discusses her battle with depression, while the whole record is dedicated to celebrating happiness. The song was preceded by tracks from previous records such as "Numb", "Are You Satisfied?", "Living Dead", and "Teen Idle", which were written about her depression from her teenage years and twenties. In 2017, she began a Tumblr blog named "Marinabook" where she discussed a variety of topics surrounding mental health. To celebrate World Mental Health Day 2017 (and her 32nd birthday), Diamandis posted an essay about her battle with her mental health struggles. Over the years she attended various psychology courses, which earned her an alias of a "pop psychologist".

Discography

*'' The Family Jewels'' (2010) * ''

'' (2012) * ''

'' (2015) * ''

'' (2019) * '' Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land'' (2021)

Tours

Headlining *

(2010–2011) *

(2012–2013) *

(2015–2016) * Love + Fear Tour (2019) * The Inbetweenie Tour (2020; cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak) * Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land Tour (2022) Supporting *

–

(2011) *

–

(2011–2012) * Panic! at the Disco – Viva Las Vengeance Tour (2022–2023)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Diamandis, Marina Marina Diamandis, 1985 births Living people Alumni of Middlesex University Alumni of the University of East London Art pop musicians Atheist feminists Atlantic Records artists British indie pop musicians British synth-pop musicians British women in electronic music Feminist musicians MTV Europe Music Award winners People educated at Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls People from Blaenau Gwent Singers from London Synth-pop singers Welsh atheists 21st-century Welsh women singers Welsh feminists Welsh keyboardists Welsh people of Greek descent Welsh pop pianists Welsh pop singers Welsh mezzo-sopranos Welsh singer-songwriters Welsh women pianists Wonky pop musicians 21st-century pianists 679 Artists artists Welsh electronic musicians 21st-century women pianists