For British indie pop sensation MARINA, the most exhilarating part of creating an album is pinning down its essence.
“I realized it was ‘Princess of Power’ … and it spells ‘pop.’ It feels like destiny,” MARINA shared.
Her sixth record, “Princess of Power,” arrives after she, born Marina Diamandis, battled chronic fatigue syndrome while redefining her connection to music and herself.
Despite garnering billions of streams, she has yet to achieve a top 10 hit in the U.K. or U.S., but she profoundly influences emerging artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish.
“Successful artists often have these highs and lows, whereas my journey feels like a consistent upward trend,” MARINA noted.
Even though she admits it can be “somewhat frustrating” when her music doesn’t achieve mainstream success, her loyal fans always find it.
“I want people to genuinely choose to enjoy my music. I don’t want to force it upon anyone,” she explained.
The beginnings of MARINA’s path
The daughter of a Welsh mother and Greek father, MARINA left her hometown of Abergavenny, Wales, for London at 19. Initially, she felt shy about singing in front of others, yet music felt like an “innate calling.”
She faced her stage fright “painfully” by attending open mic nights by herself.
“I thought, if I mess up, I don’t want anyone I know to witness it, which isn’t possible anymore since everyone records everything,” she laughed.
Her 2010 debut as Marina and the Diamonds ignited her career, and she followed up with 2012’s “Electra Heart,” which topped British charts. But by 2016, the weight of success became overwhelming.
“I felt really trapped all of a sudden,” she reflected. “I realized my identity was too closely tied to my artist persona. I just wanted out.”
Uncovering health challenges
That same year, MARINA began to suffer from puzzling symptoms, which were later identified as chronic fatigue syndrome.
“The primary symptom was a buzzing sensation throughout my body,” she explained. “It would commence in my feet and intensify all the way up to my face, almost like my body was vibrating.”
It took six years to connect her symptoms to her nervous system, and ultimately breathwork helped bring her relief.
“I had to completely overhaul my life,” she said.
While MARINA took a step back from her career, her early music gained new popularity on TikTok.
“It’s odd because I was accustomed to hard work to advance my career. Then suddenly, I earned three platinum records without lifting a finger,” she said.
Now settled in Los Angeles, MARINA meticulously plans each album, often using a journal. For “Princess of Power,” she created a detailed album map that included color schemes, themes, and the desired energy for the music: cosmic, euphoric, dazzling, and powerful.
“This time felt different because I’m no longer writing to heal myself,” she explained. “I realized I have a platform, and I want to ensure that the energy I put out into the world is uplifting—something I desperately needed two years ago when I began writing this.”
“As an artist, you don’t get many chances to create like this in your lifetime,” she continued. “So I thought, now’s the time to take this leap. Let’s discover what unfolds.”
Performing her new tracks allows MARINA to embody her personal evolution.
“Making this public helps me fully step into who I am now,” she said. “I can finally tell people, ‘This is my true self.’ The person you knew four years ago is gone.”
This transformation signifies not just recovery, but a reclaiming of her strength.
