MARINA - LOVE + FEAR

[Inferno 2,880]

Also Soft To Be Strong is like the audible equivalent to waking up to the smell of fresh hot coffee in a cozy highish level New York apartment full of warm natural lighting from the rising sun.

[Infinity Wave 7,617]

On 5/4/2019 at 8:27 PM, Sam98 said:

The fact that she's not coming to Italy with her tour really bugs me. Like, even Lana came last year after many years and she even had two dates, in Rome and Milan (something not even Gaga has the decency of doing ) 

She's coming to Milan!

I hope I'll get to see her!

[Inferno 2,880]

On 4/25/2019 at 5:09 PM, Judas Oyster said:

That's good! Glad you enjoy it.

I thought so too bc I've seen interviews but idk. I'm thinking about some years ago when she was quitting music. I was expecting her to really quit for many many years. So from my perspective it feels like some manager made her make this album when she wasn't just ready. I'm not saying it's a bad album it just feels like something very significant is missing out. I know she supposedly only wanted to erase "the Diamonds" from her artistic name but it feels like something more is erased. But then again I'm not a big fan so that's why I'm asking you guys. I wanted to like some of the songs. I think some of the hooks are good but idk maybe it's just the beats I find really boring and unoriginal.

So as a fan theres some important information that factors into why this album is the way it is, imo. Marina started out her career with The Family Jewels as a naive young DIY artist with a hunger for success, fame and a misguided quasi-punk chip on her shoulder attitude towards the pop industry. She was indie but the pop star within her was apparent. So for Electra Heart she went full force into that world, tried the whole top 40 radio billboard chart statistic rat race and came out on the other side burned by critics and in debt with her label who tried to degrade the success of the album because it didn't dominate the charts. She tried to reach the heights she sang about on The Family Jewels and by industry standards did not succeed. Which is why Froot was this really bare bones creative project where she wrote every song and worked with only one producer, didn't release traditional singles and focused more on the fans and the performances. Even though it was critically well received. I think part of her came to terms with never really "breaking out" how she always wanted to and she became disenchanted with her music career and how that all affected her psychologically as well. Thus why she wanted to take an extended break to pursue other things and see if her passion lied elsewhere. What she came to find was that it didn't. She liked her music career. So she dropped the diamonds and wanted to come back clean, contemporary, and with no pretense. Gone completely is the angsty uk attitude and sardonic lyricism that gave her first 2 albums their unique spunk and although Froot was basically the preface to the boredom that exists on L+F, there was still a something to prove drive behind it. She clearly doesn't have the same drive or aspirations as she used to, thus why I think this album sounds even more subdued than Froot. I do not think its a "bad" album, although its just very....exactly as you put it actually. And none of that has to do with pressure from anyone but herself, she wanted to make something "non-conceptual, light and contemporary" as she stated. Her bf is a member of Clean Bandit which also influenced the sterilized pop production imo. Its just straightforward songwriting and clean vocals on sanitized beats. I love her as a person and creative, I find songs to enjoy but if im stacking it up against her discography its such a pale representation of Marina the pop artist that its almost invisible. I understand the criticisms. But imo, theres still material here to enjoy.

[Dominic 11,922]

8 minutes ago, Inferno said:

 

Thanks for that read, pretty enlightening for a casual fan. It does explain why LF seems to lack an identity of sort. There doesnt seem to be that Marina stamp, lyricism seems to have taken a back seat and production is more crisp and sanitised.  Some good bops but nothing really rememberable or as clever as say Savages. 

[Sassy McSass 814]

As a whole I agree this album is not very memorable. Thera are great moments, but there’s also a few songs that didn’t stand out for me - but I might change my opinion on some songs later, I think the way I appreciate a song has a lot to do with where I am in life. Still, Soft To Be Strong alone would have made this album special to me, because it feels so much like me it scared me at first listen. I still have trouble sometimes listening to it in full without crying, but it’s kind of a cathartic crying, you know? I feel like it’s been helping with my healing process. And for that alone I’d already thank Marina for continue working and writing music. I know her career may be different than she wanted at first, but I wish there was a way to let her know how much it means to me (and certainly a lot of others). 

