Electra Heart

Did You Know?

• Diamandis was inspired by the "Tumblr generation" to photograph herself in several places across the United States, appearing as a different persona in each picture.
• The title character "Electra Heart" was described as a tool to represent a combination of elements associated with the American Dream and Greek tragedy.
• The promotional single "Radioactive" charted inside the top 40 in several countries.

Composition

Electra Heart is a pop, electropop, and dance-pop record with inflections of new wave, pop-punk, dubstep, rock, and Italo disco. It functions as a concept album detailing "female identity" and "a recent breakup," representing a musical departure from Diamandis' debut album The Family Jewels, which had a new wave and indie rock-influenced sound. Diamandis later stated the album was designed as a pop record to help her gain greater prominence in the music industry. The title character "Electra Heart" portrays four female archetypes: "Teen Idle," "Primadonna," "Homewrecker," and "Su-Barbie-A," though their presence on individual tracks is not clearly defined and is more apparent in the album's visual aspects. The opening track "Bubblegum Bitch" is pop punk-inspired, while "Primadonna" is a pop number with a surging beat and an anti-chorus structure. "Lies" is an electro ballad that allows Diamandis to deal directly with her emotions, with producer Diplo contributing "extra gloom wobble sadness." "Homewrecker" blends spoken-word verses with a stompy refrain. "Starring Role" is noted for its simplicity and prominent piano and drum instrumentation. "The State of Dreaming" is described as a solemn offering with intellectual lyrical content. "Power & Control" is an electropop track, and "Living Dead" is considered a more vulnerable moment, compared to the works of English duo Soft Cell.

Release and promotion

On 1 March, Diamandis unveiled the album artwork for the standard version of Electra Heart, depicting a blonde Diamandis wearing hair rollers; the dye caused her hair to fall out, so she got a boy's haircut and wore a wig. The artwork was described as having a "retro film stock look" reminiscent of a 1970s exploitation movie. The deluxe version artwork features the same picture tinted purple. The standard track listing was confirmed on 1 March, and the deluxe track listing on 5 March. A limited edition box set included the deluxe version, four photo art cards, a ring, perspex, necklace, and pocket mirror. During the promotional campaign, Diamandis released 11 music videos through YouTube, which she claimed led her record label into bankruptcy. The first video, "Part 1: Fear and Loathing," was released on 8 August 2011, showing Diamandis cutting her long brown hair and singing on a balcony at night. "Part 2: Radioactive" followed on 22 August, depicting a blonde-wigged Diamandis traveling across the United States with her romantic interest. "Part 3: The Archetypes" introduced the archetypes "housewife," "beauty queen," "homewrecker," and "idle teen" on 15 December. "Part 4: Primadonna" served as the music video for the lead single on 12 March 2012.

Critical reception

Electra Heart received mixed reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, the album received an average score of 57 out of 100, based on 16 reviews. James Christopher Monger of AllMusic compared the record to the works of Kesha and Lady Gaga, calling it "a brooding, sexy, desperate, overwrought, and infectious record that's both aware and unashamed of its contrivance." Michael Cragg of BBC Music felt the recurring concept of failed romance created a strange dichotomy but also cohesiveness, though he considered the second half mildly disappointing. Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly complimented Diamandis for rivaling Katy Perry in catchy hooks, Gwen Stefani in swagger, and Florence Welch in ethereal vocal exhilaration, praising the blend of up-tempo recordings and ballads.

Commercial performance

Electra Heart debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 21,358 copies, becoming Diamandis' first chart-topping album in the United Kingdom. It was noted as the lowest-selling number-one record of the 21st century in the country at the time, a distinction later surpassed by Newton Faulkner's Write It on Your Skin. On 15 April 2016, the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry for shipments of 100,000 units. It also reached number one on the Irish Albums Chart and the Scottish Albums Chart, receiving a gold certification in Ireland. Diamandis suggested the high-budget release may have led to the demise of 679 Artists. In Europe, the album peaked at number 11 on the Swiss Hitparade, number 17 in Germany, number 25 in Austria, number 30 in Norway, and number 41 in Sweden. It charted at numbers 92 and 132 on the Dutch MegaCharts and Belgian Ultratop in Wallonia, respectively. In Oceania, it reached number 31 in New Zealand and number 32 in Australia. In the United States, Electra Heart debuted at number 31 on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart, selling 150,000 copies as of May 2015. On 13 April 2019, it was certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 units. It peaked at number 50 on the Canadian Albums Chart. Diamandis commented that UK consumers may have misinterpreted her comical effort, while American audiences were more receptive. As of 2015, three million singles had been sold from the album.