"Jealousy and Flirtation" depicts a woman jealous of the attention given to another woman by a man.

Jealousy is an emotion and typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety over an anticipated loss of something that the person values, particularly in reference to a human connection. Jealousy often consists of a combination of presenting emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness and disgust. It is not to be confused with envy.

Jealousy is a familiar experience in human relationships. It has been observed in infants five months and older.^[1][2][3][4] Some claim that jealousy is seen in every culture;^[5][6][7] however, others claim jealousy is a culture-specific phenomenon.^[8]

Jealousy is often reinforced as a series of particularly strong emotions and constructed as a universal human experience; it has been a theme of many artistic works that seek to privilege monogamous discourses. Psychologists have proposed several models of the processes underlying jealousy and have identified factors that result in jealousy. Sociologists have demonstrated that cultural beliefs and values play an important role in determining what triggers jealousy and what constitutes socially acceptable expressions of jealousy. Biologists have identified factors that may unconsciously influence the expression of jealousy. Artists have explored the theme of jealousy in photographs, paintings, movies, songs, plays, poems, and books. Theologians have offered religious views of jealousy based on the scriptures of their respective faiths.

Sex based differences[link]

According to the Parental Investment Model based on parental investment theory, more men than women ratify sex differences in jealousy. In addition, more women over men consider emotional infidelity (fear of abandonment) as more distressing than sexual infidelity^{[citation needed]}. According to research, sex, and attachment style makes significant and unique interactive contributions to the distress experienced. Security within the relationship also heavily contributed to one’s distress level. According to research, these findings imply that psychological and cultural mechanism regarding sex differences may play a larger role than expected (Levy,Blatt, Schachner.) Attachment theory also reveals how infant attachment patterns are the basis for a self-report measures of adult attachment. (Levy, Blatt & Shaner, 1998). Although there are no sex differences, in childhood attachment individuals with dismissing behavior was more concerned with the sexual aspect of relationships (Schachner & shaer, 2004). As a coping mechanism these individuals would report sexual infidelity as more harmful. Moreover, research shows that audit attachment styles strongly conclude with the type of infidelity that occurred. Thus psychological and cultural mechanisms are implied as unvarying differences in jealousy that play a role in sexual attachment.^[9]

Emotional jealousy was predicted to be nine times more responsive in females than in males. The emotional jealousy predicted in females also held turn to state that females experiencing emotional jealousy are more violent than men experiencing emotional jealousy. This correlates with some culture norms that the United States places on women, implying that they should be more emotionally responsive than males. For males society has associated emotion in males to be contained and not expressed in the ways that women tend to express their emotions. This social norm held true when males in a study chose to keep a level head and process and gather information before “talking it out.”^{[citation needed]}

There are distinct emotional responses to gender differences in romantic relationships (Buss, Green & Saboni 2004). For example, due to paternity uncertainty in males, jealousy increases in males over sexual infidelity rather than emotional. According to research more women are likely to be upset by signs of resource withdraw (i.e. another female) than by sexual infidelity. A large amount of data supports this notion. However, one must consider for jealousy the life stage or experience one encounters in reference to the diverse responses to infidelity available. Research states that a componential view of jealousy consist of specific set of emotions that serve the reproductive role. However, research shows that both men and women would be equally angry and point the blame for sexual infidelity, but women would be more hurt by emotional infidelity. Despite this fact, anger surfaces when both parties involved is responsible for some type of uncontrollable behavior, sexual conduct is not exempt. (Sabbini and Silver, Averill 1995). Some behavior and actions are controllable such as sexual behavior. However hurt feelings are activated by relationship deviation. No evidence is known to be sexually dimorphic in both college and adult convenience samples. The Jealousy Specific Innate Model (JSIM) proved to not be innate, but may be sensitive to situational factors. As a result it may only activate at stages in on. One study discovered serious relationships are reserved for older adults rather than undergraduates. For example, Buss et al. (1992) predicted that male jealousy decreases as females reproductive values decreases.

A second possibility that the JSIM effect is not innate id from one culture (Desieno et al., 2002) Kitayana (2004) have highlighted differences in socio-economic status specific such as the divide between high school and collegiate individuals. Moreover, individuals of both genders were angrier and blamed their partners more for sexual infidelities but were more hurt by emotional (Sabini & Green 2004). Jealousy is composed of lower level emotional states (e.g., anger and hurt) which may be triggered by a variety of events, not by differences in individuals' life stage. Although Research has recognized the importance of early childhood experiences for the development of competence in intimate relationships, early family environment is recently being examined as well (Richardson and Guyer, 1998). Research on self esteem and attachment theory suggest that individuals internalize early experiences within the family which subconsciously translates into their personal view of worth of themselves and the value of being close to other individuals, especially in an interpersonal relationship (Steinberg, Davila, & Fincham, 2006).^[10]

Romantic jealousy[link]

Romantic jealousy can be expressed in five antecedent factors:

1. Sociobiological factors
2. Cultural and historical factors
3. Personality factors
4. Relational factors
5. Situational factors and Strategic factors.

Sociobiological factors deal with reproductive strategies. For males they can only ensure paternity by restricting the access or involvement of other males. Females are more inclined to find resources in a males to be more important than actual reproductive opportunities. Males used the following tactics more than females; a. resource display b. mate concealment c. submission and debasement d. inter sexual threats and violence. For cultural and historical factors males and females have similar states of emotions of jealousy as sociobiological factors. Personality Factors include a third party threat that stores jealousy in both males and females . Personality factors also vary based on love styles. Relational factors as well as emotional factors have been found to vary on comparison levels of commitment to the relationship as well as investment and the level of alternatives in the relationship. Situational factors include critical events that may endorse jealousy in both males and females. Situational factors are very common and can be easily stimulated. Last is strategic factors which includes were “individuals are rarely aware of the sociobiological or cultural factors that promote a particular communication behavior”. Laura K Guerrero and Peter A. Anderson. Jealousy experience and Expression in Romantic Relationships

Sexual jealousy[link]

Sexual jealousy can be defined as a response triggered when a significant other displays sexual interest in another person.

Domestic violence[link]

Jealousy is one cause of domestic violence with violence often being associated with either suspected infidelity or the woman planning to leave the relationship. In an evolutionary psychology perspective this has been explained as the man trying to control female reproduction and ensure sexual exclusivity for himself by violence or the threat of violence.^[11][12]

Different forms[link]

There are many different types of jealousy that the human body can experience. Jealousy can be seen in everyday activities and settings. Jealousy is an intense emotion that is associated with the loss of services or outcomes associated with other individuals. This intense emotion can be seen or experienced in family situations, at work, in romantic relationships and even between friends.^[13]

• Sibling rivalry – Sibling rivalry is a common form of family jealousy. Family jealousy can affect all ages and different members of any family. This jealousy can arise from lack of attention from a specific member in the family. More attention towards another member of the family can cause this emotion or the emotion can be seen through comparison to another member in the family. This type of jealousy is once again in result of losing some sort of attention or services that someone once had or that they believe that they had.

• Workplace jealousy – Jealousy in the work place is not uncommon. People can experience jealousy of one another in practically any setting that one person feels like they are losing services from something or someone else. This type of jealousy is often seen between colleagues in similar job positions. If one worker receives positive feedback from the boss while the other employee feels like they deserved that, positive feedback jealousy can arise. Jealousy between colleagues can also arise if the employees are working for a raise or trying to outdo each other for similar job positions. Once again, the attention received towards one employee and not the other may cause intense emotions of jealousy to develop.

• Romantic jealousy – Romantic jealousy can be experienced in long-term or short-term relationships. One partner can feel the emotion of jealousy arise if the other partner is paying more attention or time with someone else. To lose services from one partner and have their attention directed towards someone else does not have to be in a romantic way. One partner could be spending more time with a friend that no romantic feelings could ever develop.

• Platonic jealousy – Platonic jealousy is a form of jealousy that is seen in friendships. Platonic jealousy is similar to romantic jealousy in the way that this type of relationship can lead to jealousy in result of fear of being replaced, having competition or being compared to a third party. For example, the intense emotion of jealousy can arise if two friends that are females decide that they like the same man and both want to possibly start a romantic relationship with him. Comparison and competition will more often than not lead to the two females experiencing the emotion of jealousy.

Etymology[link]

The word stems from the French jalousie, formed from jaloux (jealous), and further from Low Latin zelosus (full of zeal), in turn from the Greek word ζήλος (zēlos), sometimes "jealousy", but more often in a positive sense "emulation, ardour, zeal" ^[14][15] (with a root connoting "to boil, ferment"; or "yeast").

Since William Shakespeare's use of terms like "green-eyed monster",^[16] the color green has been associated with jealousy and envy, from which the expressions "green with envy", are derived.

Theories[link]

Scientific definitions[link]

People do not express jealousy through a single emotion or a single behavior.^[17][18][19] They instead express jealousy through diverse emotions and behaviors, which makes it difficult to form a scientific definition of jealousy. Scientists still do not have a universally agreed upon definition of jealousy but instead define jealousy in their own words, as illustrated by the following examples:

• "Romantic jealousy is here defined as a complex of thoughts, feelings, and actions which follow threats to self-esteem and/or threats to the existence or quality of the relationship, when those threats are generated by the perception of a real or potential attraction between one's partner and a (perhaps imaginary) rival." (White, 1981, p. 24)^[20]

• "Jealousy, then, is any aversive reaction that occurs as the result of a partner's extradyadic relationship that is real, imagined, or considered likely to occur." (Bringle & Buunk, 1991, page 135)^[21]

• "Jealousy is conceptualized as a cognitive, emotional, and behavioral response to a relationship threat. In the case of sexual jealousy, this threat emanates from knowing or suspecting that one's partner has had (or desires to have) sexual activity with a third party. In the case of emotional jealousy, an individual feels threatened by her or his partner's emotional involvement with and/or love for a third party." (Guerrero, Spitzberg, & Yoshimura, 2004, page 311)^[22]

• "Jealousy is defined as a protective reaction to a perceived threat to a valued relationship, arising from a situation in which the partner's involvement with an activity and/or another person is contrary to the jealous person's definition of their relationship." (Bevan, 2004, page 195)^[23]

• "Jealousy is triggered by the threat of separation from, or loss of, a romantic partner, when that threat is attributed to the possibility of the partner's romantic interest in another person." (Sharpteen & Kirkpatrick, 1997, page 628)^[24]

These definitions of jealousy share two basic themes. First, all the definitions imply a triad composed of a jealous individual, a partner, and a perception of a third party or rival. Second, all the definitions describe jealousy as a reaction to a perceived threat to the relationship between two people, or a dyad. Jealous reactions typically involve aversive emotions and/or behaviors that are assumed to be protective for their attachment relationships. These themes form the essential meaning of jealousy in most scientific studies.

Comparison with envy[link]

Popular culture uses the word jealousy as a synonym for envy. Many dictionary definitions include a reference to envy or envious feelings. In fact, the overlapping use of jealousy and envy has a long history.

The terms are used indiscriminately in such popular 'feelgood' books as Nancy Friday's Jealousy, where the expression 'jealousy' applies to a broad range of passions, from envy to lust and greed. While this kind of usage blurs the boundaries between categories that are intellectually valuable and psychologically justifiable, such confusion is understandable in that historical explorations of the term indicate that these boundaries have long posed problems. Margot Grzywacz's fascinating etymological survey of the word in Romance and Germanic languages^[25] asserts, indeed, that the concept was one of those that proved to be the most difficult to express in language and was therefore among the last to find an unambiguous term. Classical Latin used invidia, without strictly differentiating between envy and jealousy. It was not until the postclassical era that Latin borrowed the late and poetic Greek word zelotypia and the associated adjective zelosus. It is from this adjective that are derived French jaloux, Provençal gelos, Italian geloso, and Spanish celoso. (Lloyd, 1995, page 4)^[26]

Perhaps the overlapping use of jealousy and envy occurs because people can experience both at the same time. A person may envy the characteristics or possessions of someone who also happens to be a romantic rival.^[27] In fact, one may even interpret romantic jealousy as a form of envy.^[28] A jealous person may envy the affection that his or her partner gives to a rival — affection the jealous person feels entitled to himself or herself. People often use the word jealousy as a broad label that applies to both experiences of jealousy and experiences of envy.^[29]

Although popular culture often uses jealousy and envy as synonyms, modern philosophers and psychologists have argued for conceptual distinctions between jealousy and envy. For example, philosopher John Rawls^[30] distinguishes between jealousy and envy on the ground that jealousy involves the wish to keep what one has, and envy the wish to get what one does not have. Thus, a child is jealous of her parents' attention to a sibling, but envious of her friend's new bicycle. Psychologists Laura Guerrero and Peter Andersen have proposed the same distinction.^[31] They claim the jealous person "perceives that he or she possesses a valued relationship, but is in danger of losing it or at least of having it altered in an undesirable manner," whereas the envious person "does not possess a valued commodity, but wishes to possess it." Gerrod Parrott draws attention to the distinct thoughts and feelings that occur in jealousy and envy.^[27][32][33]

The common experience of jealousy for many people may involve:

• Fear of loss
• Suspicion of or anger about a perceived betrayal
• Low self-esteem and sadness over perceived loss
• Uncertainty and loneliness
• Fear of losing an important person to another
• Distrust

The experience of envy involves:

• Feelings of inferiority
• Longing
• Resentment of circumstances
• Ill will towards envied person often accompanied by guilt about these feelings
• Motivation to improve
• Desire to possess the attractive rival's qualities
• Disapproval of feelings

Parrot acknowledges that people can experience envy and jealousy at the same time. Feelings of envy about a rival can even intensify the experience of jealousy.^[34] Still, the differences between envy and jealousy in terms of thoughts and feelings justify their distinction in philosophy and science.

In psychology[link]

Jealousy involves an entire “emotional episode,” including a complex “narrative,”: the circumstances that lead up to jealousy, jealousy itself as emotion, any attempt at self regulation, subsequent actions and events and the resolution of the episode (Parrott, 2001, p. 306). The narrative can originate from experienced facts, thoughts, perceptions, memories, but also imagination, guess and assumptions. The more society and culture matter in the formation of these factors, the more jealousy can have a social and cultural origin. By contrast, Goldie (2000, p. 228) shows how jealousy can be a “cognitively impenetrable state”, where education and rational belief matter very little.

One possible explanation of the origin of jealousy in evolutionary psychology is that the emotion evolved in order to maximize the success of our genes: it is a biologically based emotion (Prinz after Buss and Larsen, 2004, p. 120) selected to foster the certainty about the paternity of one’s own offspring. A jealous behavior, in men, is directed into avoiding sexual betrayal and a consequent waste of resources and effort in taking care of someone else’s offspring. There are, additionally, cultural or social explanations of the origin of jealousy. According to one, the narrative from which jealousy arises can be in great part made by the imagination. Imagination is strongly affected by a person's cultural milieu. The pattern of reasoning, the way one perceives situations, depends strongly on cultural context. It has elsewhere been suggested that jealousy is in fact a secondary emotion in reaction to one's needs not being met, be those needs for attachment, attention, reassurance or any other form of care that would be otherwise expected to arise from that primary romantic relationship.

