Marina Diamandis
Marina Diamandis has been setting the stage for her sixth studio album Princess of Power in the lead-up to her Coachella performances over the next two weekends. She’s released singles “Butterfly” and “Cupid’s Girl” in recent months to drum up anticipation, and for her latest single “C*ntissimo,” Marina taps into the feeling of a woman with the world—and more specifically, a desperate man—in her hands.
“Salma Hayek in the sun / Louise and Thelma on the run / Your ex is hitting you up / But you no longer give a f**k,” she sings on the track. “Leaving that loser on read / Don’t let him back in your bed / ‘Cause your energy is precious / Not your fault he fell in love.” In the video for the song, she seemingly nods to her Electra Heart persona while acknowledging that that person from her 2012 album is all grown up.
Opening up emotionally in this way marks another new territory for Marina after the release of her first poetry book last fall. “We are meeting a Marina who is not guarding her heart so much anymore,” she told Rolling Stone of this new chapter. “I think part of why this album has felt so freeing is that I think I’ve really dove into my fear of love. That’s why for me, it’s so powerful that this superheroine’s biggest power is love.”
“It can sound trite, but the ability to love is so powerful and brave,” she added. “It’s a courageous thing, particularly if you’ve been hurt in the past. It can be really hard to reprogram yourself, and I’ve finally been able to do that.”
For some fans, it might come as a surprise to see her showing her heart in this way as she’s often sang from the perspective of having an upper hand over others. But that perception couldn’t be further from the truth. “Maybe to others, I’ve had a bold energy. Internally, I’ve always struggled to feel like I’m allowed to be my own person,” she confessed. “The album is about teaching yourself—or re-teaching yourself—how to love.”
Ultimately, she believes all women in pop music should be able to express themselves in new ways more than a decade into her career as she has. “I want women to not be afraid to age. I think it’s not talked about in pop. Pop pretends it’s not happening. We are getting older. But I don’t want to feel ashamed about it or feel like I have to cling on to youth,” she stated plainly.
Marina is taking the stage at Coachella this weekend on April 11 and next weekend on April 18. Princess of Power is set for release June 6.
