Radioactive is a promotional 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 13th track on the full length album.
It was written by Marina, Stargate, Fabian Lenssen and DJ Chuckie, who also produced the song.
Radioactive was used as Part 2 of 'The Archetypes', and is a 'Teen Idle' song.
Background[]
In October 2010, Marina entitled a blog "In the night your heart, is full" with the subject being "and by the morning empty."[1] This is during the die Life era, however, no Greg Kurstin demo exists, due to her heavy touring schedule on The Family Jewels Tour over Oct-Dec 2010, it is unlikely Marina had the time to finish and produce the track with Greg before die Life was scrapped.
In an interview with NME, Marina said of Radioactive:[2]
❝ I wrote "Radioactive" in New York in the middle of a heat wave. Introduced to a glittering new nightlife, I fell in love with New York; it has this magic, fizzing white energy that no other city in the world has. I felt happy and was inspired to write a song that felt light and euphoric, a more streamlined, minimalistic style of songwriting. ❞
This means the song was most likely written, recorded, and produced, around June 11, 2011, tweeting:[3] At Jay-ZZZ's Roc the Mic studios in New York. With Norway's finest. Magic days ...
During a podcast, Marina explained she worked with Stargate for three days. Every day, she was played a backing track to pick, write over, and later edit with them.[4] For PopJustice she said:[5]
❝ 'With Stargate the production is the antithesis of everything I've done so far, but I think you have to try [line breaks up]. And I really like the song now. I've really grown into it!'
So you didn't like it to start with?
'No, I did... But we originally composed it to this sort of guitar dance track. Then on the last night of working with them someone from Amsterdam sent in an instrumental to a different girl that didn't work. And then Tor [from Stargate] was like, 'oh my God, what if we turn put it underneath that track', and I was like, 'hm...', and then we did it and it sounded amazing. And I really wanted to go with it. This is like the only time I would have released that song, I think. End of the summer... Before I have an album out. It's not the sort of song that would be the lead single for an album.' ❞
In response to being asked why Radioactive was not on the main track list despite being the first single, Marina said:[6]
❝ The main reason is that, sonically, I felt that it didn't fit. Lyrically, actually, I think it does. So it's gone on to the Deluxe version. But I felt that there were more important songs to put on the album. Songs that were more significant in relation to the concept. ❞
Trivia[]
- Titled Radio Active on its promo CD.[7]
- Radioactive has only one of two single covers (the other being Man's World) to be a photo taken on the set of a music video instead being from the official album shoot.
- Radioactive was referenced on the Electra Heart blog:
- August 15, 2011: "♡ M Y H E A R T I S N U C L E A R ♡" under the Teen Idle archetype.[8]
- July 3, 2013: "♡ IN THE NIGHT YOUR HEART IS FULL + BY THE MORNING EMPTY ♡" under the Homewrecker archetype.[9]
Connections[]
- Radioactive is a 'Teen Idle' song, along with Teen Idle, and Bubblegum Bitch.
The theme of leaving first: "But baby, I'm the one who left you, you're not the one who left me." links the song to:
- Jealousy: "I never say a word, leave you before you leave me."
Artwork[]
 Credits
Photographer
Casper Balslev
Designer
Big Active
|
Photoshoot _1-001.jpg "Casper Balslev (13 Jul 2011) 1-001.jpg (331 KB)") Alt. edit _1-002_(B%26W).jpg "Casper Balslev (13 Jul 2011) 1-002 (B&W).jpg (207 KB)") Media  Single artwork |
Videos[]
| Video | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Title | Radioactive | |
| Premiere | 22 Aug 2011 | |
| Length | 3:54 | |
| Location | Los Angeles, USA | |
| Filmed | 13 Jul 2011 | |
| Director | Casper Balslev | |
| Producer | John Lathan | |
| Production company | Love Commercial Production Co. | |
| Executive producer | Paul McKee | |
| Editor | Darren Baldwin & Aleksander Horup | |
Additional Credits
- Director of photography - Matthias Koenigsweiser
- L.A line producer - John Lathan
- Grade - Lasse Marcussen at Cameo
- Additional grade elements - Kenny Gibb at Nice Biscuits
- Male lead - Jayce Basque
- Production manager (UK) - Anne-Marie Negre
- Production manager (LA) - Nicci Freeman
- First AD - Everard Salomon
- Production design - Julie Ziah
- Stylist - Dianne Garcia
- Hair, makeup - Traci Barrett
- Commissioner - Alan Parks
Behind the Scenes
_2-001.jpg "Casper Balslev (13 Jul 2011) 2-001.jpg (9.58 MB)")
_4-001.jpg "Casper Balslev (13 Jul 2011) 4-001.jpg (312 KB)")
_3-001.jpg "Casper Balslev (13 Jul 2011) 3-001.jpg (67 KB)")
Background
The music video was directed by Caspar Balslev, in Los Angeles and is the second part of The Archetypes video series, following Fear & Loathing. Prior to the video's premiere, Marina teased several promotional images of the video via her official Tumblr account, mostly featuring shots of the desert environment and images of her in a blonde wig, which was inspired by "Paris, Texas" by Wim Wenders.[10]
Marina explained the concept behind the video in an interview with Popjustice, saying:
❝ That's like a really 70s thing, it's set in the desert... I just think every artist always has something at the core of them that fascinates them and inspires them. In the beginning, I had exactly the same thought—"oh God, I'm still inspired by America, I don't want to make 'Hollywood Pt II'". And it's not like that. I'm just really inspired by that topic and that culture and I think I always will be. It's kind of like how every longterm artist always has a thread running through their image, or their lyrics, and that's mine. America. ❞
| Video | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Title | Radioactive (Acoustic) | |
| Premiere | 30 Aug 2011 | |
| Length | 3:30 | |
Official Versions[]
| Version | Released on | Date | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ | Single/Album [Stems] [Inst.]
