Marina Diamandis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marina Diamandis
Diamandis performing in March 2022
Born	Marina Lambrini Diamandis (1985-10-10) 10 October 1985 (age 39) Brynmawr, Wales
Other names	Marina and the Diamonds
Occupation	Singer songwriter record producer
Years active	2005–present
Works	Discography songs recorded
Musical career
Origin	London, England
Genres	Electropop synth-pop alt pop
Instruments	Vocals piano
Labels	Neon Gold 679 Atlantic Chop Shop Elektra BMG Queenie

Marina Lambrini Diamandis (born 10 October 1985) is a Welsh singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is known by her stage name Marina (often written in all capital letters), and was previously known as Marina and the Diamonds.

Marina became famous in 2009 after she placed second in the BBC's "Sound of 2010" poll. Her first album, The Family Jewels (2010), mixed indie pop and new wave styles. It reached number five on the UK Albums Chart. The song "Hollywood" from this album was a top 12 hit in the UK.

Her second album, Electra Heart (2012), was a concept album about a character. This album explored electropop and dance-pop music. It became her first album to reach number one in the United Kingdom. It also had popular songs like "Primadonna" and "How to Be a Heartbreaker".

Marina's third album, Froot (2015), was inspired by Europop music. It became her third top 10 album in the UK and her first top 10 album in the US. In 2018, she sang on Clean Bandit's song "Baby", which reached the top 20 in the UK. Her fourth album, Love + Fear (2019), reached number five in the UK. In 2021, Marina released her fifth album, Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land. A special deluxe version of this album came out in 2022.

Early Life and Education

Marina describes herself as "half Greek and half Welsh". She spent her childhood in southeast Wales and on the Greek island of Lefkada.

Marina Lambrini Diamandis was born on 10 October 1985 in Brynmawr, Wales. She grew up near Abergavenny with her older sister, Lafina. Her parents, a Welsh mother and a Greek father, separated when Marina was four years old. Her father returned to Greece, but he visited her often. Marina stayed in Wales with her mother. She described her childhood as "simple and peaceful". As a child, she was a "tomboy" and enjoyed playing football.

Marina went to Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls. She found her talent there, even though she sometimes tried to avoid choir practice. She had a great music teacher who encouraged her. At 16, she moved to Greece to live with her father. She wanted to learn about her Greek heritage and speak the language. She even sang Greek folk songs with her grandmother. After getting her International Baccalaureate in Athens, she returned to Wales. Later, she and her mother moved to Ross-on-Wye, England. Marina was very determined to become a singer. She worked at a petrol station for two months to save money to move to London.

Marina did not have much formal music training. She loved writing from a young age. She started writing music when she was 18. She moved to London to attend dance school but left after two months. She then studied music at the University of East London and later at Middlesex University, but she left both programs early.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out: 2005–2011

Marina learned that the Spice Girls were formed through an advertisement. So, she looked for auditions in a newspaper called The Stage. She went to many auditions, including for The Lion King musical and a boy band. In 2005, she created her stage name "Marina and the Diamonds". Later, "the Diamonds" became a way to refer to her fans, not her band.

Inspired by musician Daniel Johnston, Marina decided to write her own music. She taught herself to play the piano. She made her first songs herself using a program called GarageBand. In 2007, she released her first collection of songs, Mermaid vs Sailor, on Myspace. She met with many music labels and chose the one that would let her be herself.

In 2008, she caught the attention of Derek Davies from Neon Gold Records. She became the opening act for the singer Gotye. Davies said she had a "powerful yet vulnerable vocal and writing style that didn't sound like anyone else." In October, Marina signed a record deal with 679 Recordings, which is part of Warner Music Group.

Diamandis performing at Northumbria University in October 2009

Marina's first song, "Obsessions", came out on 14 February 2009. Her first collection of songs, The Crown Jewels EP, followed in June. That summer, she performed at big music festivals like Glastonbury Festival and Reading and Leeds Festivals. In December 2009, Marina was ranked second in the "Sound of 2010" poll by the BBC. She was also nominated for the Critics' Choice Award at the 2010 BRIT Awards.

Her song "Mowgli's Road" was released in November 2009. It became popular after its video was shared by famous people like Perez Hilton and Kanye West. "Hollywood" followed in February 2010, reaching number 12 in the UK.

Marina's first album, The Family Jewels, was released on 15 February 2010. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number five. By 2012, the album had sold 300,000 copies. Atlantic Records signed Marina in the United States in March 2010. She released The American Jewels EP and The Family Jewels there. The album reached number 138 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

Later in 2010, Marina released three more songs from the album: "I Am Not a Robot", "Oh No!" and "Shampain". In October 2010, she won Best UK & Ireland Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards. To promote The Family Jewels, Marina went on The Family Jewels Tour in Europe, North America, and Australia.

Electra Heart and Froot: 2012–2016

Diamandis performing in January 2012

In the summer of 2011, Marina opened for Katy Perry's California Dreams Tour. In September, she released the song "Radioactive", which reached number 25 in the UK. Her second album was introduced by its first song, "Primadonna", in April 2012. This song became her highest-charting song in the UK, reaching number 11. It was also very popular in other countries.

Her album Electra Heart was released on 27 April 2012. It was a concept album about "female identity" and a recent breakup. Marina created a character called "Electra Heart" for the album. She played different roles like "Housewife" and "Beauty Queen" to show different types of women. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. It also reached number 31 on the US Billboard 200.

"Power & Control" and "How to Be a Heartbreaker" were also released as singles. "How to Be a Heartbreaker" was certified gold in the United States. In 2012, Marina went on The Lonely Hearts Club Tour and also opened for Coldplay's tour. In August 2013, she released a music video for the song "Electra Heart". This video showed the end of the character and the album's story.

