CEREMONY | The Heart Rate: 10 Years of Electra Heart

[Cruelty 6,172]

“[My favourite lyric from Starring Role is] probably “sometimes I ignore you, so I feel in control”. A lot of people do that, even with something simple like texting. It’s a pull and push power game that usually occurs when someone is not right for you, because there shouldn’t be any games if something’s right.”

5 POWER & CONTROL — average 8.38

Highest: 11 x 1 (@Cruelty ); 10 x 9 (@CatelynnMarie @HeavyMetal Halcyon @itsmebuddy @GaGaLB @Butters Stotch @Poltergeist @ARTPOPe @Benji @Lady Gaga 2009)
Lowest: 5 (Admin @holy scheisse)

For all its intellectual pretensions, there are some tracks on Electra Heart that are just simply brilliant pop songs with easy-to-understand lyrics. Enter ‘Power & Control’, an absolute banger about the push-and-pull ebb and flow of all relationships. Marina explores the subtle power struggles intrinsic to love, and it’s interesting that the song comes from the perspective of the aggressor (“I’m gonna make you fall”). Love makes savages and fighters of us all, and Electra isn’t about to lose this battle. In the middle 8, she’s adamant that showing a little humanity shouldn’t be your downfall: “a human vulnerability doesn’t mean that I am weak”. But then the lyric repeats and repeats for several lines, eventually collapsing into this broken confession “I am weak, I am weak, weak, weak, weak, weak, weak, weak”. Over the course of this bridge, Electra—who started out so strong—has become “weak”, all because of “a human vulnerability”. We're seeing the power games play out. The stakes can be so high in romantic relationships, where the dichotomy of powerful/powerless is all that matters, and (in Electra’s head, at least) showing just a touch of weakness will bring you down.

(I really think there’s something top/bottom, sub/dom about this too, but the writeup’s long enough already without expatiating on the intrinsic power dynamics of same-sex intimacy  Although in my notes, I do have a Marina interview quote where she says “gay people pick up on things a little bit quicker”, and I thought that was too good not to share).

At the heart of the issue is something that Electra’s gradually realising: we’re all real people, with real feelings. In ‘The State of Dreaming’, she finally comprehended that there’s a real person living underneath the archetypal artifices of the Electra Heart persona, and in ‘Power & Control’ she realises that the rest of us are just as real. It’s encapsulated when she sings “Yeah you may be good-looking but you’re not a piece of art”. Electra’s problem is that he’s not just a piece of art; she can’t just put her handsome lover up on a wall and look at him forever without him answering back to her, without him having his own snapbacks and feelings and problems. The thesis of ‘Power & Control’ might be that all relationships become a power struggle at this point of realisation, this shift from just looking to living with; when he stops being mere eye candy, perfection personified, and starts becoming the very real person who you’re sharing a space with. We’re all very lovely ’til we get to know each other, as we stop becoming friends and we start becoming lovers.

Musically, it’s flawless. Greg Kurstin’s productions on this album are consistently spotless, and this is the best of the four, bolstered by the fact that the track was co-written by Steve Angello of Swedish House Mafia. I love how dynamic the intro feels—that really dirty bassline struggling against the creeping piano riff, like thousands of spotlights zipping on and off, before that quick, aggressive drum fill into the first verse. Musically engaging and lyrically intriguing, ‘Power & Control’ is a bold slice of club-ready electropop that truly showcases the strengths of the Electra Heart project. I love it to bits.

Comments

@CatelynnMarie Absolute BANGER omg one of her best bops

@Poltergeist A bangerrrrr! This song is extremely simple, I love-hate the fact that the verses are so short, nevertheless it’s an instant ear worm and one of the best tracks on the album!

