Album Review: Princess of Power | Marina

I don't even know how to begin constructing an intro for the new Marina album considering the urgency and enthusiasm I'm taken over by. No, I can't. Let's just press play and leave the rest to unfold as we go.

‘Princess of Power’ opens the album with the signature Marina vocals, delicate and operatic. With a determine beat and attitude, the artist is going through a major personal change where she re-evaluates love and begins to seek it in her own terms: ‘Love is my design’. The track sounds like a mature celebration, with Marina observing things falling into place with a welcoming smile. Her metamorphosis is further emphasized and materialised in ‘Butterfly’ where she exhibits a new-found wisdom and take on life: ‘To become a butterfly parts of me had to die, Spread my wings in the golden light’. To be honest, the first single of P.O.P feels a lot more special when listened as part of the album for its meaning is reinforced by the intro. Butterfly’s impact is not easy to comprehend when listened alone, without the rest of the songs surrounding it and might even sound indifferent to ears that don’t pay much attention. And then we have the grandiose second single ‘Cuntissimo’ -an undeniable bop-, super contemporary, a perfect pop anthem for the new generation of people who’ve learnt to value their energy at a whole new level compared to their fathers and mothers. Marina gets inspired by powerful female role-models for the lyrics and video to become one herself, radiate confidence and independence. The rapid percussion and yo-yoing synths of Cuntissimo give off a sense of evolution, an urgency to move forward.

The following ‘Rollercoaster’ sounds like an anthem for cheerleaders instrumental-wise, and maintains that whole vibe as its speaking about women enjoying their body and sexuality unapologetically. One could say it’s a sister to its predecessor thematically. Even though Rollercoaster is not a memorable entry in the album for me, I see how it owns its space in P.O.P and successfully acts as a connecting link between pivotal moments. ‘Cupid’s Girl’ comes all tricky and sensual with the artist promising she can grab cupid by its b*lls if she wants to. The track has a magnetic, alluring quality that sticks immediately and can make you fall in love with love itself and Marina too! And just like that, we arrive at the glorious ‘Metallic Stallion’, my personal favorite of this album. Other than Cupid, Marina demonstrates the way she can chase and tame love as if it was some wild horse, robust yet gentle, running tirelessly through the countless fields of life. The moment this galloping kick enters over the chorus, this piece instantly becomes what it was meant to be: an epic, film-worthy adventure about the heroic quest of searching for a place to belong. It’s unpredictable ‘Know he's scared of love, but all bets are off’ but it’s absolutely worth it.

‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’ brings something vintage to the table and could as well work as a sequel to the Cuntissimo video for a number of reasons - too many to explore today! Far from vintage, ‘Digital Fantasy’ experiments with electronic textures reminding bits of the LOVE + FEAR era of the artist. The exotic melodies and uplifting energy of Digital Fantasy are somehow contagious and so it is bound to make you want to get up and move to the rhythm. Now, if someone knows how to make happy-sad pop, it’s Marina. This highly intriguing contradiction is embodied in ‘Everybody Knows I’m Sad’ where we have a crazy-fun instrumental over devastating lyrics ‘I've been so lonely all of my life, Don't know if I can survive’. Chopped but ethereal vocals express an appetite for carefreeness and experimentation leaving us in a weirdly content place between the extremes of grief and delight. ‘Hello Kitty’ reminded me of the previous Rollercoaster, not musically but role-wise. The track feels like a romantic lullaby for the lovers, a small interval in the album before we enter the final round of this journey.

Starting with ‘I <3 You’, a glittery, disco-inspired jam that takes the listener for a ride to witness past decades when the internet was non-existent and love could be found on the dancefloor, among other places. Times when love came without overthinking and people acted more on their feelings over their fears. I <3 You is not my cup of tea but I definitely get the ways it supports the concept of transformation and change of direction when things stop working on our favor. The need to re-live outside the digital world is burning inside of us all and it sure feels like the end of an era. As we get closer to the end, we get spellbound by ‘Adult Girl’, one of the most stripped moments in her entire discography. Disarmingly honest and tremendously fragile, Marina embraces the ghost of her younger self and tries to make peace with the pain of lost innocence and ‘wasted’ years. ‘Adult Girl’ is about forgiving ourselves for not knowing enough and also becoming our own parents as we grow older: ‘I'm an oyster without a pearl but that's just how it is for an adult girl’. The piano alone is more than enough to dress Marina’s heartfelt performance and it feels as if she let us in her bedroom on a starry night and trusted us with her entire soul. And then we are left to face the mighty ‘Final Boss’ before the end of the game. What an act of bravery it is to place one of the brightest gems at the very bottom of the track-list. What a blessing for the fans! Final Boss is non-negotiable. First, It grabs you from the neck with its bidding beat and addictive chorus. Then it sticks on you like a leech, controls your mind and slowly turns you into a zombie dancing under its control. The references to Mario and fighting games are also there to spice it up and add a significant amount of points if you’re a gamer yourself.

With Princess of Power, Marina sheds her old skin, raises her chin and proudly steps into a new space where she stands on her own two feet, wiser than ever. She seems to have reached the end of a tunnel after a long period of self-doubt and worrying about the world’s state. Following her career, one can observe her evolution from The world is a joke and I will save it to I can’t control anything but myself so let’s start from there. She has fought many bosses, gained experience and has grown fearless and unapologetic. As a Greek fan and artist myself, I can only feel proud for living during this era when artists like Marina create their legacy of meaningful music. It’s history in the making. And Princess of Pop is all about reaching your potential, becoming our own hero and recognizing that 'love is in the giving, not on the receiving end’. Until next time, take care!

Listen to Marina here:

https://www.youtube.com/@marinadiamandis/playlists