Marina and the Diamonds – Marina the performer, and her fans the Diamonds – has been on the music scene since 2009 when she debuted her first album, The Family Jewels. Six years later, in March of 2015, she released Froot, a funky, electro-pop masterpiece that I listened to for basically the entire summer. After the amazing response from Froot, Marina and the Diamonds took her new music on the road for the Neon Nature Tour. Anyone familiar with artists bringing their new music on tour would probably expect a brand new set full of songs from the latest album, but Marina’s show was especially unique. She separated her show into three acts, one for each of her albums: the first act was dedicated to The Family Jewels, the second featured favorites from Electra Heart, and lastly, the third act was all about Froot.
Something that I love about Marina is her ability to fully own a persona, dedicating herself to the meticulous creation of cohesive songs, images, and performances to give her albums life. She showcased this attention to detail on tour, making each of these themes highly recognizable from act to act. Along with the song selection and set designs, her outfits were coordinated with each of the album’s different vibes. The Family Jewels outfit was a shimmery red jumpsuit, and she was backed by Hollywood marquees and a selection of fun emojis to pair with her upbeat jams. Electra Heart featured the high energy, bubblegum princess trope that inspired Marina’s second album; she donned a silver and pink outfit, along with cheerleader pom-poms and the signature heart on her cheek. For the last act, the stage transformed into a starry sky, and Marina stood out in the dark with a neon green jumpsuit and her wonderfully haunting vocals.
Check out the rad transition from Electra Heart’s set to Froot’s set here:
Opening the show with the lead single from her first album, ‘Mowgli’s Road’, and finishing up the encore with her most recent hit, ‘Blue’, Marina did an amazing job giving the audience what they wanted. One of my favorite moments of the concert was singing along with the audience to the first track on Froot, ‘Happy’, while Marina sat at the piano, smiling along with us.
I can’t wait until the next leg of her tour, where she’ll hopefully have another stunning performance in New York. Thanks for the brilliant show, Marina! I love being a Diamond.