@holy scheisse Kinda boring tbh ()

[Cruelty 6,172]

“The ages of 16 to 20 were blacked out years for me in that I didn’t feel like I had enjoyed my youth, for various reasons. Teen Idle was about that, I’m talking about real things…”

4 TEEN IDLE — average 8.50

Highest: 11 x 3 (@Poltergeist @holy scheisse @Zed); 10 x 10 (@CatelynnMarie @itsmebuddy @Grigio Guy @GaGaLB @Galvon @VTV @ARTPOPe @RAMROD @DrKindnessKunt1999 @Lady Gaga 2009)

Lowest: 1 (@Stephen, Admin)

Its title shamelessly nicked from fashion designer Ashish’s 2011 show (picture below), ‘Teen Idle’ is one of those songs that defines a generation. Being a teenager sucks sometimes, especially when we feel like we’re being pulled in so many directions (by the media, by expectations, by our friends, our parents, substances, boyfriends, girlfriends, religions) that we’re not sure who we even are anymore. It’s a universal experience, and Marina is one of the artists I’d trust the most to transform the quagmire of adolescence into an ethereal ballad. The lyrics aren’t profound—‘being a teenager sucks, but I wish I’d leant into it more’—but every single one is a stone-cold classic, especially when screamed in unison by 5,000 fans. Again, the album’s perennial theme of identity raises its head, but here the tone is regretful—even mournful. Electra realises that preconceived notions of how to be a teenager have damaged her, and, by extension, that the way that society categorises identities isn’t good for anybody; here begins the path that will end with the death of Electra Heart.

Billie Eilish, Melanie Martinez and Lana Del Rey are all on record as fans, and the track’s 113 million Spotify streams and countless live performances are testament to its continued popularity. To be honest, it’s not one I instinctively gravitate to, but ‘Teen Idle’ is one of the undeniable anthems of the 2010s Tumblr generation, and has rightfully earned its spot in Electra Heart’s Top 5. You know what, let’s just read @Poltergeist’s commentary in full, because this was their 11 and their comments are just such a beautiful example of what Electra Heart meant, and still means, to so many people:

THIS IS THE QUINTESSENCE OF ELECTRA HEART. My 11, the first song I think of when I think of the album itself. I have so many bittersweet memories with it, I’ve listened to it a lot when I was depressed, I sang it out loud with my best friend on our prom when we got out for a cigarette just because we felt like it sums up our teenage years perfectly. As much as I don’t listen to it as often as I used to and I feel like I’ve grown out of it I still appreciate how real and touching it was for my teenage self.

Lastly, here’s a video of Marina performing this song about suicide to a classroom full of children.

 

Comments

@CatelynnMarie Another intensely relatable track. Stunning lyrics

@itsmebuddy I blame this song for how I turned out

@holy scheisse Outstanding. Iconic and ahead of its time with the ambient synthy vibe

@LovingIsACherryPie Best lyrics of the album imo. I should listen to the acoustic version.

[holy scheisse 22,254]

Ooop the best song on the album lost to the TikTok song and the Katy perry knockoff song 

 

[Cruelty 6,172]

“[This song is] about not being loved by someone and wanting that so you kind of hide from that by using a little metaphor from the theatre world [laughs]. There’s a lot of drama in the whole thing. I have quite a big campy side to me.”

3 STARRING ROLE — average 8.54

Highest: 11 x 4 (@VTV @Stephen @huttont @Chesescake); 10 x 7 (@CatelynnMarie @Grigio Guy @GaGaLB @Poltergeist @ARTPOPe @Cruelty @Lady Gaga 2009)
Lowest: 1 (Admin )

So near and yet so far! Yesterday, this was so close that I had a ‘Top 2’ graphic prepared with this song on it, but this fan favourite just falls to bronze medal position. One of the first songs written for Electra Heart, ‘Starring Role’ is a tongue-in-cheek exploration of what happens when you’re just not receiving as much love as you think you deserve. Thematically, it’s the perfect confluence of ‘Primadonna’ and ‘Hypocrates’, but flavoured by the intense pain of ‘Lies’ and told with the aggressive stance of ‘Power & Control’. At times, Marina is poised and cold (‘Sometimes I ignore you so I feel in control’); at other times, she’s fighting to keep her feelings contained (‘You don’t love me. Big f*cking deal.’ is clearly trying to hide genuine heartbreak).

