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How to Be a Heartbreaker is a single by Marina Diamandis, released under her previous stage name 'Marina and the Diamonds'. Appearing on her second studio album, Electra Heart, it is the 17th track on the full length album, and was released as the 3rd and final official single.

The song was written by Marina, Ammar Malik, Daniel Omelio, Benny Blanco, Cirkut, and Dr. Luke, and produced by the latter three.

How to Be a Heartbreaker was Part 7 of 'The Archetypes', and is a 'Homewrecker' song.

Background[]

Marina stated How to Be a Heartbreaker was the only new track on the US edition of her album Electra Heart, and wrote it "as the UK album was being printed." Lyrically, she told Digital Spy the song "basically involves four rules on how to be a heartbreaker. It's a guide for everyone!"[1]

The album was mixed in early January 2012,[2] therefore, as How to Be a Heartbreaker was written "about a week" after physical copies of the UK edition of Electra Heart were done,[3] the song was likely created during spring of 2012.[speculated]

After being asked regarding the inspiration behind the track during her speech at Oxford Union, she explained:[4]

So this [How to Be a Heartbreaker] was the final song that I wrote for Electra Heart, and I kind of saw the album in the end as like a guide to love, like a musical, almost, or pop soap opera, and so, I felt like How to Be a Heartbreaker was a rule book as to how to make boys fall in love with you.

Trivia[]

  • The first remix to feature another person's vocals.
  • How to Be a Heartbreaker was referenced on the Electra Heart blog:
    • July 3, 2011: "♡ D E A R  D I A R Y,  M Y  N A M E  I S  E L E C T R A  H E A R T ♡" under the Primadonna archetype.[5]
    • December 1, 2011: "♡ W E A R  Y O U R  H E A R T  O N  Y O U R  C H E E K ♡" under the Homewrecker archetype.[6]
    • March 3, 2013: "♡ K I S S  H I M  G O O D B Y E  A T  T H E  D O O R ♡" under the Homewrecker archetype.[7]
  • Marina tweeted "Shooting 'How To Be a Heartbreaker' in Denmark. Electra's about to turn E.V.O.L..."[8]
  • The song was covered by Dean Geyer and Lea Michele in a Glee episode titled "Feud".
  • On April 8, 2013, the song's instrumental was uploaded to Marina's Spotify account by Karaoke Hits. It has since been hidden and become unplayable.[9]

Connections[]

Artwork[]

How To Be A Heartbreaker single artwork
Credits
Photographer
Casper Balslev
Designer
Big Active
Photoshoot
Media

Videos[]

Video Credits
How_to_Be_a_Heartbreaker_♡_Part_7
Title How to Be a Heartbreaker
Premiere 28 Sept 2012
Length 3:55
Location Copenhagen
Filmed 29 Aug 2012
Director Marc Hawker & Ishbel Whitaker
Production company Love Commercial Production Co.
Executive producer Paul McKee
Editor Darren Baldwin

Additional Credits

  • DoP : Stuart Graham
  • Grade : Aline Sinquin @ MPC
  • Post Producer : Pedro Pinto MPC
  • Service Production : Spoiled
  • Service Producer : Thor Jacobsen
  • Line Producer : Mikkel Damkiær
  • Production Manager : Joakim Harder
  • First AD : Otto Rosing
  • Focus Puller : John Frimand
  • 2nd AC : Charlotte Rose Waters
  • DIT : Michael McDuffie Finlay
  • Gaffer : Thomas Neivelt
  • Best Boy : Alex Suhr
  • Grip : Christian Brøndum
  • Production Designer : Rasmus With
  • Hair : Marina Lasse Pedersen
  • Make-up : Niamh Quinn
  • Stylist : Celestine Cooney
  • Make-up/Hair : Mette Munch
  • Stylist (Cast) : Sebastian Machado
  • Styling Asst (Cast) : Dorothea Gundtoft
  • Runners : Tine Knudsen, Jamie Ryan
  • Location Scout : Lui Visbo
  • Commissioner : Alan Parks

Behind the Scenes

Background

In late August 2012, the video was directed by duo Marc & Ish,[10] however Marina was highly involved in the video:[11]

I had 100 per cent creative control over this video. I was like 'OK, let's get six Calvin Klein models and put them in the shower and I'll stand in the middle in PVC'.

On September 19, Diamandis announced on her Twitter page that the music video for How to Be a Heartbreaker would premiere online on the 24th.[12] However, problems occurred on the day of the supposed release, and she took to her Twitter to explain the situation:[13]

So, someone at my record label won't let me release the video because I look ugly in it apparently and we need more money and time to paint out ugly parts. The video will be out end of the week. If not, I am happy to leak the 'minger' version for my fans.

Four days later, on the 28th, the video premiered.[14]

In 2013, in an interview with Huffington Post, Marina reflected on the situation:[15]

It's so fucking ridiculous. At the moment in the U.S. they're having trouble getting it on music channels because they say it's homoerotic. And I'm like how rude and how ridiculous is that when girls, we put up with scantily-clad women grinding [in videos] and no one says, "This is totally lesbian and we can't have it on TV!" So I just don't see the problem. I think it's a complete double standard and it's ridiculous.

