Should Have Been Bigger: MARINA’s “How To Be A Heartbreaker”

Mike Nied | March 20, 2019 5:39 pm
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2019 signifies a new beginning for MARINA. The pop icon (formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds) is readying the release of her album LOVE + FEAR under a new moniker. She explained the name change in an interview with V magazine. “I feel like Marina and the Diamonds was just one chapter of my life,” she said. “It lasted 10 years, and it just feels wrong to continue under it.” Of course, reinvention is hardly a new concept for the “Handmade Heaven” hitmaker. If you need any evidence, look no further than her sophomore LP, Electra Heart.

Released in 2012, the project centered on a fictional character of the same name. And she brings a deliciously vicious edge to some of the songs such as final single “How To Be A Heartbreaker.” The bubblegum confection teaches listeners everything they need to know to effectively break a man’s heart. “Rule number one is that you gotta have fun,” MARINA coos on the opening lines. “But, baby, when you’re done, you gotta be the first to run.” The advice continues as she moves into the stuttering chorus. However, there’s a chance for some vulnerability on the bridge.

“We don’t want our hearts to break in two. So it’s better to be fake. Can’t risk losing in love again, babe,” she warns. Of course, there is nothing vulnerable about the accompanying video. In it, the “Bubblegum Bitch” and a crew of Speedo-clad Calvin Klein models hit the showers. Dressed in black PVC, MARINA toys with each of the boys before ultimately going in for the kill. Sexy and brash, it was the sort of viral video that should have propelled “How To Be A Heartbreaker” straight up the charts. Unfortunately that was not the case.

Cruelly, the bop never took off. There is a bright side, though. Over the years, it amassed a dedicated following. Those with taste (namely the gays), ensure it receives the respect it deserves. Hopefully MARINA has an equally infectious cut on this year’s album. While we wait to see, revisit “How To Be A Heartbreaker” below.

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