MATD: The Family Jewels.

The Family Jewels. Released: 2009 - 2010 

Album art: Atlantic Records, Mat Maitland.

One can easily understand, or take a guess, at Marina's life at this point of stage. Her career in music started off with a lot of problems. We know about the real facts, where she did try out at various auditions, but failed, but we can take a good guess at how her personal life was at that time, with this album. Are You Satisfied? was probably something she asked herself, whilst dealing with her ordinary life. Shame, and pain, where from most people think, evolved Shampain, came around with taking major decisions that would give her life a newer direction; The one, closer to her dreams. I Am Not A Robot is one song that many relate to. No body likes to be too mechanical now, right? Most of the songs in this album deal with her, and her separation from people she once was with. The ones who probably questioned or ridiculed her for her seemingly impossible dreams, or the bold steps she probably took. Like in Girls, for example. Give the album a listen when you're especially mad at the world for trying to stop you from what you want to do.

She describes her dressing style as vintage, cartoon, and cheer-leading, and one can see a lot of that in her music as well. For the time's one would go cuckoo, you're on your own version of Mowgli's road. In this album, Obsessions is one song, that I couldn't understand. Honestly, it seems too plain, or if not, it probably talks about how Marina would want someone (a romantic interest perhaps?), to get his own sets of obsessions, so she, with her own set of dreams, can share them with him, with ease.

 Hollywood as a song is an easy giveaway to what she was all about. I love this song, because of the happy melody and a lovely chorus. 'I'm obsessed, with the mess, that's America!' How true is this for so many? I love its video as well. Check it out! 

We've all had moments of feeling like an outsider. The Outsider does justice to that feeling. It's from this song that things start getting a bit serious. Guilty justifies the reasons why she probably wrote Shampain. Of course, with the want to get fame, one might have had to taken some strange steps. I wonder what Marina is guilty about. Was it probably because she did something to annoy Hermit The Frog? I wonder if this person is the one she talks about in Obsessions. (Together, perhaps, they broke their glass balloon.)

Oh no! Is a happier piece in this journey of wanting what one dreams of. It's a straight forward song with lyrics that lack subtlety, but therein lies its charm. 'If you are not very careful, your possessions will possess you! TV taught me how to feel, now real life has no appeal!'

I think in Seventeen, Marina talks about the same boy she had hinted about, in the earlier songs of this album. Perhaps about a boy, who couldn't stand her gutsy self? They probably got together when she turned 17. 'The rise of the king, and the fall of a queen.' I like how she uses 'the' and 'a' here. Something tells me, that Marina's want to become a pop idol, and being more independent, was the reason of all the tension between them. Finally, we come to the last song, Numb. This song does complete justice to the entire album, and was a perfect choice to conclude it with. It's as if the whole album was written for her fans, so they'd know her better, except this one. This song feels like that of her own, where she talks about the cost of fame, losing ones friends, and family. (The deluxe version of the album gave us another add on song, Rootless; It talks about what it implies, about one having no roots, and the sadness that comes along with it.)

'Lower I get, the higher I climb. And I will wonder why I got dark, only to shine, looking for the golden light. Oh, it's a reasonable sacrifice.'

Oh, Marina. Your sacrifices were worth it.

~

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Marina and the Diamonds!

As an artist grows, in age, or popularity, their music grows with them. Their music reflects the changes, addressing different issues one would face at different times in their lives. I like how Adele has named her albums. 19, 21,  and 25. Her age when she released them. Today, I'm going to *cracks knuckles* start writing about Marina Diamandis, from the Marina and the Diamonds fame. Especially her growth as an artist, taking a look at her music, with the help of the three albums she has officially released up till now. What I'll share, are strictly my points of view. But first, a little more about her!

I know it sounds weird, but I was introduced to Marina on Instagram. I happened to read a few of her lyrics, first, and then decided to check out her music. I never expected half of what I ended up hearing. I read up later that she considered herself  to be an indie pop artist. Fair enough. I personally, absolutely, adore her. If you're someone who loves pop, but also like things to be indie; you will love her music. 