“You know, I guess one person can make a difference” - she does.

[Bio 23,538]

Time has passed and I haven’t come back to listen to any of the songs, even the ones I liked back then. At least she’s happy with what she created.

[AndiGaga 5,115]

31 minutes ago, Bio said:

Time has passed and I haven’t come back to listen to any of the songs, even the ones I liked back then. At least she’s happy with what she created.

I think if somebody is a Marina Fan, that album is special and so enjoyable! If you're not a fan and not love the person Marina, idk

I love it because i love her and i feel what she says

[Sam98 1,896]

8 hours ago, Infinity Wave said:

She's coming to Milan!

I hope I'll get to see her!

Yaaas, I'm seeing her in Milan! She surprised me when I had no hope left

[Magneto 13,132]

8 hours ago, Inferno said:

 

Damn, this is such an amazing analysis of her career. I only disagree with you on the last part, but that simply comes down to personal taste. I totally get why she goes as Marina now,  because it really feels like she's a new artist now. I love the old Marina, but actually prefer this one. Because the album is so bare boned it's extra real to me. Maybe it's also because the themes and lyrics really resonate with my life rn

[Inferno 2,880]

16 hours ago, Dominic said:

Thanks for that read, pretty enlightening for a casual fan. It does explain why LF seems to lack an identity of sort. There doesnt seem to be that Marina stamp, lyricism seems to have taken a back seat and production is more crisp and sanitised.  Some good bops but nothing really rememberable or as clever as say Savages. 

This is her first album post-existential crisis, I think if she continues to make music it's possible she'll snuggle into a sonic direction that's more interesting paired with her newfound sense of confidence and lack of desire to be conceptually boundary pushing. This is like a new debut, she's just stretching and I'm hoping with the next album she'll have warmed herself up enough to actually run.

[EdX 2,849]

On 7/3/2019 at 6:56 AM, Inferno said:

As time has progressed I find more and more value in Enjoy Your Life. Its such a simple joyous song that just makes me feel happy when I listen to it. Especially considering what I have been going through personally this past week, as corny as this sounds (and I am never one to discuss songs in this manner as I usually find it corny for people to say what im about to say but in this case it was honest to god truth) listening to her lyrics as a mantra with its joyous production on my car ride helped in alleviating some of my glum vibe. Because as simple a concept as it may be, its sometimes what we need to hear. And quite honestly in 2019 we don't hear it enough at least not this straightforward.

Yeeesss.... I saw her live last night at a festival in Denmark and Enjoy Your Life was my absolute favourite moment of the set... 

[Inferno 2,880]

On 7/7/2019 at 3:38 AM, Halle said:

Yeeesss.... I saw her live last night at a festival in Denmark and Enjoy Your Life was my absolute favourite moment of the set... 

Its a glowing pure pop bop. If it were given a shot, I think it would blow tf up (not that that matters but just my opinion).

[Inferno 2,880]

On 5/4/2019 at 11:27 AM, Sam98 said:

The fact that she's not coming to Italy with her tour really bugs me. Like, even Lana came last year after many years and she even had two dates, in Rome and Milan (something not even Gaga has the decency of doing ) 

Its nothing to do with her and it has to do with the venues themselves. She could want to come to a thousand different cities but if the people who run the venues don't think shes profitable enough they wont book her. So in order for that to happen she/her team have to essentially prove to them why a Marina show at their venue would be profitable for them. And the problem being, she doesn't have streaming numbers, views, etc. All of the metrics that make an artist valuable today are statistics like that. So she has to rest on her laurels and her touring stats which are decent but a lot of these venues just dont want to book a Marina show. She basically discussed this in a stream a few months ago. So she said what has to be done if you want her to come to your city, is basically get the fanbase in your area together and contact the venues proving that theres interest there for her to come.