On Nov. 6, I had the pleasure of seeing Marina and the Diamonds in concert.
If I could describe the evening in one word, it would be “electrifying.” I’ve been a fan of Marina for easily three years now and have always admired her for her skills as a musician. I find it a bit cheesy to say that she’s a role model of mine, but that’s the best way I can think to describe her.
A female artist who sings about feeling lost, going through pain and falling in and out of dysfunctional love while still fighting to make it on top of the heap is something that I can relate to.
She does it in a way that makes her stand out among the crowd – possibly because she is so brutally honest and brash in her lyrics (“Don’t do love, don’t do friends / I’m only after success”).
I’ve also supported her in her advocacy for feminism, but that’s another story in and of itself.
Marina and the Diamonds (Marina Diamandis – despite partial confusion due to the title – is a solo act), a Welsh singer/songwriter, just recently broke ground in the United States. She performs pop music but isn’t a pop artist. If you’ve never listened to her work, this is hard to understand.
Basically, Diamand’s music has the tempos and melodies of any regular pop song that would be suited for radio play, but her content matter is much darker and more insightful.
She is bubbly without being ditsy, outgoing without being obnoxious, and writes pop music without falling into the confines of a typical “pop artist.” As I described to someone prior to the show asking about what type of music she writes, it’s “indie pop.”
When discussing the content matter on her album “Electra Heart,” it could probably be debated that she mocks the themes a typical female artist in today’s pop culture plays on. Yet, she does it sincerely.
She knows what it is like to be a “housewife, beauty queen, homewrecker, idle teen.” She has even said before that she does not like to refer to Electra Heart (the character her sophomore album is centered around) as an alter ego – a possible method of detaching herself from Electra that she wants to avoid.
Regardless, after seeing Marina in concert, it cannot be denied that she has impeccable performing skills. She hits every note just like on the recording, but makes sure to add flair to liven up the show. She elongates high notes and communicates with the audience.
The concert was divided into three acts, one for each album that Diamandis has put out. Act one is “The Family Jewels,” act two is “Electra Heart” and act three is “FROOT.”
Coming from a devoted fan, the playlist incorporated the perfect blend of songs off of each album. Diamand is concocted a nice balance of mixing punching, upbeat songs with slow, sensual ballads. Opening with “Mowgli’s Road” and finishing off the encore with “Blue” allowed the show to begin with an ominous, anxious mood in the air and close with a bouncy, resolved tone.
Marina rocked the stage with eloquence and elegance the entire night while still maintaining a hint of oddness to appeal to the messages presented in her music. She demanded the attention of the audience, commanded everyone to listen – and they did.
I hope they continue to listen for as long as Marina chooses to pursue her career in music. This girl’s got a lot to say and knows exactly how to say it.