While mainstream psychology considers sexual arousal through jealousy a paraphilia, some authors on sexuality (Serge Kreutz, Instrumental Jealousy) have argued that jealousy in manageable dimensions can have a definite positive effect on sexual function and sexual satisfaction. Studies have also shown that jealousy sometimes heightens passion towards partners and increases the intensity of passionate sex.^[35][36]

Jealousy in children and teenagers has been observed more often in those with low self-esteem and can evoke aggressive reactions. One such study suggested that developing intimate friends can be followed by emotional insecurity and loneliness in some children when those intimate friends interact with others. Jealousy linked to aggression and low self-esteem^[37] Research by Sybil Hart, Ph.D., at Texas Tech University indicates that children are capable of feeling and displaying jealousy at as young as six months.^[38] Infants showed signs of distress when their mothers focused their attention on a lifelike doll. This research could explain why children and infants show distress when a sibling is born, creating the foundation for sibling rivalry.^[39]

In sociology[link]

Anthropologists have claimed that jealousy varies across cultures. Cultural learning can influence the situations that trigger jealousy and the manner in which jealousy is expressed. Attitudes toward jealousy can also change within a culture over time. For example, attitudes toward jealousy changed substantially during the 1960s and 1970s in the United States. People in the United States adopted much more negative views about jealousy.

Applications[link]

In fiction, film, and art[link]

A Japanese painting from 1750 shows a young man catching his lover reading a love letter from a rival.

Artistic depictions of jealousy occur in fiction, films, and other art forms such as painting and sculpture. Jealousy is the powerful complex of emotions experienced at the loss, real or imagined, of something or someone you believe is yours, whereas envy concerns what you do not have and would like to possess. In Shakespeare's play Othello, the title character is filled with jealousy at the thought of losing his beloved Desdemona: his ensign, Iago, is consumed with envy of Othello’s prestige. Because jealous lovers tell multiple stories about those who arouse their jealousy, and because the emotion is so corrosive, jealousy is a common theme in literature, art, theatre, and film.

In more modern films jealousy is still expressed as an emotion or loss of a real or imagined belief of something that a person once obtained. Some films that portray jealousy with the target audience being young children is Cinderella, Snow White and Toy Story. All three are Disney movies with a message of jealousy among characters. The movie Cinderella originated as a folk tale and was turned into a movie in 1950 by Walt Disney. The story line includes Lady Tremaine who is jealous of her step daughter Cinderella because of the loss of attention that she receives from her husband when Cinderella is around. The jealousy continues after Lady Tremaine’s husband dies and she becomes a widow. Lady Tremaine treats Cinderella with no respect due to her emotions of jealousy and envy. Snow White is also a folk story turned into an animated film. Producer Walt Disney produces the story line of step mother being jealous of her step daughter now being the “fairest in the land” she is also very envious of her beauty. This results in the Queen, Snow White’s step mom hiring a hunter to kill her and bring back her heart. The third animated Disney movie that jealousy plays a strong role in is Toy Story. Woody, the original toy that the boy owns, becomes jealous of the boy’s new toy Buzz Lightyear. This jealousy is relevant because Woody no longer gets played with like he used to. Woody eventually overcomes his jealousy and in the end is friends with Buzz Lightyear.

In religion[link]

Jealousy in religion examines how the scriptures and teachings of various religions deal with the topic of jealousy. Religions may be compared and contrasted on how they deal with two issues: concepts of divine jealousy, and rules about the provocation and expression of human jealousy.

See also[link]

References[link]

• Pistole, Carole Roberts, Amber Mosko, Johthan (2010). " Commitment predictors: Long-distance versus geographically close relationships," Ebsco , Vol 88(2).
• Rydell, Robert, McConnell, Allen, Bringle, Robert (2004). Jealousy & Commitment: Perceived threat & the Effect," Ebsco
• Lyhda, Belcher (2009). " Different Types of Jealousy" livestrong.com
• Green, Melanie, Sabin, John. " Gender, Socioeconomic Status, age and jealousy: Emotional responses to infidelity in a national sample," ebsco, Vol 6(2).

Further reading[link]

• Peter Goldie. The Emotions, A Philosophical Exploration . Oxford University Press, 2000
• W. Gerrod Parrott. Emotions in Social Psychology . Psychology Press, 2001
• Jesse J. Prinz. Gut Reactions: A Perceptual Theory of Emotions. Oxford University Press, 2004
• Staff, P.T. (Jan/Feb 1994,), "A devastating difference", Psychology Today, Document ID 1544, http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-19940101-000017.html, retrieved 2006-07-08 
• Jealousy among the Sangha Quoting Jeremy Hayward from his book on Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche Warrior-King of Shambhala: Remembering Chögyam Trungpa
• Hart, S. L. & Legerstee, M. (Eds.) "Handbook of Jealousy: Theory, Research, and Multidisciplinary Approaches" . Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
• Pistole, M., Roberts, A., & Mosko, J. E. (2010). Commitment Predictors: Long-Distance Versus Geographically Close Relationships. Journal of Counseling & Development, 88(2), 146. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
• Levy, Kenneth N., Kelly, Kristen M Feb 2010; Sex Differences in Jealousy: A Contribution From Attachment Theory Psychological Science, vol. 21: pp. 168–173
• Green, M. C., & Sabini, J. (2006). Gender, socioeconomic status, age, and jealousy: Emotional responses to infidelity in a national sample. Emotion, 6(2), 330-334. doi:10.1037/1528-3542.6.2.330
• RAUER, A. J., & VOLLING, B. L. (2007). Differential parenting and sibling jealousy: Developmental correlates of young adults’ romantic relationships. Personal Relationships, 14(4), 495-511. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2007.00168.x
• Pistole, M., Roberts, A., & Mosko, J. E. (2010). Commitment Predictors: Long-Distance Versus Geographically Close Relationships. Journal of Counseling & Development, 88(2), 146. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
• Tagler, M. J. (2010). Sex differences in jealousy: Comparing the influence of previous infidelity among college students and adults. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 1, 353-360. doi:10.1177/1948550610374367
• Tagler, M. J., & Gentry, R. H. (2011). Gender, jealousy, and attachment: A (more) thorough examination across measures and samples. Journal of Research in Personality, 45, 697-701. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2011.08.006

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jealousy

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jealousy

Look up jealousy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• BBC: Jealousy
• The Buddhist Archives of Dr. Alexander Berzin: Dealing with Jealousy (March 2004)
•  "Jealousy". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911. 

v t e Emotions (list) Emotions Adoration Affection Agony Awe Amusement Anger Anguish Annoyance Anxiety Arousal Attraction Caring Compassion Contempt Contentment Defeat Dejection Depression Desire Despair Disappointment Disgust Ecstasy Embarrassment Empathy Enthrallment Enthusiasm Envy Euphoria Excitement Fear Frustration Grief Guilt Happiness Hatred Homesickness Hope Horror Hostility Humiliation Hysteria Infatuation Insecurity Insult Interest Irritation Isolation Jealousy Loneliness Longing Love Lust Melancholy Neglect Optimism Panic Passion Pity Pleasure Pride Rage Regret Rejection Remorse Resentment Sadness Sentimentality Shame Shock Sorrow Spite Suffering Surprise Sympathy Tenseness Thrill Revenge Wonder Worry Diligence Zest Worldviews Compatibilism Existentialism Fatalism Incompatibilism Metaphysics Nihilism Optimism Pessimism Reclusion Social justice Weltschmerz Source: Parrott, W. (2001), Emotions in Social Psychology, Psychology Press, Philadelphia.

William Robert "Will" Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor^[1] who came to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise. His debut single, "Anything is Possible", was released two weeks after the show's finale and became the fastest-selling debut single in the United Kingdom.

As a teenager, Young studied politics at the University of Exeter before moving to London, where he pursued a musical theatre degree at the Arts Educational School. Although enrolled in a three-year programme, Young put his studies on hold in late 2001 to become a contestant on Pop Idol. After winning the competition the following year, he released his debut album From Now On (2002) which went to straight to number one. Friday's Child (2003) followed one year later and enjoyed greater popularity, eventually going platinum five times in the UK and spawning three top five singles. Achieving similar success, the album's successors include the multi-platinum Keep On (2005) and platinum Let It Go (2008) with his most recent release Echoes (2011) becoming his third UK number-one album.

In addition to his string of platinum-selling albums, Young has embarked on numerous tours, acted on film, stage and television, participated in philanthropy and authored the two books Anything is Possible (2002) and On Camera, Off Duty (2004). Established in the music industry, his albums have spawned many songs that have accomplished top ten positions in the UK: four of which went to the number one spot. His success as a singer has been proved by his accumulation of multiple awards, including 2 BRIT Awards from 12 nominations, and the estimated worldwide sale of over eight million albums.^[2] Young's net worth was estimated at £13,5 million in April 2012.^[3]

Early life[link]

Young was born in Wokingham, Berkshire, with a fraternal twin, Rupert Maxwell Young. He also has an elder sister Emma. He had a pleasant childhood and has often spoken about his happy memories of this time. Young was educated at three independent schools: Horris Hill School near the village of Newtown in Berkshire and from the age of thirteen, at Wellington College in Crowthorne, also in Berkshire, and at D'Overbroeck's College in Oxford.^[1] He then studied at the University of Exeter in Exeter, Devon, where he read Politics and graduated with a 2:2 honours degree. In September 2001, he became a student at the Arts Educational Schools in Chiswick, London, starting a three-year course in musical theatre with a scholarship.^{[citation needed]}

Music career[link]

[edit] Pop Idol and touring (2001–02)

In February 2002, Young came to national prominence by winning the ITV television programme contest Pop Idol. Contrary to press claims of being the underdog, after having beaten the widely accepted front-runner Gareth Gates in the final show, it emerged that Young had in fact gained the most votes in six out of the nine rounds of public voting. This was published in the Pop Idol book, which was released shortly after the programme.

In early 2002, Young joined his fellow Pop Idol contestants in a nationwide arena tour. The final concert at Wembley was in aid of the Prince's Trust, of which Young is an ambassador, together with Gareth Gates and Darius Danesh, the runner-up and third-placed contestant in Pop Idol. In June 2002, Young performed at the Queen's Jubilee Concert in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, singing "We Are the Champions" with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor.^[4]

During July 2002, Young sang at two concerts with the renowned songwriter Burt Bacharach at Hammersmith Apollo and at the Liverpool Summerpops event. In August 2002, he performed at the closing ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, singing "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" in the pouring rain. He was praised by the announcer, Grandmaster Flash, who said that it was not easy entering a talent show. November 2002 brought an appearance at the Royal Command Performance.^[5] In November 2003, Young performed the wartime song "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square", accompanied by the Squadronaires, at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The songs Young sang on Pop Idol were:

From Now On (2002–05)[link]

Young's first single was a double A-side featuring Westlife's song "Evergreen" and "Anything Is Possible", a new song written for the winner of the show by Chris Braide and Cathy Dennis. In March 2002, this became the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history, selling 403,027 copies on its day of release (1,108,659 copies in its first week). It went on to sell over 1.7 million copies, and on the official list of the all-time best-selling singles in the UK issued later that year, it was ranked eleventh. In 2008, Official Charts Company released the Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles of the 21st century (so far) in which Will's version of Evergreen topped the chart.^[6] On 31 December 2009, Radio 1 confirmed that "Anything Is Possible"/"Evergreen" was the biggest selling single of the 2000s decade in the United Kingdom.This was again confirmed on 7 May 2012 when Radio 1 played a countdown of the top-selling 150 songs of the millenium so far. ^[6] "Anything is possible" won an Ivor Novello Award for Bestselling Song of 2002.

In October 2002, Young released his debut album, From Now On, which included "Evergreen" nominated in the Best single category in 2003 at the BRIT Awards and "Anything Is Possible". It produced three singles: "Light My Fire", "The Long and Winding Road" (a duet with Gareth Gates, released as a double A-side with Gates's song "Suspicious Minds") and "Don't Let Me Down"/"You and I" (released in aid of Children in Need). He won his first BRIT Award in February 2003 as Best Breakthrough Artist.^[7]

[edit] Friday's Child and Keep On (2003–06)

Young's second album, Friday's Child, was released in December 2003. It features the singles "Leave Right Now", nominated in the Best British single category of the past 25 years at the 2005 BRIT Awards and winner of the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 2004, "Your Game" (which won Young his second BRIT Award in 2005)^[8] and "Friday's Child" In November 2005, Young released his third album, Keep On, which included the single "All Time Love", nominated in the Best British Single category at the 2007 BRIT Awards. Other singles from the album were "Switch It On" and "Who Am I".

Young at Guilfest in 2009

In May 2006, he sang at the Prince's Trust 30th Birthday, which took place at the Tower of London.^[9] From 12 September until 2 October 2006, Young toured the UK with his Keep On Live tour, which included the songs taken from his album Keep On and a selection of past songs. The official merchandise range for the tour, highlighted by the press, included a "tip and strip" pen which, when turned over, reveals Young in his underpants. In October 2006, Young sang at Nitin Sawhney's concert in the BBC Electric Proms series of concerts. He followed this by performing in South Africa for Nelson Mandela's Unite of the Stars charity concerts.^[10]

In July 2007, he appeared at the Concert for Diana at the new Wembley Stadium. Young was the headline act at the Proms in the Park,^[11] which took place in Hyde Park in September 2007 as part of the Last Night of the Proms. In September 2007, Young performed at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club with the Vanguard Big Band. Young took part in the Little Noise Sessions, a series of intimate, acoustic gigs for the learning disability charity, Mencap. He performed in November 2007 with special guests at Islington's Union Chapel.

[edit] Let It Go and Greatest Hits (2008–10)

On 29 September 2008, Young's fourth album, Let It Go, was released. It peaked at Nº2 in the album charts, having been preceded by the single "Changes", which was released on 15 September and peaked at Nº10 in the UK Singles Chart. His next single "Grace" was released on 1 December 2008, and peaked at Nº33 on the UK Singles Chart.^[12] The third single taken from the album, "Let It Go", was released on 2 March 2009 in the UK, and peaked at Nº58 on the UK Singles Chart.^[13][14] The fourth and final single, "Tell Me the Worst", was released in the UK only, on 5 July 2009. It served as a club promo, and featured some Fred Falke remixes.^[15]

Young performing at Guilfest in 2009

In April 2008, Young again appeared at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club with the Vanguard Big Band. Young is to perform at various festivals during mid 2008, including Glastonbury, T In the Park^[16] in Scotland and Bestival^[17] on the Isle of Wight.

On 24 August 2008 Young appeared at the Olympic Party which took place in the Mall, London. He performed his latest single Changes and I Can See Clearly Now, which was originally sung by Johnny Nash.^[18] On an interview with Digital Spy, Will Young revealed that he was working on a Dance-Pop album, which might be released in late 2009. He also confirmed that he was working with British duo Groove Armada, Superbass, who remixed his UK Top 10 single "Changes", and Gregg Alexander, who has previously worked with British pop singers Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Geri Halliwell. He also confirmed that he is working on an album covering songs by Noël Coward, which is as yet in its very early stages and he "doesn't know if it will end up".^[19] Young performed in a sell-out theatre tour, commencing on 16 November 2008 and continuing until 13 December 2008 with two dates at the Roundhouse in Camden, London.

Young was the featured singer on the X-Factor programme on ITV1 on Saturday 1 November 2008. He also mentored the remaining contestants.^[20] On 31 December 2008 Young was featured as a guest on Elton John's Live New Year show at the O2 Arena in London. He joined Sir Elton in the song Daniel. Young was one of the performers at the BBC's "Live at Blackpool" programme on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday 5 September 2009.^[21]

Young's greatest hits collection was released on 16 November 2009. It included two brand new songs, one of them the single "Hopes & Fears". The album was a success on the charts, being certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.^[22] In 2010 Will Young collaborated with Groove Armada on their album Black Light, singing vocals on the track 'History'. As part of his 2010 outdoor summer tour, it was announced that he would be a special guest and play on the Queen's Sandringham Estate, Sandringham in Norfolk.^[23] Pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor was his supporting act for his 2010 tour.^[24]

Recently his 2003 song "Leave Right Now" has been featured on American Idol as the "departing song".^[25] He also performed live on the programme on 25 May 2010. Young gave his first U.S. concert on 26 May at West Hollywood's Ultra Suede nightclub.^[26] He was also featured on the cover of the U.S. magazine Instinct.^[27]

[edit] Echoes (2011–present)

In early 2011, Will tweeted teaser clips of tracks from his new album, 'Echoes', which was subsequently released on 22 August 2011 and entered the UK Album charts at No. 1 on 29 August 2011 making it Youngs first number one album since "Friday's Child" in 2003. The first single is called 'Jealousy', and premiered on BBC Radio 2, between 9.00am-12noon, Monday 11 July 2011, as confirmed on Will's Facebook page. The single was released on 21 August 2011, preceding the album by 1 day with the single peaking at No.5. "A Night With...Will Young" was aired two days before the release of Echoes on ITV1 presented by Kate Thornton charting all of Young's greatest hits plus performing a few new tracks from the album. Young appeared on the third episode of the Jonathan Ross Show performing a track from Echoes to further promote the album. Will has announced a brand new 23 date UK tour including 2 nights at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire.

Other ventures[link]

Acting career[link]

Young added acting to his repertoire when he accepted a role in the BBC film Mrs. Henderson Presents,^[28] starring Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins, in which he played Bertie. The film was released in the UK in November 2005 to excellent reviews—not least for Young's performance as both actor and singer in the film. The scene, in which Young appears naked, postdated his "absolutely thrilled" acceptance of the British male Rear of the Year Award 2005, an accolade to add to the Most Stylish Male Music Star, Best Bod, Sexiest Star, Best Dressed and Best Hair awards he had already won.

Young trod the boards in the Royal Exchange Theatre's production of The Vortex by Noël Coward. This production ran from January to March 2007 and Young played the leading role of Nicky Lancaster. Critics, including Nicholas de Jongh, were very positive.^[29]

In October 2007 Young narrated an audio version of the Roald Dahl novel Danny, the Champion of the World.

Young also appeared in the Marple drama The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side and guest starred in an episode of Skins in 2010.^[30][31]

In 2011, he starred in a new drama series on Sky Living called Bedlam, about supernatural happenings taking place at a disused asylum being converted into loft-style apartments. The £3 million six-part series began airing on 7 February 2011. It was distributed by BBC Worldwide.^[32]

In November 2004, Young presented a documentary entitled Runaways^[33] as part of the Children in Need campaign, highlighting the problems facing distressed teens who run away from home, and the plight they were in being picked up off the streets and railway stations by pimps who offered them work and drugs. The children did not know where to go for immediate help unless they were picked up by the police and sent to a refuge centre.

During June 2007 a series of documentaries entitled Saving Planet Earth was shown on BBC Television. Young filmed an episode about saving the gorillas of West Africa during his visit to Africa earlier in the year.

In March 2009, ITV1 arts programme, The South Bank Show presented an hour long fly on the wall documentary about Young that they had been filming over the course of the year as he returned to promote the Let It Go album. It showed him in Iceland filming the video for the Let It Go single, backstage before his performance on The X Factor and on his UK theatre tour from November 2008 amongst other segments.^[34]

Young has been made a "Companion" of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.^[35]

Young was a guest on Top Gear during season 12 episode 2 and was the fastest wet lap around the track in the Chevrolet Lacetti.

Young is making a documentary about Ralph Fiennes production of Shakespeare's Coriolanus which is being filmed in Serbia. He also has a small role in the film as well as being Executive Producer.^[25]

In August 2011, ITV based an hour-long programme on Young, entitled "A Night with Will Young". This was to promote the release of his most recent album, Echoes.

31 October 2011, Will was the guest host of Never Mind The Buzzcocks.

Other work[link]

On 27 October 2008, Young spoke on Celebrity at the Oxford Union, where he showed an interest in forming a band named 'Will Young and the Credit Crunchers'.^[36] he was invited to appear on Question Time after he revealed he was a fan of the show.^[37] He participated in the edition from Dunstable, Bedfordshire, in February 2009 and March 2012^[37]

Young supports the charity Women's Aid, about which he wrote: "I am proud to put my name beside this cause, and hope that I might be able to help more people affected by the terrors of domestic violence, as well as help to create a wider awareness within our society."^[38]

Young also supports Mencap—about which he wrote, "I'm very much in this for the long term, and I'd like to help continue to break down peoples' misconceptions and prejudices"—, The Children's Society Safe and Sound Campaign, and Positive Action Southwest (PASW),^[39] for which he performed at his first solo concert, in July 2003, at Killerton House, Exeter.

Young has been an ambassador for the Prince's Trust since 2002, and performed at the 30th anniversary concert in the grounds of the Tower of London.

Together with Dame Helen Mirren, Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman, Young appeared in a series of advertisements during the Christmas period 2007 for Oxfam; "Oxfam Unwrapped".

Young is the ambassador for Mood Foundation, a charity which aims to build a database of private therapists and alternative therapies to treat various types of depressive conditions. It was set up by Young's twin brother Rupert Young.^[40]

Young is an ambassador for Catch22,^[41] a UK young people's charity, which supports young people in tough situations. The young people may come from tough upbringings or districts, where poverty, crime and unemployment are common features. They may be leaving care, truanting, or have been excluded from school. Some of them have started getting into trouble with the police or may have got as far as custody.^[42] In April 2011 Young ran the London Marathon for Catch22.^[43]

Personal life[link]

In March 2002, Young revealed that he is gay, pre-empting a tabloid newspaper that was preparing to out him. He also stated that he had never hidden and was comfortable with his sexuality.^[44][45]

Discography[link]

• From Now On (2002)
• Friday's Child (2003)
• Keep On (2005)
• Let It Go (2008)
• Echoes (2011)

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Will Young discography at Discogs.
• Will Young at the Internet Movie Database.
• Will Young Tour Review on the Daily Music Guide, 6 November 2008.
• Interview with Will Young on the Daily Music Guide, 8 November 2008.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Will Young

Martin Laurent Picandet (French pronunciation: [maʁtɛ̃ pikɑ̃dɛ]) (born 22 September 1976), better known under his stage name Martin Solveig, is a French electronic music DJ and producer from Paris. He also hosts a weekly radio show called "C'est La Vie" on stations worldwide including FG DJ Radio in his homeland. His label is called Mixture Stereophonic. Martin Solveig had been ranked 29^th in the 2011 DJ Mag Top 100 DJs popularity poll.^[1] He has collaborated with Dragonette, Kele of Bloc Party, and Madonna.

History[link]

As a child, Martin Solveig joined the choir of the Petits Chanteurs de Sainte-Croix de Neuilly,^[2] where he had a classical music training and became soprano soloist under the direction of François Polgár. At the age of 18, he became a DJ and then started to work in famous Parisian nightclubs : L'Enfer, Le Queen, Les Bains Douches.

Solveig chose his pseudonym as an homage to the French actress Solveig Dommartin.^[3]

In 2011, Solveig was officially named as one of the producers for Madonna's new studio album, MDNA.^[4]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Compilations[link]

Singles[link]

"Hello" became Martin Solveig's breakthrough song in the world, used in a Trident Gum commercial in 2011. The song earned popularity and eventually became his first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 43. The song also reached number one on dance charts around the world as well as on the Dutch Top 40.

Other singles[link]

Notes:

• ^A - Solveig was credited as Africanism.

References[link]

External links[link]

• TwistedHouse.com Martin Solveig Interview
• Martin Solveig Interview (Ibiza,Spain)2006
• Martin Solveig biography
• Top 40 charts record for Martin Solveig
• Martin Solveig İstanbul

Frankie Miller (born Francis John Miller, 2 November 1949, Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish rock singer-songwriter,^[1] who had his biggest success in the 1970s. Miller was raised at Colvend Street, Glasgow with his parents, Cathy and Frank, and elder sisters Letty and Anne. Miller attended Sacred Heart Primary school.^[2] He was an altar boy in Sacred Heart Chapel. He also played football for the school team and Harmony Row Boys Club, his love of football probably inherited from his maternal grandfather Archie Kyle who was one of the first Catholic football players signed to Glasgow Rangers FC.

Miller wrote for and performed with many recording artists and is best known for his album Full House, the single "Darlin’ " and his duet on "Still in Love with You", with Phil Lynott. In an article published in Rolling Stone magazine in 1978 Bob Seger remarked that Miller "was a huge influence" on him.

Career[link]

Early days[link]

He first became aware of rock and R&B through his mother’s record collection. She had a fondness for Ray Charles while his sisters introduced him to Little Richard and Elvis Presley. He identified instinctively with Little Richard’s flamboyant aggression, once saying "The music was alive, exciting, I loved it. I realised later that I could get my own aggression out through music. R&B and Soul Music, I just knew was what I really loved". He started writing songs at the age of nine after being given a guitar by his parents and wrote "I Can't Change It" when he was twelve years old, this song was later recorded by Ray Charles. Whilst still at school Miller began singing with The Deljacks, West Farm Cottage and then a soul outfit called Sock It To 'Em JB which featured good friend Jimmy Dewar

1964-1972[link]

Miller began singing professionally as a teenager with a Glasgow band called The Stoics.^[3] In mid 1971, he moved to London to further his career.^[4] In 1971, he joined forces with the guitarist Robin Trower, who had just left Procol Harum and was looking to put together a new band. Miller introduced fellow Glaswegian bassist and vocalist James Dewar to Trower and the three of them, along with ex Jethro Tull drummer Clive Bunker, formed Jude in July 1971, but despite significant coverage in the British music press, they broke up in April 1972 without recording an album.^[4] The Miller and Trower composition "I Can't Wait Much Longer" later appeared on Trower's first solo album Twice Removed from Yesterday.

1972-1974[link]

Later in 1972, Miller signed a solo recording contract with Chrysalis Records, and recorded his first LP Once in a Blue Moon,^[5] with record producer Dave Robinson. The album was an early example of pub rock, and featured backing by the pub rock band Brinsley Schwarz.^[4] Miller received consistently good reviews, although his singles and albums were not chart hits, Chrysalis continued to invest in his talent. In 1974 Miller sang "Still in Love with You",^[6] as a duet with Phil Lynott; the song appeared on the Thin Lizzy album, Nightlife. Miller's second album High Life, was written and produced by Allen Toussaint and recorded in Atlanta, Georgia during 1974.^[7] Although two album tracks, "Shoorah Shoorah" and "Play Something Sweet", subsequently provided hits for Betty Wright and Three Dog Night respectively, the album was not a commercial success.^[4]

1975-1978[link]

Miller's next album The Rock (1975) was recorded in San Francisco using the producer Elliot Mazer, who had co-produced Harvest for Neil Young. The next album Full House (1977),^[8] was produced by Chris Thomas. The lead off track "Be Good To Yourself" became Miller's first UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #27 in the UK Singles Chart during June that year.^[4] In 1978 Miller hit the UK Top 10 with the song "Darlin’ ", which peaked at #6 on 14 October 1978.^[4] "Darlin’ " also made the Billboard "Bubbling Under" chart in the US, peaking at #103. The next single penned by Miller "When I'm Away From You" rose to #42 in UK, but failed to chart in US.^[4] A few years later, the song became a US Country #1 hit for The Bellamy Brothers.

Song writing and further recognition[link]

After the release of Standing on the Edge, which was produced by Barry Beckett, recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, in Alabama and released on Capitol Records, Miller concentrated on songwriting.^[4] The Bellamy Brothers follow up, co-written with Miller, titled "Forget About Me", peaked at #5 in the US country chart. Miller's songs have earned him many songwriting awards and have been covered by artistes such as Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Rod Stewart, The Bellamy Brothers, Kim Carnes, Waylon Jennings, Bob Seger, Bonnie Tyler, Roy Orbison, Etta James, Joe Cocker, Joe Walsh and The Eagles.

Chart success and Clint Black[link]

After a long absence from the charts, Miller scored a hit in his native Scotland with the track "Caledonia" (1992) written by fellow Scotsman, Dougie MacLean. The same year he also co-wrote the award-winning song, "Burn One Down", with Clint Black, which reached #4 in the US chart.

Film music and acting[link]

During 1979 Miller wrote the opening and closing songs on the film A Sense of Freedom, as well as performing on them. He diversified into acting. During 1979 Miller starred in Peter McDougall's TV film, Just a Boys' Game, directed by John Mackenzie.^[4] Further to this success he was offered further acting roles but declined, in order to focus on songwriting.

In 1983 Miller sang the closing track, "Blue Skies Forever", on the Tom Cruise movie All The Right Moves. "Danger Danger" penned by Miller features in the 1985 movie "Thunder Alley" performed by Leif Garrett. In 1986 Miller wrote and sang the opening and closing songs in Act of Vengeance, which starred Charles Bronson, and his song "It's All Coming Down Tonight" sung by Joan Jett and Michael J. Fox, appeared on the 1987 film Light of Day. "I'd Lie To You For Your Love" written by Miller and Jeff Barry, and performed by Sally Kellerman, appeared in the You Can't Hurry Love film in 1988. "The Boys & The Girls Are Doing It", sung by Vital Signs and written by Miller and Barry, appeared in the 1989 film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Miller wrote and performed "Where Do The Guilty Go" for the film Ad Fundum in 1993. Miller's version of "Danger Danger" appeared in the 2002 film, Super Sucker.

Miller's song "I Can't Change It" was on the UK TV drama series Cracker and Life on Mars plus the accompanying soundtrack album. "Guilty Of The Crime", which Miller wrote with the late Jerry Lynn Williams, featured on the television show RoboCop: The Series, and was later recorded by The Eagles on their album Long Road Out Of Eden. "Sending Me Angels" penned by Miller and Jerry Lynn Williams appeared several times in an episode of The Defenders, in which Jim Belushi closes the show performing the song on a grand piano.

"After All (I Live My Life)", which was co-written by Miller/Doris and performed by Miller , appears as the closing song in the Johnny Depp movie, The Rum Diary (2011).