Diamandis performing at the Roundhouse, London in February 2016

After spending time in New York City, Marina announced in February 2013 that she was writing new music for her third album. The song "Froot" was released on 10 October 2014, which was her 29th birthday. This song was also the title track for the album.

The album Froot was released earlier than planned due to an online leak. Marina and David Kosten produced the album together. It was praised for its consistent sound. Froot reached number 8 on the US Billboard 200 chart, making it her highest-charting album there. It also reached number 10 in the UK.

In 2015, Marina performed at big festivals like Lollapalooza Brazil and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. From October 2015 to October 2016, she went on the Neon Nature Tour across Europe and the Americas. Each show was divided into three parts, one for each of her albums. In April 2016, she said she would take a break from music after her tour. However, she later said she preferred to work consistently rather than taking long breaks.

Love + Fear and Ancient Dreams: 2017–2022

In June 2016, Marina said she had started writing new songs. In December 2016, the group Clean Bandit confirmed that a song they performed with Marina, "Disconnect", would be on their new album. It was released as a single in June 2017, and she performed it with them at Glastonbury.

Diamandis performing at the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles in October 2019

In 2018, Marina announced on Twitter that she would drop "and the Diamonds" from her name and release music simply as "Marina". She explained that she wanted her artist name to reflect her true self more.

In November 2018, a second song with Clean Bandit and singer Luis Fonsi, "Baby", was released. It reached number 15 in the UK. Marina performed this song with Clean Bandit at the Royal Variety Performance in December 2018. On 31 January 2019, Marina hinted at a new album on Instagram. She later confirmed it would come out in early 2019. The first song from the album, "Handmade Heaven", was released on 8 February 2019. Her fourth album, Love + Fear, was released in two parts in April 2019.

On 29 April 2019, Marina began her Love + Fear Tour in the UK, including sold-out shows in London and Manchester. She also played at music festivals in Europe and the UK, and then toured North America. She was featured on Gryffin's song "If I Left the World", released in October 2019.

Diamandis performing at Ryman Auditorium, Nashville in March 2022

In January 2020, Marina posted on Instagram that she was writing songs for her fifth album. In February 2020, she released "About Love" from the movie soundtrack To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. She also announced her "The Inbetweenie Tour" for April, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 18 November 2020, Marina released a new song called "Man's World". This song appeared on the UK Singles Sales Chart and Download Chart.

On 12 April 2021, Marina announced her new single, "Purge the Poison". Her team accidentally uploaded the music video early, leading to an early release of the song. Her fifth album, Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land, was released on 11 June 2021. Critics liked the album. The album's fifth song, "Happy Loner", was released in December 2021, along with a deluxe version of the album in January 2022.

On 1 October 2021, Marina announced on Instagram that she had started working on her sixth album. On 27 April 2022, Marina announced an expanded version of Electra Heart, called Electra Heart: Platinum Blonde Edition. It was released digitally two days later. In May 2022, Marina announced that Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land would be her last album with Atlantic Records, after 14 years with the label.

Recent Work: 2023–Present

In January 2023, Marina started hinting at new projects on social media. She shared many poems throughout the year. On 2 April 2024, she announced her upcoming poetry book, Eat the World, set to be released on 29 October 2024. She said the poems started as song lyrics. In the same interview, she confirmed she was working on her next album, aiming for a 2025 release.

In June 2024, it was announced that Marina would perform with Anitta and Altégo to support Kylie Minogue at her BST Hyde Park show on 19 July 2024.

Musical Style and Influences

Marina's music combines styles like indie pop, art pop, electropop, synth-pop, and disco-pop. She is known for her strong singing voice. As a child, she was inspired by her parents' music tastes, including Dolly Parton and George Michael. She also admired pop groups like the Spice Girls and Britney Spears.

Marina has said that Madonna made her want to be a pop star when she was 15. She also found inspiration in artists like PJ Harvey and Fiona Apple when she was 19. She has mentioned Daniel Johnston and his simple music production as an influence. Marina jokingly says her unique sound comes from not having formal music training. She also learned from Katy Perry when they toured together. Marina has synesthesia, which means she connects colors with musical notes and days of the week.

Marina calls herself a "DIY musician" and an "indie artist with pop goals". She describes her music as "alternate pop". Early in her career, her music was hard to define because she mixed simple piano songs with unique new wave sounds. While The Family Jewels had new wave elements, Electra Heart was heavily influenced by electropop. Marina felt that the United States was more open to this change in her music than the United Kingdom. Froot is a pop album with elements of europop and pop rock.

Many artists, including Bridgit Mendler, Camila Cabello, Billie Eilish, and Kim Petras, have said Marina Diamandis influenced their music.

Marina's singing has been compared to artists like Karen O, Regina Spektor, and Britney Spears. Her lyrics often explore human behavior. She once said she would have become a psychologist if she hadn't succeeded in music. The song "Savages" from Froot talks about why humans can be violent. Critics have praised Marina's lyrics for being thoughtful and unique, describing her as someone who understands and expresses complex thoughts.

Discography

• The Family Jewels (2010)
• Electra Heart (2012)
• Froot (2015)
• Love + Fear (2019)
• Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land (2021)

Tours

Headlining Tours

• The Family Jewels Tour (2010–2011)
• The Lonely Hearts Club Tour (2012–2013)
• Neon Nature Tour (2015–2016)
• Love + Fear Tour (2019)
• Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land Tour (2022)

Supporting Tours

• Katy Perry – California Dreams Tour (2011)
• Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto Tour (2011–2012)
• Panic! at the Disco – Viva Las Vengeance Tour (2022–2023)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Marina Diamandis para niños