The stress of running this cursèd hell-site is clearly getting to our dear Admin, who gave this the lowest possible score, but aside from that, it didn’t score lower than a 6. ‘Starring Role’ is almost universally liked, and for good reason. Greg Kurstin’s slick production alternates dainty verses with stomping electropop choruses; the soaring chorus melody is epic; and the lyrics contain some of Marina’s finest couplets. ‘Starring Role’ is just a Very Good Pop Song that doesn’t put a foot wrong, and it takes a worthy third place tonight.

I’ll leave you with the glacial beauty of Marina’s acoustic performance of Starring Role, which really hammers home the ‘twisted lullaby’ vibe of the verses and the utter heartbreak at the song’s core:

 

 

Comments

@CatelynnMarie RELATABLE. BOOF! This track truly is on another level and I feel has helped a lot of people through the realisations of love situations they were/ are in.

@VTV Her Magnum Opus

@Poltergeist This was probably my first breakup song, there was a time when I couldn’t listen to it, love the lyrics and the overall vibe

@holy scheisse Underrated. Love the production

[huttont 5,269]

Top 3 Prediction:

3. Starring Role

2. Bubblegum Bitch

1. Primadonna 

[Galvon 1,868]

1 minute ago, Cruelty said:

“[This song is] about not being loved by someone and wanting that so you kind of hide from that by using a little metaphor from the theatre world [laughs]. There’s a lot of drama in the whole thing. I have quite a big campy side to me.”

3 STARRING ROLE — average 8.54

Highest: 11 x 4 (@VTV @Stephen @huttont @Chesescake); 10 x 7 (@CatelynnMarie @Grigio Guy @GaGaLB @Poltergeist @ARTPOPe @Cruelty @Lady Gaga 2009)
Lowest: 1 (Admin )

So near and yet so far! Yesterday, this was so close that I had a ‘Top 2’ graphic prepared with this song on it, but this fan favourite just falls to bronze medal position. One of the first songs written for Electra Heart, ‘Starring Role’ is a tongue-in-cheek exploration of what happens when you’re just not receiving as much love as you think you deserve. Thematically, it’s the perfect confluence of ‘Primadonna’ and ‘Hypocrates’, but flavoured by the intense pain of ‘Lies’ and told with the aggressive stance of ‘Power & Control’. At times, Marina is poised and cold (‘Sometimes I ignore you so I feel in control’); at other times, she’s fighting to keep her feelings contained (‘You don’t love me. Big f*cking deal.’ is clearly trying to hide genuine heartbreak).

The stress of running this cursèd hell-site is clearly getting to our dear Admin, who gave this the lowest possible score, but aside from that, it didn’t score lower than a 6. ‘Starring Role’ is almost universally liked, and for good reason. Greg Kurstin’s slick production alternates dainty verses with stomping electropop choruses; the soaring chorus melody is epic; and the lyrics contain some of Marina’s finest couplets. ‘Starring Role’ is just a Very Good Pop Song that doesn’t put a foot wrong, and it takes a worthy third place tonight.

I’ll leave you with the glacial beauty of Marina’s acoustic performance of Starring Role, which really hammers home the ‘twisted lullaby’ vibe of the verses and the utter heartbreak at the song’s core:

 

 

Comments

@CatelynnMarie RELATABLE. BOOF! This track truly is on another level and I feel has helped a lot of people through the realisations of love situations they were/ are in.

@VTV Her Magnum Opus

@Poltergeist This was probably my first breakup song, there was a time when I couldn’t listen to it, love the lyrics and the overall vibe

@holy scheisse Underrated. Love the production

I almost never listen to this song

[huttont 5,269]

Just now, Galvon said:

I almost never listen to this song

Why???? It’s my favorite off the album. So thematic and dramatic. 

[Cruelty 6,172]

So, Gagadaily, your Electra Heart top 2 are...

Who will be your winner?

(Chaotic fun fact: at various points during the voting, 'Radioactive', 'Primadonna', 'Bubblegum Bitch', 'Teen Idle' and 'Living Dead' took turns in the number 1 spot ).

