That thing when good things happen to people who deserve it…

Marina And The Diamonds‘ stellar new record, Electra Heart, is officially the #1 album in the UK this week!

From the UK’s Official Charts:

Marina Diamandis, AKA Marina And The Diamonds has scored her first Official Number 1 album.

The half Welsh / half Greek singer’s second album, Electra Heart, featuring Top 20 single Primadonna, claims first place today ahead of Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die (Number 2) – toppling last week’s chart topper Jack White from the summit of the Official Albums Chart.

The news will certainly cheer up Diamandis who was forced to postpone her upcoming UK tour earlier this week after being advised by doctors to rest her voice or risk permanently damaging her vocal chords. Marina And The Diamonds’ debut album, The Family Jewels, peaked at Number 5 when it was released in 2010.

So happy for you, Mizz Marina! Well deserved! (If you haven’t yet, check out the MuuMuse review of Electra Heart.)

And with my other favorite release of the year–Lana Del Rey‘s Born To Die–sitting at second place right underneath?

IT’S A CELEBRATION.

Electra Heart was released in the UK on April 30, and will be released in the US on July 17. (iTunes UK)

♡♡♡

“‘Oh my God, you look just like Shakira! No, no–you’re Catherine Zeta!’ ‘Actually, my name’s Marina,’” she sang on “Hollywood,” the second single off of 2010′s The Family Jewels.

It’s been over two years since her debut, and Marina + The Diamonds is back with yet another identity crisis for her second go-around in the studio–and this time, she’s evoking a cold, cruel bitch named Electra Heart.

Read more »

Marina & The Diamonds on Britney‘s “E-Mail My Heart” for Q Magazine:

My main inspiration when it comes to popular culture is Britney Spears. I have always loved her and enjoyed the innocent hyper-girly element in her image. I think people believe my admiration of her is ironic or something. I don’t know why you can’t just love big pop artists without it having some kind of ironic eye roll involved. E-Mail My Heart is very 1999 and it is on my pre-show soundtrack for the Lonely Hearts Club tour.

I love her so much.

You’ll want to check out the rest of Marina’s playlist of heartbreak tracks for Q, including picks from Gwen Stefani (“Bubble Pop Electric”) and Christina Aguilera & Ricky Martin (“Nobody Wants To Be Lonely”) right here.

Watch for the official review of Marina’s new record Electra Heart–my favorite album of the year–coming on Monday.

To tide us over until the release of her sophomore record Electra Heart in three weeks, the glamorous primadonna herself Miss Marina + The Downloads has just posted an astounding acoustic performance of album track, “Lies.”

Although we haven’t heard the original album version in full yet–which was co-produced by Dr. Luke, Cirkut and Diplo (Holy powerhouse production team, Marina!)–the stripped down rendition of the song alone proves that this one’s going to be a massive number. And, in the usual Marina fashion, the lyrics are simply devastating.

You’re never going to love me, so what’s the use?” the talented songstress sadly croons in the opening moment.

Watch below immediately! Just a friendly word of caution in advance: You will cry. Paralyzing, really.

And while you’re at it, have a listen to all of the album clips from Electra Heart. Easily going to be one of the best albums of 2012. I’m foaming at the mouth for this one!

“I just wanted to be perfect…”

Electra Heart will be released on April 30. (iTunes UK)

The beat just dropped and the room got sexy: Marina And The Diamonds just dropped the Benny Benassi remix of “Primadonna,” and it’s positively blazin’.

The big room beats are reminiscent of Benassi’s remix of Madonna‘s “Celebration” (which means that it’s vaguely reminiscent of Madonna’s “Girl Gone Wild”), which means that this is a remix treatment fit for a Queen.

Too much of a “Primadonna” power punch? Okay, let’s take it down a notch: The Greek-Welsh goddess also uploaded an utterly stunning guitar ‘n’ piano acoustic version of the song onto YouTube yesterday, and it’s honestly a real treat.

I’m sort of mesmerized by those lashes…and the nails! And obviously the voice, which is ridiculously on point. Oh Marina Electra, you darling thing, you!

If you missed it before, check out the original version of “Primadonna,” as well as the glam-tastic video.

Electra Heart will be released on April 30. (iTunes)

First came the song earlier this morning. Now, the accompanying video!

Behold: The appropriately gorgeous Caspar Balslev-directed clip for Marina And The Diamonds‘ storming Dr. Luke surger, “Primadonna.”

Life looks pretty grand in the world of Electra Heart: Sweeping estates, crystal chandeliers, grand pianos…AND TURTLES! Plus, a whole lot of shots of Marina–err, Electra looking simply stunning.

O-P-U-L-E-N-C-E, Marina! You own everything, everything is yours!

Electra Heart will be released on April 30. (iTunes)

Marina + The Diamonds has such a big ego lately–and for good reason.

Just moments ago, Fearne Cotton premiered Miss Marina’s electric new Dr. Luke-produced single on BBC Radio 1, and it’s a proper pop smash and a half. (Actually, it’s several dozen smashes.)

“Primadonna,” the latest off of her upcoming studio album Electra Heart, finds the UK singer-songwriter having fun frolicking in the morally corrupt, emotionally barren wasteland that is the life of Electra Heart, the fictitious protagonist around which her upcoming album is based.

Life is but a dazzling dream of diamond rings and endless dramatics, like Madonna‘s “Material Girl” gone wild: “Would you get down on your knees for me?/Pop that pretty question right now, baby!” Marina urges.

As I said when the song and video were first teased out to us last week, there’s something slightly Femme Fatale about the production, specifically “Hold It Against Me”: The surging beat, melodies galore, the anti-chorus structure (the beat drops out each time until the final explosive chorus)–oh, and the fact that it sounds pretty revolutionary.

“Primadonna” is already one of my favorite songs of the year: It’s so catchy (those BRIDGES!) and so, so sharp. And, in typical Marina fashion, oh so lyrically scathing: “Get what I want ’cause I ask for it/Not because I’m really that deserving of it.” Socialites unite!

Add this together with “Radioactive,” “Starring Role,” “Sex Yeah,” “Homewrecker” and any other track we’ve heard from Electra Heart thus far. One of the best albums of 2012 already? Um, duh.

Marina + The Diamonds – Primadonna (Radio Rip)

Thank you to Jon Ali’s Blog for the radio rip!

Electra Heart will be released on April 30. (iTunes)

Quelle scandale!

It’s the first taste of both the song and video for Marina + The Diamonds‘s new single off of Electra Heart, “Primadonna”!

Think Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous meets Valley Of The Dolls in this 16-second trailer as Marina–sorry, Electra Heart–trounces about to display her decadent lifestyle, showcasing her love of furs, pearls and glamorous baby turtle. Get it, you morally-repugnant-yet-glamorously-chic bitch!

As for the song itself, “Primadonna” sounds like a total Dr. Luke surging pop anthem (Femme Fatale/Teenage Dream vibez!), with a healthy heaping of “Radioactive” for good measure. I’m so in ♡ already!

“Primadonna girl, all I ever wanted was the world…”

Electra Heart will be released on April 30. (iTunes)