Illness and recovery[link]

Miller suffered a brain haemorrhage in New York on 25 August 1994, while writing material for a new band he and Joe Walsh of The Eagles had formed with Nicky Hopkins and Ian Wallace. Miller spent five months in a coma, after which he went through rehabilitation. The BBC Television documentary Stubborn Kinda Fella (1999), featured Miller and his battle to recover. In this documentary, Rod Stewart stated that Miller "was the only white singer to have brought a tear to his eye." In 1998, Miller's collaboration with Will Jennings, "The Sun Goes Up the Sun Comes Down", was performed by Bonnie Tyler, Paul Carrack and Jools Holland at a charity concert for the disabled held in Edinburgh.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Once in a Blue Moon (January 1973)
• High Life (January 1974)
• The Rock (September 1975)
• Full House (June 1977)
• Double Trouble (April 1978)
• Falling In Love (January 1979) (issued in the US as A Perfect Fit) - UK #54
• Easy Money (July 1980)
• Standing on the Edge (June 1982)
• Dancing in the Rain (April 1986)
• The Very Best of Frankie Miller (March 1994)
• BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert (April 1994)
• Long Way Home (2006)^[4][9]
• Frankie Miller That's Who (boxset) (May 2011)

Chart singles[link]

• "Be Good To Yourself" (May 1977) - UK #27
• "Darlin’ " (October 1978) - UK #6
• "When I'm Away from You" (January 1979) - UK #42
• "Caledonia" (March 1992) - UK #45^[9]

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Encyclopedia of Rock. Hardy, Phil and Laing, Dave. Schirmer Books (1988). ISBN 0-02-919562-4

External links[link]

• "Frankie Miller". FrankieMiller.net. http://www.frankiemiller.net. Retrieved 2009-02-25. 
• Diamond Dog. "Frankie Miller". Glasgow-Barrowland.net. http://www.glasgow-barrowland.com/stories/frankie_miller.html. Retrieved 2009-02-25. 
• First Foot. "Frankie Miller". FirstFoot.com. http://www.firstfoot.com/good%20scottish%20pop/frankiemiller.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-25. ^{[dead link]}
• Steve Huey. "Frankie Miller". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p199564. Retrieved 2009-02-25. 

Marina and the Diamonds
Marina and the Diamonds performing in Edinburgh on 2 November 2010
Background information
Birth name	Marina Lambrini Diamandis
Born	(1985-10-10) 10 October 1985 (age 26) Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales
Genres	indie pop, pop, New Wave, electropop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician poet,
Instruments	Vocals, keyboard, piano, glockenspiel, casio VL-tone, organ
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Neon Gold, 679, Chop Shop
Website	marinaandthediamonds.com

Marina Lambrini Diamandis^[1] (Greek: Μαρίνα-Λαμπρινή Διαμάντη, pronounced [ðʝaˈmadi];^[2] born 10 October 1985), better known by her stage name Marina and the Diamonds (sometimes stylised as Marina & the Diamonds), is a Welsh singer-songwriter.^[3][4] She rose to fame after reaching number two on the BBC Sound of 2010 poll list, coming second to Ellie Goulding. After releasing one private EP, Diamandis released her second extended play, The Crown Jewels EP, with help from Neon Gold Records, in 2009.^[5] Now signed to 679 Recordings, she released her debut full length studio album, The Family Jewels, followed by her third extended play, The American Jewels EP, in 2010. In 2011, Diamandis announced that she was working on her second album, Electra Heart, which was released in April 2012 and went to #1 in the UK and Ireland.

Her stage name, "Marina and the Diamonds", consists of Diamandis' first name and the translation of her surname which means "Diamonds" in Greek. Although "The Diamonds" is often mistakenly believed to refer to her backing band,^[6] it in fact refers to Diamandis' fans: she explains this on her Myspace page by saying "I'm Marina. You are the diamonds."^[7]

Diamandis' musical style ranges from keyboard-based ballads to more up-tempo New Wave-style songs with full band backing.^[4] She has cited a wide-range of influences such as Daniel Johnston, Blondie, The Distillers, Patti Smith, Tom Waits, Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Kate Bush, Britney Spears, Yann Tiersen, Elliott Smith, Dolly Parton and Madonna.^[8][9]

Background[link]

Diamandis was born in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales. Her father is Greek and her mother is Welsh,^[10] and brought up in the village of Pandy with her parents and her older sister.^[11] She attended Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls, of which she said "I sort of found my talent there... I was the one who always skived off choir, but I had an incredible music teacher who managed to convince me I could do anything."^[12] When her parents separated, Diamandis moved to Greece when she was sixteen years old to live with her father but returned to Wales two years later.^[11]

Diamandis moved to London at the age of eighteen where she attended dance school for only two months.^[6] Following this, in 2005 she took a one year singing course at Tech Music Schools.^{[citation needed]} Diamandis enrolled in a music degree at the University of East London, transferring in her second year of studies to Middlesex University, but later dropped out.^[13] She went for many auditions including the West End musical, The Lion King.^[14] Diamandis admitted that she auditioned for a reggae boy band, held by Virgin Records, in 2005 to try to make it into the music business. She said she was "delusional with drive" and ultimately decided to dress up in male attire to try to amuse the record label to sign her, but she was unsuccessful. However, she was called back by the record label a week later.^[15][16]

Diamandis has a synaesthetic condition that involves seeing musical notes and days of the week in different colours.^[17]

Musical career[link]

2005–2008: Early career[link]

Diamandis live at the NME Radar Tour

In 2005, Diamandis created the name "Marina and the Diamonds".^[18] When describing the origin of the name, she said:

I never envisaged a character, pop project, band or solo artist. I saw a simple group made up of many people who had the same hearts. A space for people with similar ideals who could not fit in to life's pre-made mould. I was terribly awkward for a long time! I really craved to be part of one thing because I never felt too connected to anybody and now I feel I have that all around me.^[18]

Early demos of Marina and the Diamonds' songs were self composed and produced on the Apple software application Garageband.^[14] Through Gumtree she found someone to produce a few tracks, for which she paid £500.^[19] These ended up on her debut extended play Mermaid Vs. Sailor EP which was released on 23 November 2007. The record was created on hand-made CD-Rs by Diamandis and sold through her MySpace page. An estimated seventy copies were sold overall.^[20]

In January 2008, Diamandis was first discovered by music scouter Derek Davies of Neon Gold Records. Davies booked Diamandis to open for Belgian-Australian singer Gotye later that year where Warner Music Group first saw her and ended up signing her in October 2008 to 679 Recordings.^[19]

Marina and the Diamonds performing at The Bell House in Brooklyn, New York.

Diamandis' debut single was a double a-side consisting of "Obsessions" and "Mowgli's Road" which was issued on Neon Gold Records in the United States on 19 November 2008, followed by her second extended play The Crown Jewels EP on 1 June 2009 featuring her second single "I Am Not a Robot".^[21] Her first major label single, a re-recording of "Mowgli's Road", was released on 13 November 2009 under 679 Recordings in the UK and through Atlantic Records in the USA. On 7 December 2009 she was listed on the longlist for the BBC Sound of 2010 poll,^[22] and on 7 January 2010 it was announced that she had taken second place.^[23]

[edit] 2009–2010: The Family Jewels

Marina and the Diamonds' debut album, The Family Jewels, was released in February 2010. It peaked at number five on the UK Albums Chart and was certified silver in the United Kingdom days before its release.^[24] A re-release of "Mowgli's Road" was released as the album's lead single in November 2009.^[25] However, the song "Hollywood" was released as the first major single from the album in February 2010.^[26] A re-release of "I Am Not a Robot" in April 2010 became the album's third single; Diamandis said she decided to re-release the song because "people seem to empathize and relate with the song, regardless of gender or age."^[27] "Oh No!" became the album's fourth single in August 2010,^[28] and "Shampain" became the fifth single in October 2010.^[29] She embarked on her first headlining tour on 14 February 2010, consisting of seventy dates around the United Kingdom, Ireland, mainland Europe, the United States and Canada.^[30]

