The last time I heard Marina Diamandis, more known in musical circles as Marina and the Diamonds, was when I was listening through her debut LP Family Jewels which included the hits Hollywood and of course I Am Not A Robot. What made me like her sound back then were those soulful vocals though the arrangement in her tracks may have put me to sleep at least one time. However, she has changed it up with Radioactive, the first single off her sophomore album Electra Heart.

What makes Radioactive striking to the senses is the obvious departure from Marina’s piano-driven sound into a sound that screams Top 40 material (you may think of David Guetta for the heck of it). Produced by DJ Chuckie and Stargate, Radioactive shows off a pulsating dance beat yet retains the lyrical edge and sensibility that Marina has become known for. The opening line (Lying on a fake beach, you’ll never get a tan / Baby, I’m gonna leave you drowning, until you reach for my hand) really got this writer pumped once he heard it. You can think of Radioactive as a smarter version of those mainstream Guetta tracks. It is that good.

Radioactive shows why people will never get tired of pop – as long as pop is sensible that is. Fortunately, Radioactive is sensible in lots of aspects. Lyrically, it possesses tons of wits. Production-wise, you can hear semblances of Guetta here and there but it still is flawless. Radioactive definitely is one of the best singles to have come out this year. Enough said.

Released: September 30, 2011
Label: 679 Artists