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

D

Deleted member 30181

I smell the elimination of my 11 just round the corner...

The Outsider 5: I think I over scored this in retrospect. It's really lacking and full.
Better Than That 7: my least favourite song on Froot. My main issues are the lyrics and pseudo-70s rock aesthetic. I'm Not Hungry Anymore is similar sonically and much more palatable lyrically, so should have replaced Better Than That in my opinion.
Superstar 9: a real grower. I wasn't a fan of this when it was released, but I love it now. It really should have been sent to radio instead of the tragic Orange Trees.
Weeds 10: probably Marina's most underrated song in my opinion. It's utterly beautiful in its simplicity, and the lyrics and melody are heartbreaking. I always think of it as being I'm A Ruin's slightly plainer but unfairly overlooked sister. One of my favourite Marina songs.
Emotional Machine 7: I think I overscored this too. It's like a Marina song built in a lab to be as Marina-y as possible. No way is it better than Superstar, Soft To Be Strong, Too Afraid and No More Suckers.

Also, Handmade Heaven one of the top two songs on Love + Fear? Absolutely not.
 
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Maki

Maki

"Emotional Machine" could've went a bit further, it's one of the better songs from the album.
Can we count "FEAR" as the first album to be eliminated? I agree, as it's the slightly weaker side of the "LOVE + FEAR" for me.

And "LOVE+ FEAR" being down to only two songs when we've passed the half point? Wow.
At least one of them is my favorite song from the album, so it's not that bad.

əʊæ said:
Tomorrow: 11 exodus - 6 voters will be mad and one of them will be very mad at me
(at least there won't be anymore 0s after that)
Click to expand...
This has me extremely anxious.
 
Phonetics Girl

Phonetics Girl

she/her
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35.
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7.66

NEW ENTRY

11: @Cundy
Highest: 10x8 (@Sprockrooster, @Miyawakiwi, @Ana Raquel, @DJHazey, @tylerc904, @londonrain, @Aester, @Maki)
Lowest: 0x1 (@əʊæ)
​
In my case Baby is a prime example of “A fave releases new music after years, surely I can’t hate it?” and trying to convince myself I am not appalled. I did overplay it last December. Who wouldn’t keep putting a summer bop on while freezing their ass off on a bus stop every day? But that was then and what do I think about it without my stan goggles on? It is the worst produced song on Love along with Orange Trees. A facsimile attempt of white people to feel their Latin oats. It is damn corny with its infantile chorus (we already have Weeds if you want Merna cooing about “babies”), hiccupy verses, and Luis Fonsi being Luis Fonsi, by which I mean an energetic ray of sunshine. And of course, there’s also that video for Mama. It contaminates and retroactively cancels anything to do with Clean Bandit. I could take Disconnect. It was a Froot song produced by a bunch of twats. Meanwhile, Baby is Marina entertaining said twats’ foolishness; becoming compliant. Trust me, after that nothing could move or disappoint me anymore.

I'll be respectful and introduce the voters' praise with no further comments:

@sfmartin (5): "This doesn't do it for me."

@Verandi (6): "This would make more sense as a bonus track, but I get why it's here in the tracklist; SEB putting all of her collaborations at the beginning of Make A Scene teas, the difference is that those collaborations were iconic, Baby is just cute."

@happiestgirl (7): "A bit by the numbers but I enjoy the latin flair"

@pop3blow2 (7.4): "I mean, I’m glad Marina was part of a song that was hit-ish. That said, this song bugs me in the Love & Fear sequence. It really feels out of place & shoe-horned into the project. It’s a fine song, I guess, but not something I’m ever gonna use much."

@Cutlery (7.5): "For an obsessed Clean Bandit hater, I have to admit this is a basic latinx-pandering bop done right! The hook is catchy, Marina sounds divine and Fonsi is alright in it. She looked great on the video, making me foolishly believe the album would come with quality visuals too."

@abael (9): "It seems derivative when examined critically, but this is still a brilliant track when it comes around and catches you in the right mood."

@imaduck (9): "Margarita y los diamantes, candente!"

@OspreyQueen (9.5): "It’s tragic that on such a dull trend-chasing album, there’s a song from some-one-else’s album that’s an example of how to ALIGN with current trends while also making a good song. The way the song tells its bittersweet story is almost fairytale-like, and in theory Luis Fonsi’s rap should be totally at odds with that but somehow it works? It’s a beautifully muddled piece of songcraft, and the fact that it underperformed is just one more example of the gee pee having no taste."

@Music Is Life (9.5): "Bop. REALLY fun bop. Like, I wanna dance my ass off."

@Ana Raquel (10): "Personal favorite of Love + Fear - and Marina is just featuring dddddddd"

@Sprockrooster (10): "An absolute banger that is a bit of an oddity in her discography, but when it is this good pop, I am not complaining."

@Miyawakiwi (10): "I Heard this in the radio non-stop, she sounds sooo Good, and looks as good as always, wouldn’t mind if Luis Fonsi wasn’t in it tho :P."

@DJHazey (10): "I wasn't sure when I first saw Marina's name as the feature, but after hitting play just once I was catapaulted to the moon and back. Sometimes I fail to conenct with a dance act like Clean Bandit having a popstar feature and having it feel like the vocal was just tacked on. Not here though because Marina blends into the song seemlessly and I've almost forgotten it's a Clean Bandit song at all."

@Maki (10): "I adore this song, and have adored it from the very first listen. It's my favorite from this album. There's so much signature Marina here in the melody that this, with different production, could've appeared on "FROOT". To my own surprise, I don't even mind Luis on here, but prefer the solo version. So many great moments, from that latin flavored guitar, the amazing and melody meandering pre-chorus, to the 'baby' hook. The production is ace, too. Such a moment and a true standout of the album. I really hope that this won't have the same fate as the majority of the album when it comes to the eliminations."



Hermit The Frog is a song not quite like any other in Marina’s discography. We’re in seriously OTT territory here, with Merna whooping like a mad woman, cackling like a witch, and being generally kooky. She also pushes back against policing female sexual expression. When you have a conservative upbringing and internalise its ideas about sexuality then, whew, overwhelming amount of guilt and shame over a natural function of your organism is guaranteed. So, on one hand Hermit is a big blaring “AIN’T MY FAULT” statement and that’s an important factor influencing my 11 choice. But wait, my stannage has layers. Back when I was 13 and my understanding of issues relating to gender was non-existent I was like “Ok. So she’s bad at being social and a boy broke her heart. Bop!” I didn’t need the feminist subtext to be enchanted by the melancholy laden chorus melody, entertained by the confrontational verses (that caricature-like “a woman possessed” part, that stupid cackle!), but the thing that really sold me on the entire package, the thing that keeps me coming back is that orgasmic “dum-da-da-dum-dum-dum-dum” bit. She fills it with such palpable pain and regret, even though it’s such whimsical nonsense. So whether the balloon she’s mourning is her broken heart or the loss of all that is ascribed to the status of virginity, I don’t care. The song can be enjoyed on multiple levels. And I can’t find an accurate comparison point, which makes it even more special. For all of the above, it is my favourite moment of Marina’s discography.


@OspreyQueen (1): "This is everything I dislike about The Family Jewels condensed into one song - incomprehensible lyrics, obnoxious theatricality, and that bloody jaunty piano that pervades this album but is particularly mind-numbing here. I would honestly rather listen to anything on Love + Fear over this." Thankfully, the audience decided that they'd rather listen only to Handmade Heaven.

@sfmartin (3): "This album is such a mixed bag. I really feel she was just throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. I don't enjoy this at all." Did you know it's the only song from the 2007 sessions, which made the standard edition? We stan longevity!

@happiestgirl (4): "The 'glass balloon' parts are cute, but otherwise way too theatrical. That fake laugh - no. Those manic screams - please no." Want to be real traumatised? Check out the demo!

@Sprockrooster (6) can't handle the madness: "Too quirky."

@abael (6): "A bit of a slip into histrionics, and as such, loses its substance." Histrionics is why we stan!

@Verandi (6): "The production is a bit tew much and it reaches the nadir with the post-chorus ah oh ah oh aaaaaaaah. There's a great song hidden here though." That's the best part, I can't!

@imaduck (6) finds himself wondering: "What even is this song about? It's very early Marina, I would love it if the song worked with that soft anticipation it creates in the first 30 seconds. Although I can forgive it for the lyric "Oh you're abominable socially"

@Vixen (6.5): "Nice cabaret and indie soundscape with a great theme at hand, but I somehow never connected fully with this one. There was always something putting me off. It might be one of these instances where Marina was a little bit TOO rough around the edges, and it became a little bit tiring."
♫ you got me wondering why I I like it rough I like it rough I l like it rough ♫

@Maki (6,5): "Probably the most polarizing song of this rate, but I'm somewhere in the middle - neither love it nor hate it. The intro already suggests we're in for an interesting listen. There are some brilliant, yet some weak moments here. I adore the first verse, the melody is lovely, and then the rest of the song goes in a different direction and it never reaches that height again (almost does that in the bridge/middle-8). Also, I've always wanted more from the chorus. The craziness here is on an impressive level, so it's notable for that alone." It is polarising, I'll give you that!

@Miyawakiwi (7): "the bridge is pretty Good!" Aren't there two bridges on every song? Nevermind, I agree whatever you mean.

@Cutlery (8.5): "Wouldn't have been out of place as a B-side to Mowgli's Road honestly. I know the divisiveness it generally causes among fans but it's much in the vein of some of my favorite songs in the album (Are You Satisfied?, Mowgli as said before). Truly a glass balloon clown." When will the Karma harlequin?
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@pop3blow2 (8.6): "Peak ‘Wonky Pop’? Maybe…" Why does this sound like shade coming from you? Don't ask me, I'm abominable nuancially.

@DJHazey (9) didn't find his 10 in it, unlike in most songs: "This was another left-field song that grew on me slowly, as is the way for this basic-bop bitch. Speaking of bitch, that line is uncanny. As the glass balloons shatter, we have yet another perfectly explosive pop chorus that just jumps out at you and dares you to turn away. She's on another level, people. But we've been knew."

@babes aloud (9.1) somehow manages to find a pretty accurate statement on YT: "Youtube says: Her voice doesn't always match the beats and that's refreshing; She sits well in between an indie girl and pop girl."

@Stradiwhovius (9.25) uses words like absurdist and milieu, which makes me feel unqualified to be here: "Like an absurdist trying to pick a fight with music itself. I love it to bits and struggle to get through without joining in with the howl. It's completely nuts and so much fun. The manic production, the downright unhinged monkey sound effects and cuckoos, there is nothing which doesn't contribute to an outstanding milieu of complete madness."

@P'NutButter (9.5): "My favourite album track from this era" And this is why I stan you!

@RUNAWAY (10) insists that I post the live performance in the main body of commentary: "that idiosyncratic BOP. I remember absolutely LIVING when she started performing this live. It’s so fucking weird but it remains amazing. There was a specific performance where she had this horrible blonde hair and I remember always laughing my head off when she stomped on stage from the shadows. This is the one:

A MOMENT. LITERALLY A MOMENT."

@Kenny (10): "I don't know but I've always fucking loved this song. Like "I went to doctor believing the devil had control over me" like wow my 16 year old self felt that." Bitch me too tf. Going through puberty and having compulsory catholicism lessons at school made me think that satan's power was manifesting in me so many times!

@Music Is Life (10) embraces the ridiculousness: "THAT INTRO. This production is insane. I love it."

@Trouble in Paradise (11): "Listen up y’all! This is THE messy bop for us arty fags and I will gladly die on this hill! It is non stop in the best way possible! So many amazing couplets that somehow lead to a completely inane song lyrically. I find just about every line highly relatable and quote it endlessly! “Did you find your bitch in me?!” CLASSIC! “I went to the doctor believing the devil had control over me (Marina’s demonic laughter)”! ICONINC! “I never knew you had such a dirty mind!” YAS! If you didn’t give this at least a 9, why the fuck are you participating in a Marina and the Diamonds discography rate?!"

You better take a leaf out of Marina(s)book and play it for your kindergarten kids!​
 
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