1. Marina + The Diamonds, Electra Heart
Easily one of the best albums of the year and one of the most interesting experiments for several years, Marina Lambrini Diamandis (real name we promise), otherwise known as Marina and the Diamonds unveiled
Electra Heart, a collection of songs in the electronic and pop genres which could have easily sunk into the background of any of the LOLpop tunes which crawled into the charts.
Electra Heart, luckily, is different - every lyric is a scathing, brilliant broken look into the world of women, feminism, femininity and heartbreak. From the rollicking pop-rock opener 'Bubblegum Bitch' which summarises the entire album in the verse of 'Oh dear diary, I met a boy/He made my dull heart light up with joy/Oh dear diary, we fell apart/Welcome to the life of Electra Heart', to the final moments of the album's subdued, atmospheric closer 'Fear and Loathing', we get a sense that Marina is not only commenting on these issues but experiencing them again through her music. This was accompanied with dramatic style changes - Marina dyed her hair blonde (which grew greyer and darker as we went on), wore pink fluffy attire and looked every inch the 'Clueless' meets 'Heathers' heroine. Every song is a standout here - lead single 'Primadonna' is an ironic wink to the dime-a-dozen electropop tunes of young, sexy starlets (produced by Dr Luke nonetheless) while tracks such as 'Lies', 'Starring Role' and 'Hypocrates' indicate the sadness and dismay of a relationship gone awry. Arguably the best track is 'Teen Idle', an ode to Marina's misspent youth and realising that the youth you have is rarely the one you want to have back in your adult years - Marina's vocals are top-notch, operatic and as beautifully desolate as you could imagine. At the same time, 'The State of Dreaming', this reviewer's favourite track, laments the position of female stars, idolised for their perfection when these women are far from perfect. US promo single 'How To Be A Heartbreaker' is the most fun track on the album - a rushing electropop dance track that runs on the rules of being unattainable, before Marina lets her guard down on a stunning, broken middle eight. Utterly addictive and entrancing.
Electra Heart is a truly fantastic pop record, one that manages to look inside the issues that are important with people and Marina - at the heart of this all, she's recovering from heartbreak, deeper maybe than she's ever felt. She journeys through anger, resilience, desolation, denial, woe and eventual acceptance, leaning into hope in people again. A wonderful journey showcased in a pop album that should be accepted as a classic in years to come. Well those were my five choices for the top pop albums this year - it might all change in the coming months with albums from Rihanna, Kesha and many others set to hit the charts in time for the holiday season. However, if you think there's been a pop album this year that deserved a spot on the list, let me know in the comments below!