Radioactive (Marina and the Diamonds song)
Promotional single from Electra Heart, produced by Stargate.
"Radioactive" was released by Marina Diamandis, performing as Marina and the Diamonds, on 23 September 2011. It served as the first promotional single for the deluxe edition of her second album, Electra Heart, coming out before the lead single "Primadonna". The Eurodance and dance-pop track, produced by Stargate, marked a clear shift from her debut album. It reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart and number 37 in Ireland.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Marina and the Diamonds
- Album
- Electra Heart
- Released
- 23 September 2011
- Genre
- Eurodance; dance-pop
- Label
- 679; Atlantic
- Writer
- Marina Diamandis
- Mikkel S. Eriksen
- Tor Erik Hermansen
- Fabian Lenssen
- Clyde Narain
- Producer
- StarGate
- DJ Chuckie
- Lenssen
Facts from the source article.
Background and composition
Diamandis wrote "Radioactive" in New York during a heat wave, inspired by the city's nightlife and energy. She described the song as light and euphoric, with a more streamlined songwriting style. Musically, it is a Eurodance and dance-pop track with a minimalist club beat, produced by the Norwegian duo Stargate, who had previously worked with Rihanna and Katy Perry.
Critical reception
The song received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising Diamandis' shift from alternative to mainstream pop. Digital Spy editor Robert Copsey gave it four out of five stars, calling the chorus "radio-friendly, synth-laden, and deeply hypnotic". Popjustice named it Song of the Day, noting it eventually sounds like her and becomes "amazing". Bradley Stern of MTV Buzzworthy highlighted its "cutting, sinister lyricism and vocal acrobatics" as distinguishing it from her earlier work. Damien Ryan of So So Gay rated it four-and-a-half stars, stating it is "like nothing else we've heard from Marina, yet still manages to sound distinctly her". This Is Fake DIY's Gareth O'Malley scored it seven out of ten, concluding she can do better.
Music video
The music video was directed by Caspar Balslev and is the second part of the Electra Heart video series, following "Fear & Loathing". Shot in Los Angeles, it premiered on 22 August 2011. Diamandis teased promotional images on Tumblr featuring desert shots and her in a blonde wig. She explained the concept as a 1970s-style desert setting, inspired by America as a recurring theme in her work. The video shows Diamandis and a male companion on the run: she packs a suitcase, puts on a white blonde wig, and leaves with her partner. They trash a house, arrive at a motel, buy food at a supermarket in disguise, and sit in a diner. Later, she dances in the streets and the couple wanders in the desert, where she removes her wig and walks alone. As of 16 July 2023, the video had 15,045,910 YouTube views.
More in 679 Artists Singles
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced