Chart Feature: Marina
Two weeks ago, Marina Diamandis graced the first Billboard Magazine cover of the season. Formerly known by the stage name Marina and the Diamonds, Marina has released a total of eight albums and thirty-seven singles to date. At the time of her cover shoot, our Chart Feature series had not yet been implemented. We decided that it would only be fair to create a feature in retrospect for Marina, and asked her for her input on this very special Chart Feature.
Marina’s career began in early-2013 with her debut era ‘Living Dead’. The album spawned three singles of which the most prominent was ‘Love Attack’. After debuting at the number-seven position, the track hit the top-five two weeks later before eventually peaking at the number-four spot. Currently eligible for a gold certification, Marina talks about the track: “Overall, I'm okay with the song but I actually feel like it's one of my weakest singles to date”.
One year later, Marina achieved her first number-one album, ‘No Reward’, notable for the platinum single ‘Through the Dark Night’ (featuring Charli XCX) and her first #1 single, also titled ‘No Reward’ – which featured fellow-executive Katy Perry. When asked about this album, Marina stated: “I absolutely adore this album; it was the one that really put me on the map!” ‘No Reward’ is now one of two albums by Marina eligible for a platinum certification.
The other record is ‘Kaleidoscope’; her biggest seller to date and third number-one album. Released in late-2016, ‘Kaleidoscope’ massively helped to cement Marina’s status as a legacy artist. Marina feels that “Kaleidoscope was such an unexpected success story and I was not ready for how huge the era was going to be at all. But it shows that if you put in the effort, it will be rewarded”.
Alongside her biggest album came her biggest single to date; a collaboration with Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. ‘Under the Sun’ became Marina’s fourth chart-topper on the Hot Singles Chart and held on to its status with immense longevity. Now eligible for platinum, Marina recalls her memories of the track: “This is my all-time favorite single and it's always going to be so near and dear to my heart”.
To cement the status of executive trio, Marina then accepted the request to be part of Katy Perry’s collaboration ‘You Can’t Sit With Us’ also features Lady Gaga. The remix also adds Christina Aguilera into the mix. Marina discusses the chart-topper; “I love this song. It's very sassy and fun. Collaborating with two of my closest friends is always a great experience, and I can't wait for the reunion. Not with Christina though”. ‘You Can’t Sit With Us’ became Marina’s seventh number-one single and sits right behind ‘Under the Sun’ on her biggest hits to date.
Collaborations are a good thing, right? Well, in most cases, that seems to be the very likely possibility. However, not all collaborations are for the better, and Marina is no stranger to failed collaborative ventures. The most prominent was the Jennifer Lawrence feature (‘Freaker’) which broke Marina’s top-twenty streak when it charted at #22 in early 2016. Looking back now, Marina says: “I don't care about 'Freaker'. At all”.
Next, we asked Marina about her favorite record to date. She tells us that honor belongs to her fourth studio album, 'Sweet Beginnings'. She says that “it is a soft reboot after two albums that weren't the my best. I felt it was the time to be raw and just work the way I want”. 'Sweet Beginnings' became her second number-one album in 2015.
Finally, we’ll look at Marina; without The Diamonds. Both singles from her new record (‘Blue Waves’ and ‘Tropical Dancer’) peaked outside the top-ten, while the album itself (‘Velvet Dreaming’) marks her lowest-peaking release in four years. All three releases are unlikely to be certified any time soon. Marina tell us that “I am proud of the era. Ultimately, it was a gift for my fans who have supported me over the years, but I have no plans for future music”. We wish Marina the best as she returns to her retirement.