Picture credit: Interview by Rolling Stone, Chicago, 2015

What I loved about her music, was how her songs were based on extremely realistic topics. Her metaphors are simple, but she uses them to talk about complex emotions. Of course, they deal with what she might have gone through, as an artist; But if you sit back, and give her songs a good listen, you may just be able to relate to them. With that, comes the very popular feeling of realizing that you aren't alone, and there are so many others out there, just like you. Marina used 'Diamonds' to define the band members she'd sing with, initially. With the rise of her fame, her fans began to call themselves her diamonds. I guess Marina is OK with that. Her fan base is largely comprised by youngsters, 15 - 25 old of age. I see Marina, and I'm sure her fans will agree, as a complete trash, who knows whatever she's all about, and in her this realization, she is projected as someone who keeps things brutally, but elegantly, real.

Marina is a completely self made artist. She wrote her songs from scratch, and gave it music, all on her own. She used Apple's Garageband to start this journey, using la la la la loops, everybody. But I can't complain. She had a natural flair at writing some neat lyrics. She got off with a rough start but her music was finally discovered, due to which she was able to sign a record deal. She made sure to make music with people who would respect her choices as an artist. All her songs aren't made in the generic pop song making way. She tries to write her songs like poetry, her lyrics coated with strong messages, that many, especially girls, will relate too! 

In the next few posts, I will write about what I've felt about the three albums she has released till now. I'll share more about what I think was probably happening in her life when she wrote the songs. I've done this in my mind, a countless amount of times. It shall be fun trying to write them down! Let's begin.

~

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Oh hi there, 2016!

Hello, new year!

Here I am, in this circus, still jumbling goals, trying to keep my life balanced, as the blog secretly creeps up to it's second leap year. It's been almost 4 years since I began jotting, uh, I mean, rambling on this blog, and it has certainly been a great journey.

Some days, I decide to go back to the past, read my old blog posts, so that I can indulge in the guilty pleasures of reminiscing. On other days, I manage to click on the post button, and ramble a bit more, setting my imagination free. This blog has almost been like an online diary for me, except for the fact that I haven't been brave enough to involve myself more, with sharing my personal stories.

Despite having a plethora of ideas to type down blog posts on, I've been lazy. If I'm not too harsh on myself, I can say that it's purely because of the final year college pressure. No. The fourth year of an engineering college is not difficult when it comes to academics, in fact, I've totally managed to perform better than my initial years as a college student. It's the other dreaded thing; The one that deals with me growing up and taking care of my responsibilities.

I, as a person, write because it helps me analyse myself better.
I have my personal diaries, filled with a lot of to do lists, and goals, but I feel my blog severely lacks those things that I feel I'm all about. Given. I'd write a poetry or two, in the rush of momentary inspiration. Given that I allow myself to type away whatever I feel about a current situation. I've hardly written anything about what I truly like. With that, I mean, my tangible hobbies, passions, and dreams. Metaphors have bought this blog far, and the occasional heartfelt poem will still carve its way through. but, I have decided, that this year, I shall talk more about what exactly it is, that I've been up to. I do like writing crisp and short articles on certain topics. I might write on a few that I believe might help others too. They will all be closely related to the whats, wheres, and whys, of my favorite things. Animals, music, computers, people, it can be anything.

Something brilliant that happened to me last year, was how clicking random links online, led to me discovering the amazing platform of IndiBlogger. It's a place were countless bloggers, from all over the world, India, especially, come together, in order to share their own blogs, thoughts, and ideas, with each other. If you're reading this, and would like to know more about how IB can change your journey of blogging, do post a comment below! I've made a few friends already, both offline, and online, all thanks to IB. I was never too vocal about my blog, before IndiBlogger, but now, I am nothing short of proud, that I was able to hold on to this tiny little blog that I created back in 2012.

Something that's totally going to give me an initial push to writing more posts and discovering myself online, is IB's new challenge, the IndiMarathon. Tata Motors has given the IB bloggers a wonderful opportunity, to blog about anything under the sun, equivalent to an online marathon. Starting from today, till mid February, I shall be posting a few articles, in correspondence to this interesting challenge. I'm quite excited to write more about certain things that I absolutely love! *Casually mumbles the lines of the song, "My favorite things!"*

Change is constant. Change is beautiful. With the advent of this new year, I hope to bring in all that I've learned, in newer ways, online. I believe if I involve myself more, online, in ways that are more communicative in nature, I will be able to give more to the community, and also learn more about so many things! I'm such a slow poke, I should've done this long back. Better late than never!

~

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.