Picture this: Way back in the olden days of 2014, a 10-year-old jams along to Marina and the Diamonds’ album “Electra Heart” in her bedroom, although she is perhaps too young to understand the meaning of the lyrics. If you’ve ever been this 10-year-old (as I have), you understand the exhilaration that comes with the release of her newest album.

Titled “Love + Fear,” the album has two sides: the “Love” side which was released in March and the “Fear” side, released April 26. Her album prior to this one was called “Froot,” released in 2016. A whole three years and a sudden name-rebrand later (going from “Marina and the Diamonds” to the mononym “MARINA”), “Love + Fear” has surfaced.

As an avid MARINA stan, I must admit this isn’t her absolute best album. My personal favorite of hers is “The Family Jewels” due to its unique sound and lyrics that stray from the norm of music for its time. However, it’s evident that Diamandis put a large amount of heart and soul into working on it and perfecting it for her fans and supporters.

Of all her albums, “Love + Fear” for sure has the most pop-sounding aspect to it. Many fans were concerned with the release of the first song, “Handmade Heaven,” because it had a more mainstream feel and would lose the eclectic qualities her previous music possessed. Although I will admit it does lose the strange, Diamandis makes up for it with powerful lyrics and messages breaking through the surface of the songs.

My personal favorite song from the “Love” side was “To Be Human”. Although not extremely unique in its sound, the lyrics behind “To Be Human” were powerful, referencing mistakes society as a whole has made in the past such as the bombing of Hiroshima.

The “Fear” side, taking a slightly less sanguine approach than “Love,” focuses more on emotionally appealing topics such as getting over heartbreaks, moving on with your life and self-acceptance, among other values. The song I connected with most on this side was “Emotional Machine,” taking on similar qualities to certain songs on her album “Electra Heart” (in particular, it reminded me of her song “Radioactive”). Her vocals in the chorus of this song were stunning to the point of sending chills down my spine as I listened to it for the first time.

I found that her song “Karma” had a very distinct sound, almost being similar to some of her songs on “The Family Jewels” (to the joy of many gay hearts, since TFJ has long been considered full of LGBT anthems), while others on this side such as “No More Suckers” had a definitive new-era-rebranded-MARINA-style to them. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course – Diamandis continues to release bops regardless of how supposedly “mainstream” they sound.

Out of all the songs I enjoyed most from both sides, the song with the deepest meaning and likely most personal to Marina would have to be “Soft to Be Strong”. Listed as the last song on the “Fear” side, somber lyrics encased in a slow beat with powerful vocals make a great recipe for an empowering song about loving yourself and letting people love you in return.

If you’re on the fence about Diamandis’s music, were a fan of hers when you were younger (only real ones remember the countless animated “Warrior Cats” videos showcasing her music), or are just listening for some new party songs, “Love + Fear” is a great album to turn to.

I have no doubt that Diamandis will continue to improve her music and strive to hold the music industry on her back. As MARINA grows and shapes her unique sound, we can only expect marvelous things to come.