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Pop Exodus: A Chat about Marina and the Diamonds, “FrootÛ

Carson Bear
March 24, 2015

Carson and her friend (and “official pop culture consultant”), Olivia, give a track-by-track review of the new album from Marina and the Diamonds.

Carson: Have you listened to this album before?
Olivia: Nope, this will be my first time.
C: I’ve listened, I think, three times to the album? But I’ve heard some of the singles a few times before that.
O: I’ve heard at least one of the singles before this.

1. “Happy”

O: It’s so, like, low production for Marina…although there is a choir.
C: I do love the build, when she puts the drums in behind. But it’s still low production. It’s cool because it’s sad, but about finding inner strength.
O: Yeah, it’s all about “finding what I’ve been looking for in myself.Û

2. “Froot”

O: Why “Froot” instead of “FruitÛ?
C: I don’t know…maybe Froot Loops?
O: She is going DEEP with the fruit metaphor…it’s also very passive. It doesn’t really sound like her; she’s normally pretty aggressive.

3. “I’m a Ruin”

C: All these are so dark, but is that really a surprise? I think she made a music video for this one too. She’s, like, wearing a really drapey shirt and running around on a cliff or something.
O: Really? This sounds too chilled out for a running-around-on-a-cliff type of video!

4. “Blue”

O: I’m still waiting for that “killer” Marina song. These songs feel familiar, but that’s probably because her voice is so distinctive. They fit into her discography, but they don’t quite stand out.
C: I think that this album is interesting because it isn’t as angry as earlier Marina albums; it has depth to it that I don’t think the other two have. But I love me some angry Marina, too.

5. “Forget”

C: Her lyrics feel stronger in this one than in the others, except for “Happy” maybe, in terms of clarity.
O: One of the things I love about Marina is her range. She can go so low, and it’s really intense, but her breathy high notes give her such a context to work around as well.

6. “Gold”

C: This is so weird; it sounds like weird golf music or campy outdoor lounging music.
O: It’s very beachy.
C: I also feel like there’s a tone shift from where we were. But there’s not any kind of consistency throughout the album; the songs don’t make sense together necessarily.
O: Maybe she’s concentrating on each song as an individual piece. Maybe they’re supposed to stand alone; maybe the listener is supposed to know that they aren’t flowing into each other as much.

7. “Can’t Pin Me Down”

C: I think it’s about labels!
O: What’s this “write a feminist anthem, I want to cook in the kitchen thing?”
C: Maybe sarcasm? This is so weird. I think she just wants to defy all labels, no matter what they are. Like, she might be a feminist, but she’s the one who defines that. And also what type of feminist. Maybe it’s a resistance to lib fems, except that she seems to be addressing men.

8. “Solitaire”

C: This one’s “Solitaire,” so it’s obviously about card games.
O: Lol
C: This whole album is about healing and self-love, “I’m caught like a jewel / I’ll repair myself when you’re not there.Û

9. “Better Than That”

C: Wait! Oh, it could be a dark mod vibe. It sounds like something we’ve already heard – drawing on another source – but I think that’s unusual for Marina.
O: I don’t know, I think it’s more 80s synth pop, but that’s pretty common among people in her genre. I’m not that surprised. I still like it, though.

10. “Weeds”

C: Ah, so young!
O: What is this guitar solo?
C: I don’t know, but it’s so spacey. It’s a funny one. Not a fan of this one.

11. “Savages”

C: “I’m not afraid of God / I’m afraid of Man.” That’s a funny line. This song sounds like “Savages” from Pocahontas.
O: I wanna do karaoke to it, even though it’s about the fallibility of society.
C: She’s definitely not subtle with this “wow people really suck” message. I’m not surprised, honestly.

12. “Immortal”

C: It’s really raw; she doesn’t back down from her message.
O: She’s just bringing it right to the front of her brain, isn’t she?
C: It’s cool – and definitely intentional – that she started this album with “Happy” and ended it with “Immortal.” “Happy” is such a hopeful song, and this is so…not.
O: Well this is the veneer of her being a pop princess and then she says, “No, this is really how I feel.Û