Marina Diamandis: No one used to get me as I don’t fit the pop star mould

Marina Diamandis has said she felt misunderstood for years after being unable to fit the mould of a “hyper-sexualised” popstar or an alternative musician.

The singer, 34, said she believes the music industry is now “much more flexible” for newer female acts as they are no longer pigeonholed.

Speaking to the Standard Online, Diamandis praised musicians including US stars Halsey, Megan Thee Stallion and Swedish singer Tove Lo for “breaking the mould”.

“For girls coming into the industry I feel it’s much more flexible [now],” she said. “You can still be an alternative female artist but be in the mainstream which, when I dented the industry, felt very much like either or.

"I think that was difficult for my career because I felt like people never really understood what I was."

Diamandis added: “I felt like there were two ways you could be understood by mass media, you were either a hyper-sexualised, female popstar or you were this alternative female artist.

"There didn’t seem to be a way to exist in between. That is where I sat and is kind of still where I’m at. I don’t feel like a popstar but I also don’t feel like this 100 per cent DIY female artist either.”

Diamandis rose to fame in 2010 under the stage name Marina and the Diamonds and won praise for her debut album, The Family Jewels.

The Welsh singer – who now splits her time between north London and Los Angeles – topped the UK album charts with her 2012 electro-pop album, Electra Heart.

She is currently touring her fourth album – Love + Fear – which was released under the moniker Marina, after a hiatus from music.

Diamandis is also the new face of Kurt Geiger’s AW19 Characterful Style campaign, which launches today.

She described the move as “exciting” as she grew up wearing the brand’s shoes.

“For me it’s exciting, because I haven’t done a campaign with a shoe retailer before,” she said.

“I bought Kurt Geiger shoes growing up, I do still buy Kurt Geiger. They’re such a familiar British brand for me. It feels really lovely to be a part of it.”

Marina is performing on Monday, November 4 at the Eventim Apollo​ in London.