She's Marina, We're The Diamonds, And That Was The Rate [Finalized]

Phonetics Girl

Phonetics Girl

she/her
A quick breather for me before we continue ravaging my personal top 10.























































42.
living-dead.jpg


7.413

-5
(+0.31)

Highest: 10x9 (@soratami, @Stradiwhovius, @RUNAWAY, @babes aloud, @OspreyQueen, @sfmartin, @Music Is Life, @SlowGinFizzzz, @japanbonustrack)
Lowest: 1x1 (@Cutlery)
@əʊæ: 5​


Living Dead gave me a serious case of demoitis. Like, let’s take this totally non-understated banger that requires minimal touch-ups and add sledgehammer beats, take out any semblance of subtlety, and make that final chorus agonisingly long. Had the die Life project ever come to pass, the reception might’ve been warmer. However, by the time of Electra Heart’s release this little despair burst has started to feel pretty inessential and underdeveloped. The time it had been sat on along with overcooking on the production front make it a great missed opportunity in a true ARTPOPist fashion. As far as the lyrics go, it’s all peachy though. They paint a suitably overdramatic and unstable picture in dark violet hues (excuse my synaesthesia ddd.) And, you know, I pretty much came to accept my stunted emotional growth, but they can still hit a bit close to home ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

@Sprockrooster (8): "Fuck, this will be stuck in my head all day." DEAD DEAD DEAD

@abael (8) has the advantage of never listening to the demo: "Corny chorus, but all other aspects of the track excel."

@Cutlery (1) is hating passionately: "A REAL clunker. US diamonds kinda won by being spared from this overlong flop. It's honestly neverending and not in a way that works to this ears. If I still had my old iTunes plays, this would probably sit comfortably at the bottom of the album with like, 20 at most."

Take Kurstin to task, @Verandi (2), yes: "This was her worst song before Orange Trees appeared on the scene. One of the glaring examples of how bad mr. Kurstin production can be when it's overdone. Loud, overproduced, repetitive. The US was spared of this thing, but us European still got Lonely Hearts Club so in the end we still won. DEDDEDDEDDEDDonlyALAILAILAILAIVVV"

@DJHazey (9): "I know it's a bit of mess lyrically, is technically a little over-produced, and ever so slightly on the repetitive side, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't still go off a tad and that I'm sitting here now bopping. Was thinking 8, but I'd imagine it's needs a little bit of help in the score department." Congratulations, you played your 10s.

@happiestgirl (9) and @Kenny (9) prove that drama queens of a feather stan together: "I live for how over-dramatic this is" & "I absolutely love the dramaticness of this one, Only alive when I pretend that I have died."

"feels old", @imaduck (7.5) observes.

@Maki (7) explains why: "If I'm not mistaken, this is the first songs written and recorded for this album. It shows a bit, but it's a great song. However, it's too repetitive for me to appreciate it more and there isn't something to grasp on, unlike most of the songs here. Also, it could've been at least 40 seconds shorter, because of that repetitiveness. Like the vast majority of the album, this is another example of excellent production, so it's not a weak song by itself."

@Stradiwhovius (10) loves a bit of turpism: "Harsh, ugly, and a bit unpleasant to listen to and all the better because of it. I wouldn't want anything more like this by her, but as a "I want to smash things and cry myself to sleep" depression bop I honestly don't think you can find better."

@babes aloud (10) danses macabre: "The electrified production is life giving. But after listening to this, now I'm dead."

@OspreyQueen (10): "I will NEVER understand why this one gets so much hate. The production is delicious, with some great little 80s callbacks like the Eurythmics synths and Lucky Star-esque electronic tinkles. And the lyrics are some of the best in her whole discography, outlining the bitter reality of depression but putting it into an upbeat rallying cry, with the chorus being a literal chant. It’s incredible songwriting, and I will be livid if it flops again." I hate it cause of the demo.

@sfmartin (10): "One of the best songs on the album and one of my favourites of the discography. So god damn catchy. The hooks are undeniable. Coming straight after power & control there's no living. I'm just dead." Is it nice in hell?

@japanbonustrack (10) petite morts: "(THIS SOMG GIVES ME LIFE)"

@Vixen (9) identifies the main flaw, yet manages to stan: "This used to be one of my favorites back in the day. I mean, I still like it, but I think I outgrew the repetitiveness of the chorus. Still, a decent bop. Also, lovely transition from the verses to the chorus. I'm thankful for the bridge here because, like many of the Electra Heart songs, this one was severely asking for a little space to breathe and Marina delivered with the middle-8."

​
 
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P'NutButter

P'NutButter

'Gold' stands out for me with it's squelchy instrumental over the chorus and I love the little vocal on the second verse.

'Living Dead' sounds exactly like what it was/is - an artist (at that time) running out of steam, creatively*. It has remnants of The Family Jewels sound but lacks any of that era's personality or wit. It's a filler track and unsurprising that she later ditched it from the US version.

* Thankfully she got inspired with the character of Electra Heart and all was good again.
 
Maki

Maki

While I really like the song and love the production, "Living Dead" is my second lowest score from "Electra Heart" (including the extras), so I'm fine to see it leave. It feels a bit inessential compared to the rest of the album, which makes sense because it was written when "die Life" was a thing.
But I can't believe that it (along with the other three tracks from the album) went before "Hypocrates". That one should go next for sure.

I must find that demo of "Living Dead" and judge again.
 
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