Also during 2010, Diamandis collaborated with producer Benny Blanco and guitarist Dave Sitek in Los Angeles on new material which she described as "a really great opportunity for me as a songwriter. [We are] such a weird threesome—a combination of super pop and really indie".^[6]

In March 2010, Atlantic Records signed Marina and the Diamonds to Chop Shop Records in the United States.^[31][32] Before the album's American release in May 2010,^[33] Diamandis released her third extended play, The American Jewels EP, digitally and exclusively for the United States in March 2010.^[31][32] Diamandis made her North American debut on 14 March 2010 through a series of performances.^[34]

Marina and the Diamonds was nominated for Critics' Choice at the 2010 BRIT Awards^[35] and came fifth in SHREDnews' "Ten Artists To Watch in 2010" list in March 2010.^[36] She also won the award for Best UK & Ireland Act at the 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards.^[37]

[edit] 2011–present: Electra Heart

In a January 2011 interview, Diamandis announced that her second album would mainly be about female sexuality and feminism.^{[citation needed]} The same month, Diamandis was announced as a support act for the U.S. leg of Katy Perry's California Dreams Tour.^[38] Three early demos were leaked in early 2011, called "Sex, Yeah", "Living Dead" and "Jealousy", each showing a more pop sound.^[39] Diamandis recorded material with producers Cirkut, Guy Sigsworth, Labrinth, Greg Kurstin, Diplo, Dr. Luke, Stargate and Liam Howe.

In August 2011, Diamandis uploaded a video to her YouTube page titled "Part 1: Fear and Loathing". In an interview with Popjustice, she explained the concept of the album, titled Electra Heart after a character of her creation; she said the guise "epitomises and embodies the lies, illusions and death of American ideologies involved in the corruption of self [...] Electra Heart is the antithesis of everything that I stand for. And the point of introducing her and building a whole concept around her is that she stands for the corrupt side of American ideology, and basically that’s the corruption of yourself. My worst fear—that’s anyone’s worst fear—is losing myself and becoming a vacuous person. And that happens a lot when you’re very ambitious."^[40] The campaign's first single, "Radioactive" produced by Stargate, was released in October 2011 (reaching number twenty-five in the UK),^[41] followed by a demo of the song "Starring Role" in November^[42] and a video titled ♡ PART 3: "THE ARCHETYPES" ♡ in December.^[43] A track titled "Homewrecker" was issued as a free download to her mailing list subscribers.^[44]

Electra Heart was released in April 2012,^[45] preceded by the single "Primadonna" produced by Dr Luke, Diplo and Cirkut.^[46][47] "Primadonna" debuted at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Diamandis' highest peaking single to date. "Power and Control" has been announced officially as the next single from the album.^[48]

Artistry[link]

Music style and influences[link]

Marina and the Diamonds performing on The Gem Tour in Birmingham, UK.

Marina and the Diamonds has been influenced by a wide-range of musicians from PJ Harvey to Britney Spears.^[8] Diamandis has also noted Daniel Johnston as one of her major influences saying:

He really opened me up to a whole new world of music and a whole new perception of what an artist is. For me, he really encouraged me because if you think of someone who has been spoon-fed pop, up until twenty-one years old, and you hear someone like Daniel Johnston you're like "God, this is terrible, but I love it." It sounds like a child has made it, like, the production is so all over the place. He's obviously got something very captivating here yet he doesn't fit the normal mould and people still love him. I thought "if he can do it then [so can I]," that's when I started to produce things myself and play live, even though I wasn't even great on the piano. It's all about emotion and if you have heart, people connect to that.^[49]

Diamandis calls herself a "DIY musician"^[49] and describes her sound as an alternative to mainstream pop music.^[8] In an interview with ClashMusic Diamandis said that she does not come from a musical background and explained "I probably have a bit of a different sound because I don’t really know what I’m doing".^[50] Lyrically, she says her music analyzes people and that if she wasn't a musician, she would be a psychologist.^[51]

Critics usually catalogue Marina and the Diamonds as a New Wave pop artist. In an interview with The Guardian she said, "I suppose I'm an indie artist with pop goals".^[9] Although Diamandis has asserted that she never tries to sound like any other artist or copy a genre of music, she has been compared to a variety of artists such as Kate Bush^[50] and most commonly Florence and the Machine.^[52] PopMatters commented on her vocal delivery and attitude saying it "has a tendency to overshadow the music, which is often melodically inventive, but we are rarely given the chance to realise this."^[53] The Guardian's Paul Lester wrote that "her songs are hard to fathom. They veer between simple keyboards-based ballads and more upbeat and catchy, quirky new wave-inflected numbers enhanced by percussion, guitar and drums."^[4]

Public image[link]

As well as her music, Marina and the Diamonds is also notable for her unique attire.^[54] When asked in an interview to describe her fashion style in three words, Diamandis said "vintage, cheerleader and cartoon".^[55] You can see an element of this style in the video for 'Oh No!' which was released in June 2010. She has praised model/DJ Leigh Lezark's fashion style and called Gwen Stefani her definitive style icon describing her image as "cartoonized but in a very fresh way".^[55] Diamandis has mentioned that she sometimes makes her own outfits with clothes she buys from charity shops.^[56] She also collects vintage cheer jackets.^[55] She has often been seen wearing clothes by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac,^[57] Laura Mackness,^[58] Beyond Retro,^[59] Motel Rocks,^[60] Jervoise Jackets^[61] amongst others. Diamandis has admitted that she would "like to do something in fashion, not designing, not one of those skanky celebrity lines, but being involved behind the scenes".^[11]

As part of Selfridges' "Sound of Music", Diamandis designed her own window display for the London Oxford Street branch in May 2010.^[62] She also appeared as a "live mannequin" for the display.^[63] Diamandis was featured on Vogue UK's official website throughout November 2010 for a popular sartorial section called "Today I'm Wearing", where she blogged her daily style choices for the fashion website.^[64] In December 2010, Diamandis announced on her Twitter that she would be the new face of the Max Factor make-up range Max Colour Effects.

Discography[link]

• 2010: The Family Jewels
• 2012: Electra Heart

Filmography[link]

• 2013: Homewrecker (Set to be released in Summer 2013)

Touring[link]

Marina and the Diamonds at The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, NJ

In 2009, Marina and the Diamonds played at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Swindon early in May 2009,^[3] Glastonbury Festival in June 2009,^[65] and the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2009.^[66]

In promotion for her album and "Hollywood", Diamandis performed at Brand New: 10 for 10 at London's Dingwalls,^[67] had an eleven minute 4Music special - 4Play: Marina and the Diamonds - on Channel 4,^[68] performed at T4's Outside-In Festival,^[69] New to Q Sessions^[70] in January 2010, was a musical guest on GMTV, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, The Review Show in February 2010^[71] and Later... with Jools Holland and T4's Frock Me! in April 2010. She performed at the Isle of Wight Festival 2010 and Glastonbury Festival 2010 in June 2010 and is planned to appear at other music festivals across the United Kingdom, mainland Europe and North America.

Diamandis had already sold out the first leg of her first headlining tour, The Family Jewels Tour before the release of her debut album. Her entire tour currently consists of seventy dates across six legs around the United Kingdom, North America, Ireland and mainland Europe.^[30][72][73] Diamandis was accompanied by support acts Clock Opera and Alan Pownall for the first leg of her tour and Spark on The Gem Tour.^[74]

Headlining

• The Family Jewels Tour (2010 - 2011)
• Lonely Hearts Club Tour (2012)

Supporting

• California Dreams Tour (2011)
• Mylo Xyloto Tour (2011 - 2012)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]