While Marina Diamandis, better known as Marina and the Diamonds, has been pretty quiet for the last two years, she’s returning this April with a new album. The Welsh ‘Primadonna’ singer is back with a new video and single, “Froot,” and the video is all about Marina.
Diamandis, who is known for her catchy choruses and electropop sound, as well as playful videos, brings that in “Froot.” The video opens with the Welsh singer framed in a doorway with a beautiful champagne dress. Diamandis is doing classic Hollywood meets 1980s video art direction, and it executes the theming perfectly.
Diamandis is lit in a soft spotlight, and the camera zooms out to a man seated on the bed as she sings. The video cuts to several close ups of Diamandis lit from below again; just her face is framed in soft lighting. As the video cuts back to her in the bedroom, we transition to a full wide shot as Marina croons “this ain’t my first time at the rodeo / nature ain’t a froot machine” as she poses in the door frame.
In classic 80s style, the video jumps to Diamandis in a gold outfit, singing and dancing with a set of back up dancers. The video then cuts to a low-lit bedroom with Diamandis at a vanity, singing with the same man in the door frame watching. The majority of the video is jump cuts and close ups of Diamandis. The only time we pan out is when Diamandis is singing the chorus “living la dolce vita / life couldn’t get much sweeter / don’t you give me a reason.” This style of editing and shooting works for the song, though. It lets you focus more on the artist as opposed to the scenery, and since there is really no story, it just works.
We continue with Diamandis singing in a pink outfit in what looks like a pool room, her back turned to a statue as she sings. This scene is probably the best lit out of all them, since it has a mix of colors that play off her outfit. From the blue that seems to be reflecting off the water to the subtle yellow behind her, the scene is pure technicolor in its use of primary colors to highlight Diamandis. The viewer travels through a home where she sings in the foyer wearing two long mermaid-style dresses. She even sings while hanging off the mystery man. The video ends with Diamandis posing in the foyer like a model as the camera zooms out and into darkness.
The video is all about Diamandis and every outfit she wears highlights this, because she looks like she stepped right out of Vogue. “Froot” is the official first single off her new album of the same title which is due out this April. The song is available for download on iTunes as well as pre order for the album.