|
Radioactive • Electra Heart | Single: 23 Sept 2011 | 3:47 |
| ▶ | Extended Edit | Radioactive - EP | 23 Sept 2011 | 4:43 |
| Remixes | ||||
| ▶ | Tom Staar Remix | Radioactive - EP | 23 Sept 2011 | 5:20 |
| ▶ | Chuckie [Big House Mix] | Radioactive - EP | 23 Sept 2011 | 6:00 |
| ▶ | How to Dress Well Remix | Radioactive - EP | 23 Sept 2011 | 5:12 |
| ▶ | Captain Cuts [Blog] | Radioactive - EP | 23 Sept 2011 | 4:06 |
| Acoustic/Live | ||||
| ▶ | Acoustic | Radioactive - EP | 23 Sept 2011 | 3:30 |
| Demos | ||||
| Original (Guitar Dance Track) | N/A - Demo | Leaked: 19 Nov 2020 | 3:58 | |
| [11] | "Amsterdam" Instrumental (See Background) | N/A - Demo | Leaked: 04 Feb 2024 | 3:51 |
| [12] | Pro-Tools Instrumental [Stems]
|
N/A - Demo | Leaked: 04 Feb 2024 | 3:28 |
| Early Mix | N/A - Demo | Leaked: 04 Feb 2024 | 3:52 | |
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
Lying on a fake beach
You'll never get a tan
Baby, I'm gonna leave you drowning
Until you reach for my hand
[Pre-Chorus]
In the night your heart is full
And by the morning empty (Love, love, oh-oh-oh)
But baby, I'm the one who left you
You're not the one who left me (Love, love, oh-oh-oh)
[Chorus]
When you're around me, I'm radioactive
My blood is burning, radioactive
I'm turning radioactive
My blood is radioactive
My heart is nuclear
Love is all that I fear
I'm turning radioactive
My blood is radioactive
[Verse 2]
Waiting for the nightfall
For my heart to light up
Oh baby, I want you to die for
For you to die for my love
[Pre-Chorus]
In the night your heart is full
And by the morning empty (Love, love, oh-oh-oh)
But baby, I'm the one who left you
You're not the one who left me (Love, love, oh-oh-oh)
[Chorus]
When you're around me, I'm radioactive
My blood is burning, radioactive
I'm turning radioactive
My blood is radioactive
My heart is nuclear
Love is all that I fear
Ready to be let down
Now I'm heading for a meltdown
[Bridge]
Tonight I feel like neon gold
I take one look at you and I grow cold
And I grow cold
And I grow cold
[Chorus]
When you're around me, I'm radioactive
My blood is burning, radioactive
I'm turning radioactive
My blood is radioactive
My heart is nuclear
Love is all that I fear
Ready to be let down
Now I'm heading for a meltdown
My heart is nuclear
Love is all that I fear
[Verse 1]
Lying on a fake beach
You'll never get a tan
Baby, I'm gonna leave you drowning
Until you reach for my hand
In the night your heart is full
And by the morning empty (Love, love, oh-oh-oh)
But baby, I'm the one who left you
You're not the one who left me (Love, love, oh-oh-oh)
[Pre-Chorus]
When you're around me, I'm radioactive
My blood is burning, radioactive
I'm turning radioactive
My blood is radioactive
[Chorus]
When you're around me, I'm radioactive
My blood is burning, radioactive
I'm turning radioactive
My blood is radioactive
My heart is nuclear
Love is all that I fear
Ready to be let down
And now I'm heading for a meltdown
[Verse 2]
Waiting for the nightfall
For my heart to light up
Oh baby, I want you to die for
For you to die for my love
In the night your heart is full
And by the morning empty (Love, love, oh-oh-oh)
But baby, I'm the one who left you
You're not the one who left me (Love, love, oh-oh-oh)
[Pre-Chorus]
When you're around me, I'm radioactive
My blood is burning, radioactive
I'm turning radioactive
My blood is radioactive
[Chorus]
When you're around me, I'm radioactive
My blood is burning, radioactive
I'm turning radioactive
My blood is radioactive
My heart is nuclear
Love is all that I fear
Ready to be let down
Now I'm heading for a meltdown
[Bridge]
Tonight I feel like neon gold
I take one look at you and I grow cold
And I grow cold
And I grow cold
When you're around me, I'm radioactive
My blood is burning, radioactive
I'm turning radioactive
My blood is radioactive
[Chorus]
When you're around me, I'm radioactive
My blood is burning, radioactive
I'm turning radioactive
My blood is radioactive
My heart is nuclear
Love is all that I fear
Ready to be let down
Now I'm heading for a meltdown
Credits[]
Personnel[]
- Vocals - Marina Diamandis
- All instruments - Stargate, DJ Chuckie, Fabian Lennsen
Technical[]
- Writers - Marina Diamandis, Stargate, Fabian Lennsen, DJ Chuckie
- Producers - Stargate for 45th and 3rd Music LLC, Dj Chuckie, Fabian Lennsen
- Recorded by - Mikkel S. Eriksen, Miles Walker for 45th and 3rd Music LLC, Fabian Lennsen
- Recorded at - Roc The Mic Studios, New York, Dirty Dutch Studios, Amsterdam
- Mixer - Phil Tan at Ninja Club Studios, Atlanta, GA
- Assistant engineer - Damien Lewis, Fabian Lennsen
- Stargate management, executive producers - Tim Blacksmith, Danny D
- Master - Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound, New York
- Publishers - Warner Chappell Music Ltd (PRS), EMI Music Publishing (ASCAP), Copyright Control
References[]
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20110903141012/http://www.marinaandthediamonds.com/?news_pg=5
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20170814024133/https://www.nme.com/news/music/marina-and-the-diamonds-34-1268978
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MarinaDiamandis/status/79359303974260737
- ↑ https://www.sodajerker.com/episode-206-marina (@22:10)
- ↑ https://www.popjustice.com/articles/an-interview-with-marina-the-diamonds/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120319012948/http://www.planetnotion.com/2012/03/16/marina-the-diamonds
- ↑ https://www.discogs.com/release/4864879-Marina-And-The-Diamonds-Radio-Active
- ↑ https://electraheart.tumblr.com/post/8953416283/m-y-h-e-a-r-t-i-s-n-u-c-l-e-a-r
- ↑ https://electraheart.tumblr.com/tagged/homewrecker/chrono
- ↑ https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/oral-history-marina-the-diamonds-electra-heart-10-anniversary
- ↑ https://dbree.org/v/0365c1
- ↑ https://dbree.org/v/9165c0
 | |
|---|---|
| Tour ♡ Merch ♡ Photography ♡ Tumblr ♡ 'The Archetypes' ♡ die Life ♡ Collaborators | |
| Discography | |
| Releases | Electra Heart |
| Tracklist | Bubblegum Bitch ♡ Primadonna ♡ Lies ♡ Homewrecker ♡ Starring Role ♡ The State of Dreaming ♡ Power & Control ♡ Living Dead ♡ Teen Idle ♡ Valley of the Dolls ♡ Hypocrates ♡ Fear and Loathing ♡ Radioactive ♡ Sex Yeah ♡ Lonely Hearts Club ♡ Buy the Stars ♡ How to Be a Heartbreaker ♡ E.V.O.L ♡ Electra Heart |
| Non-Album | |
| Outtakes | Double Life ♡ Eternity |
| Interludes | Su-Barbie-A ♡ The Archetypes |
| die Life | Miss Y ♡ Scab and Plaster |
| Misc | Boyfriend ♡ Bump in the Night ♡ Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas ♡ Just Desserts |
| Other Eras | |
| Mermaid vs. Sailor • The Family Jewels • Electra Heart • FROOT • LOVE + FEAR • Ancient Dreams • Sixth Studio Album (Upcoming) | |