At the end of 2021, Marina Diamandis found herself at a crossroads. The Welsh musician, now based in Los Angeles, had just released her fifth album, fulfilling the contract she’d signed with Atlantic Records as a 21-year-old newcomer on London’s indie-pop scene. The past decade of nonstop recording, releasing, promoting, and touring had taken its toll, leaving her with lingering health issues. Finally able to pause, she took time off to focus on healing.

“I was immersing myself in music, media, and books that felt uplifting and positive. It’s hard to explain—it might not sound exciting,” Diamandis says from her LA home. “But when you’re trying to shift your inner world, you need to surround yourself with things that bring a different energy.”

The result of that reset? Her sixth album, Princess of Power, out today—a title reflecting her newfound freedom as an independent artist. Playful and bold, the record marks a vibrant comeback. The lead single, “Butterfly,” features a helium-high chorus, while tracks like “Rollercoaster” and “Final Boss” pulse with joy and defiance.

Here, Diamandis talks to Vogue about going independent, how the album reshaped her self-love, and the cheeky Salma Hayek tribute behind the standout track “Cuntissimo.”

Vogue: Good morning, Marina! Where are you today?
Marina: Honestly, just in bed in LA, propped up. I shot a video two days ago and I’m still recovering.

Was it an intense shoot?
It was—14 hours, really fun, but with a lot of dancing. There was even wire work, which I’d never done before.

How are you feeling two weeks before the album drops? Do you get nervous, or does it feel different this time?
I don’t really get jitters. More than anything, I’m excited—and curious to see how people react. This is definitely a pop record, but it’s varied compared to the singles so far. When I feel inspired, I hope others do too, but with art, you never know. Still, I feel ready to put it out there.

This is your first independent release. What led to that decision?
I’d been with Atlantic for five albums, and when those deals ended, I didn’t re-sign. That’s a privilege of being established—it’s tough to go independent early on. After a few years figuring out my direction, I partnered with BMG for just this record. So it’s not fully independent, but I have my own label and creative control, which is what matters. Usually, labels call the shots, but now I do.Here’s a more natural and fluent version of your text while keeping the original meaning intact:

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One of the biggest frustrations for many artists is wanting to make a certain type of video but then needing approval from 20 people just to get a budget. I don’t have to deal with that anymore, which is amazing.

Let’s go back to when you started writing this record. I read that you were coming out of a rough period with your health and that you began writing almost as a way to pull yourself out of it. Is that true?

It’s partly true, but by the time I started writing, things weren’t as turbulent anymore. I was finally out of the worst of it. I’d spent seven years dealing with chronic health issues that no one could figure out. Then, the summer before I began this album, I really focused on recovering and finding the root cause.

The first song I wrote was Everybody Knows I’m Sad—it’s euphoric but lyrically pretty bleak. As I wrote more, like Rollercoaster and Butterfly, I was listening to a lot of Kylie Minogue, ‘70s music, ABBA, and of course Madonna, who’s always been a huge influence. A big part of this album is about playfulness and rediscovering that side of myself. I hadn’t felt that way in so long.

Why did Butterfly feel like the right lead single? The metaphor speaks for itself, but with those wild vocals in the chorus, it felt like a bold choice.

Yeah, I don’t always make things easy for myself. [Laughs.] I know it’s a love-it-or-hate-it song, but I couldn’t imagine anything else coming first. I love a concept, and the way I unveiled it had to feel like a story to me.

I have to ask about Cuntissimo—just the title alone! Do you remember where that word came to you, and how the song developed?

I was in the studio alone, just writing, and I think the title came first. I was looking at photos of glamorous older women, which became the focus of the track—but in a fun, playful way. At 39, I’m obviously thinking about aging and how I want to step into this next chapter, especially as a public figure. Seeing powerful older women inspired me. One of the biggest lies we’re told as women is that we lose value as we age. By trying to stop the aging process, you miss out on the power that comes with not being young anymore.