Now that I look back, I think maybe they were just scared of the "homoerotic messages." So maybe it wasn't that but they said -- they didn't say I was "ugly" but they said, "You need some 'beauty work' done." And I asked, "What does that mean?" And they responded, "It looks like some of your skin tone needs to be evened out." And that's fine and totally normal in pop videos, but I said, "You need to give me the budget to do that. You don't tell me in the 11th hour." It's just typical.

Official Versions[]

Note:
How to Be a Heartbreaker's concept demo has been falsely labelled as "Let Me Teach You How to Be a Heartbreaker" and "Be a Heartbreaker".
Version Released on Date Length
Album/Single Electra Heart • How to Be a Heartbreaker Single: 07 Dec 2012 3:41
Remixes
Kat Krazy Remix How to Be a Heartbreaker - EP [UK/Ireland iTunes] 07 Dec 2012 3:34
Almighty Remix How to Be a Heartbreaker - EP 07 Dec 2012 5:37
Kitty Pryde Remix How to Be a Heartbreaker - EP 07 Dec 2012 3:00
Baunz Remix How to Be a Heartbreaker - EP 07 Dec 2012 7:27
Dada Life Remix How to Be a Heartbreaker - Dada Life Remixes [US/Canada iTunes] 12 Mar 2013 6:28
Dada Life Remix (Radio Edit) How to Be a Heartbreaker - Dada Life Remixes 12 Mar 2013 3:16
Acoustic/Live
Acoustic 4:57
Demos
[16] Concept Demo N/A - Demo Leaked: 7 Aug 2022 1:14

Lyrics[]

[Verse 1]
Rule number one
Is that you gotta have fun
But baby, when you're done
You gotta be the first to run

Rule number two
Just don't get attached to
Somebody you could lose
So, le-let me tell you

[Chorus]
This is how to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like a little danger
We'll get 'em falling for a stranger
A player, singing "I lo-lo-love you"

How to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like the look of danger
We'll get 'em falling for a stranger
A player, singing "I lo-lo-love you"

At least I think I do

[Post Chorus]
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
'Cause I lo-lo-lo-love you

[Verse 2]
Rule number three
Wear your heart on your cheek
But never on your sleeve
Unless you wanna taste defeat

Rule number four
Gotta be looking pure
Kiss him goodbye at the door
And leave him wanting more, more

[Chorus]
This is how to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like a little danger
We'll get 'em falling for a stranger
A player, singing "I lo-lo-love you"

How to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like the look of danger
We'll get 'em falling for a stranger
A player, singing "I lo-lo-love you"

At least I think I do

[Post Chorus]
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
'Cause I lo-lo-lo-love you

[Bridge]
Girls, we do whatever it will take
'Cause girls don't want, we don't want our hearts to break
In two, so it's better to be fake
Can't risk losing in love again, ba-abe

[Chorus]
This is how to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like a little danger
We'll get 'em falling for a stranger
A player, singing "I lo-lo-love you"

How to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like the look of danger
We'll get 'em falling for a stranger
A player, singing "I lo-lo-love you"

[Post Chorus]
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
'Cause I lo-lo-love you

At least I think I do

[Verse 1]
Rule number one
Is that you gotta have fun
But baby, when you're done
You gotta be the first to run

Rule number two
Just don't get attached to
Somebody you could lose
So, le-let me teach you how to

[Chorus]
Be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like a little danger
They'll get you falling for a stranger
A player, singing "I lo-lo-love you"

A heartbreaker
Girls they like to play with danger
They'll get you falling for a stranger
A player, singing "I lo-lo-love you"

At least I think I do

[Post Chorus]
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh
Cause I lo-lo-love you

Credits[]

Personnel[]

Technical[]

  • Writers - Marina Diamandis, Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Cirkut, Ammar Malik, Dan Omelio
  • Producers - Dr. Luke, Cirkut for Prescription Songs, Benny Blanco for Matza Ball Productions, Inc.
  • Programmers - Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Cirkut, Ammar Malik
  • Engineers - Emily Wright, Clint Gibbs
  • Vocal producer - Emily Wright for Prescription Songs
  • Mixer - Serban Ghenea
  • Master - Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound, New York, NY
  • Engineered for mix - John Hanes
  • Assistants engineered for mix - Tim Roberts, Phil Seaford
  • Production coordinators - Irene Richter, Katie Mitzell, Scott "Yarmov" Yarmovsky
  • Assistants - Rachael Findlen, Andy Hughes, Joel Peters, Ava James, Mark Beaven, Andyz Kipnes, Beka Tischker, Charlie Tischker, Andrew Luftman, Jeremy Levin, David Silberstein
  • Publishers - Warner Chappell Music Ltd (PRS) adm. by Warner Tamerlane Publishing Corp (BMI), Kasz Money Publishing (ASCAP), Matza Ballzack Music / Where Da Kasz At (BMI), Maru Cha Cha / Lotzah Balls Soup (BMI), Robopop Musik / BMG Ruby Songs (ASCAP), Oneirology Publishing / Prescription Songs (ASCAP)
  • Recorded at - Luke's Malibu, CA, eightysevenfourteen studios, Los Angeles, CA, Sarm Studios, Notting Hill, London, UK, Lotzah Matza Studios, New York
  • Mixed at - MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, VA

References[]

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