[Poltergeist 3,605]

1 minute ago, Cruelty said:

So, Gagadaily, your Electra Heart top 2 are...

Who will be your winner?

(Chaotic fun fact: at various points during the voting, 'Radioactive', 'Primadonna', 'Bubblegum Bitch', 'Teen Idle' and 'Living Dead' took turns in the number 1 spot ).

It's gotta be Primadonna, it's her Bad Romance 

[Galvon 1,868]

1 minute ago, Poltergeist said:

It's gotta be Primadonna, it's her Bad Romance 

What is her Poker Face then?

[huttont 5,269]

3 minutes ago, Cruelty said:

So, Gagadaily, your Electra Heart top 2 are...

Who will be your winner?

(Chaotic fun fact: at various points during the voting, 'Radioactive', 'Primadonna', 'Bubblegum Bitch', 'Teen Idle' and 'Living Dead' took turns in the number 1 spot ).

I prefer BB but Primadonna will reign as she does in all previous rates. Good song but BB has a special place in my electraheart 

[Poltergeist 3,605]

1 minute ago, Galvon said:

What is her Poker Face then?

How To Be A Heartbreaker, maybe? Not too many songs by her are known by GP, sadly 

[Cruelty 6,172]

INTERVIEWER: What was the inspiration behind Electra Heart?
MARINA: The idea of personifying love. I felt like a walking broken heart for four months when writing the album at the start, so I wanted to portray that. I liked the idea of writing about the real side of love. Not the, ‘Baby, I miss you, come back!’ More the ‘I’m never going to put myself in that position again and henceforth, my reign as Queen Bitch from Hell begins!’

2 BUBBLEGUM BITCH — average 8.62

Highest: 11 x 1 (@Lady Gaga 2009); 10 x 9 (@CatelynnMarie @Grigio Guy @GaGaLB @VTV @juicyjuicy @Zed @Torsoface @DrKindnessKunt1999 @LovingIsACherryPie)
Lowest: 4 (Admin)

Marina has consistently labelled Electra Heart’s opener her favourite track from the record, and it’s easy to see why. I’m generally not a fan of Rick Nowels’ production on the album, but here it really works, instantly imbuing the song with a 90s post-punk vibe that perfectly complements the fun, sassy lyrics (which took just 10 minutes to write). This is a song about transformation, about becoming Electra Heart, about becoming the homewrecker and taking vengeance on the concept of love itself. To my ears, it feels a little forced as the big rock song opener, but it’s propulsive and powerful, and Marina’s description of the track as “basically Britney Spears peeled inside out” is just so delicious.

@holy scheisse alludes to the true story with this song: “Glad she finally got her flowers from the TikTok girlies”. Yes, ‘Bubblegum Bitch’ is (accidentally) Electra Heart’s biggest hit, becoming a TikTok smash eight years after the album was released. Just like ‘Oh No!’. And ‘Hermit the Frog’. And ‘Are You Satisfied?’. Honestly I feel like TikTok should be paying Marina at this point? But it’s great to see Marina’s music being discovered by new audiences, in a slightly more organic way, without a single penny being spent on promo (this is convenient, since Marina has spent her career going round bankrupting record labels). Here’s what some ‘Bubblegum Bitch’ fans have to say about our introduction to the life of Electra Heart:

@CatelynnMarie an EXPLOSIVE way to start an album. There’s so much to unpack within how great the song actually is, but it’s hard for me to put into words

@itsmebuddy Catchy and fun to dance to, I just wish it was a bit longer

@VTV One of a kind pop banger opener

@Poltergeist A classic, a banger, her best album opener

@LovingIsACherryPie Such a STRONG album opener, easily one of my fav songs.

[huttont 5,269]

4 minutes ago, Galvon said:

What is her Poker Face then?

Maybe Oh No! or Hollywood 

[Galvon 1,868]

1 minute ago, huttont said:

Maybe Oh No! or Hollywood 

I think I see Hollywood as her Just Dance