Marina Lambrini Diamandis ( ; ; born 10 October 1985), known mononymously as Marina (often stylised as MARINA), and previously by the stage name Marina and the Diamonds, is a Welsh musician.
Born in Brynmawr to a Welsh mother and Greek father, Diamandis was raised in Abergavenny and moved to London as a teenager to become a professional singer, despite having little formal musical experience. In 2009, she came to prominence upon placing second in the BBC's Sound of 2010. Her debut studio album, The Family Jewels (2010), incorporated indie pop and new wave musical styles. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number five and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. The album's second single, "Hollywood", peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. Her follow-up record, Electra Heart (2012), was a concept album about a character of the same name which became her first number one album in the United Kingdom. The album was certified gold in the US and UK, with its singles "Primadonna" and "How to Be a Heartbreaker" becoming international hits.
Diamandis's synthpop-inspired third studio album, Froot (2015), became her third top 10 album in the UK and her first top 10 entry on the US Billboard 200, where it charted at number 8. Produced entirely by Diamandis and David Kosten, it was praised for its cohesive sound and introspective lyrical content. In 2018, she was featured on Clean Bandit's single "Baby", which reached the top 15 in the UK. Her fourth studio album, Love + Fear, was released on 26 April 2019. The album charted at number five on the UK album chart. In 2021, Diamandis released her fifth studio album, Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land, which debuted at number 17 in the UK, and was followed by a deluxe version in 2022.
Early life
Marina Lambrini Diamandis was born on 10 October 1985 in Brynmawr, and grew up near Abergavenny. She has one sibling; an elder sister named Lafina. Her Welsh mother and Greek father met at Newcastle University and separated when Diamandis was four years old. Following the separation, her father returned to Greece but would occasionally visit, while she remained in a bungalow in Wales with her mother. She described her childhood as "simple and idyllic" and "peaceful, very normal, poor". Diamandis admitted to being a "tomboy" as a child, playing football every day and spending more time with the opposite sex.
As a child, Diamandis attended Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls. She said, "I sort of found my talent there... I was the one who always skived off choir, but I had an incredible music teacher who managed to convince me I could do anything". At the age of 16, she moved to Greece to be with her father and "to connect with [her] heritage and learn to speak the language", and sang Greek folk songs with her grandmother. Having earned an International Baccalaureate at St. Catherine's British Embassy School in Athens, she returned to Wales two years later. She and her mother then moved to England, settling in Ross-on-Wye. Obsessed with becoming a singer "almost as if it was a disease", she worked at a petrol station for two months in order to earn money to move to London.
Despite not having a musical background, Diamandis had a childhood love of writing. She first began writing music when she was 18 years old; she moved to London to attend dance school, but quit after two months. She studied music at the University of East London and transferred to a classic composition course in Middlesex University the following year, but dropped out after two months.
Career
2005–2008: Career beginnings and early recordings
Knowing that the Spice Girls were formed by an advertisement in The Stage, Diamandis applied for auditions listed in that newspaper. She travelled for several unsuccessful auditions, including opportunities with the musical for The Lion King and a boy band organized by Virgin Records. It was during this time that she managed to leave her CV with an A&R representative, but was unable to audition at the time of the appointment as she felt sick. In 2005, she created the stage name "Marina and the Diamonds". After she came to prominence, "the Diamonds" was established as a reference to her fans instead of her backing band.