On April 27 of 2012 Marina Diamondis would release one of her most influential albums “Electra Heart.” The album would become a fan favorite for her audience and became the most shared album of its debut year.
Arguably the most important and influential part of Electra Heart is the focus and character building of Electra’s archetypes.
The 4 most prominent archetypes are the housewife, homewrecker, primadonna and the teen idle.
Every song speaks to a specific archetype or Electra as a whole. Beginning with the Primadonna she is exactly like what her name suggests, both of the songs “State of Dreaming” and of course “Primadonna Girl” are great characterizations of the primadonna.
“Primadonna Girl” satirizes the expected lifestyle of a girl who is the star of her play. “State of Dreaming” tackles her inner monologue going over what ifs and how she views her life as separate from reality instead of grounding herself.
Following her is the housewife or otherwise known as Su-Barbie-A is the story of a 1950s trophy wife. She was used as a vehicle to represent both the resentment women would carry for men during this time as well as the dissatisfaction with their role in society.
As demonstrated in “Living Dead” she’s no more than a zombie having to trudge through day after day; By this point she’s living on “Lies” of a better future. “Hypocrates” turns her attention to her husband to call him out and acts as her catharsis of dissatisfaction and refusing to be seen as an item or trophy.
The antithesis of Su-Barbie-A is the homewrecker, a girl who revels in her ability to pull in men regardless of their marital status. In “Homewrecker” she casually drops how she would break a million hearts just for fun.
“Homewrecker” in particular revels in her status, however she realizes her want for emotional intimacy but either can’t commit herself or won’t let herself be tied down. “How To Be A Heartbreaker” mentions her process of homewrecking and the refusal to be seen as anything else than someone vulnerable.
Wrapping up is the idle teen whose main goal is to become the first archetype, the primadonna. She’s out there in the chase of ever quickening fame, throwing out more typically catchy or pop songs like “Radioactive”. This song specifically refers to her openness for new love, with “Teen Idle” covering all the thoughts in the back of her head consuming her every day.
“Electra Heart” reflects a brief moment of all of her parts together. She sings a song of prayer, hoping to become complete, and not have to rely on titles to make up her identity. “Electra Heart” is an album whose interpretations of stereotypical archetypes and the overarching story are only limited by the listeners view of possibility.