Sophia Loren was a big inspiration, and Salma Hayek—she’s just incredible. As women in a patriarchal society, we need art—whether it’s music, films, or books—that boosts our confidence and empowerment. That’s what Cuntissimo is about.

I saw the video of Salma Hayek dancing to it and saying she loved it—that’s huge!

Oh my God, I literally cried when I saw that.

You mentioned playfulness, and your sense of humor really shines on this album. It was a big part of your early music but felt less present on the last two records. Why do you think it came back now?

Because I’m feeling alive and good again. As an artist, you go through different phases. My last album was made in 2020—completely different times, very political. I just hadn’t felt like myself in so long. Humor is a sign you’re thriving. If you’re playful, you’re not just surviving. And honestly, it wasn’t a conscious decision—I just followed my instincts.

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How I was feeling made me really happy.

The theme of power and how it expresses itself still feels very political. Do you think that became more prominent because you’re now an independent artist? Or were you just exploring different—often more feminine—ideas of what it means to be powerful?

I think it’s something I’ve been learning on my own journey. Especially in entertainment and celebrity culture, we’ve been sold this narrow idea of power. But after seeing so many men fall and their systems exposed, a lot of us realize now that power has often been about manipulation and control. It makes you question: What does true empowerment really look like?

One of the biggest themes of this record has been teaching myself what love actually is. I’ve never been great at protecting myself, and making this album helped me redefine love for myself. Even in everyday relationships, we often mistake attachment or security-seeking behavior for love—when it’s not. It’s hard to explain, but this realization has been a major inspiration over the last 18 months. Which is funny, because I haven’t been in a relationship during that time—I haven’t dated at all.

Another big theme is that expressing love shouldn’t be seen as weakness. Did those realizations shape the music in unexpected ways?

Absolutely. I’ve always struggled with the fear that showing love makes me vulnerable to being taken advantage of. That fear started young—definitely by my late teens, which was a really formative time for me. I’m still working through that, trying to clear away those old fears so I can love freely as myself. It’s been tough, but it naturally comes through in the music.

Tell me more about the visual world you created for the album.

While writing, I did something new—I’d come up with a song title and then make a full mood board before even writing the track. For songs like Rollercoaster and I <3 U, the mood boards were explosive with color, texture, and vibrancy. I’m not sure if that fully translated to the final product, but that was the core inspiration. The visuals had a vintage, throwback feel. My creative director, Bethany Vargas, has been amazing in shaping all of this.

Beyond the mood boards, I wanted to express femininity in a way that feels natural to me now. Even with the album cover, I knew early on I wanted a bare or partially clothed back—nothing else was decided yet, like the corset or ribbons. It’s sensual, but not in a way that caters to the male gaze. It’s about letting femininity and sensuality shine without being overtly sexual or shocking.

This is also about reclaiming parts of myself I’ve had to suppress to keep others comfortable. Coming from a conservative Greek background, I’ve felt that pressure to temper my sexual energy—but doing that throws off your internal balance. Sexual energy is… (thought trails off)

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This version keeps the original meaning while making the text more fluid and natural. Let me know if you’d like any further refinements!Our general health and happiness are so important, but history has really thrown things off balance. I’ve been working on healing some of that too.

Photo: Courtesy of Marina

Earlier, you mentioned having more control over budgeting—did that influence why the videos became a bigger focus this time?

Absolutely. For the last two albums, there wasn’t a creative director involved, and I think having that person on the team is crucial—they help tie everything together instead of leaving you to do it all alone. This time, I wanted the album to carry a certain energy, and while I wrote it with others in mind, the visuals were very much for me. Maybe it’s because I haven’t had a strong visual identity in a while, but I really wanted to create this beautiful world around the album—something I’d still love looking back on years later. And so far, it’s working.

How do you plan to celebrate when the album drops?

I’m just checking my schedule. I think I’m performing at Pride that day, then Governor’s Ball the next. Honestly, I’m not sure yet. I’ll probably just enjoy a nice martini with my team somewhere. But at some point that week, I do want to go all out—I just don’t know which night we can make it happen. We’ve got a lot going on, but we’ll figure it out.