Love + Fear
by MARINA
  • Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Apr 26, 2019
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 343 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 269 out of 343
  2. Mixed: 38 out of 343
  3. Negative: 36 out of 343
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  1. frootonator
    Jul 12, 2019
    6
    Girl, this is your failure. Glad for your mental recovery but lyrics sound with... lack of soul, creativity and risk. But actually I have to admit that the sound and production is nice unlike concept. To Be Human, Emotional Machine, Believe In Love - the strongest parts, unfortunately, can't compete with the weakest parts of FROOT. A step back... A huge step back.
  2. Wael
    May 1, 2019
    5
    After "FROOT", which was her most organic, cohesive and well-written and structured work of her career, Marina decided to drop her "diamonds" in the name and play it very safe. "LOVE + FEAR", which is broke down into two parts, feels like pop songs with no real identity to them for the most part. They all follow the same formula when it comes to composition, lyrics, and themes, so they allAfter "FROOT", which was her most organic, cohesive and well-written and structured work of her career, Marina decided to drop her "diamonds" in the name and play it very safe. "LOVE + FEAR", which is broke down into two parts, feels like pop songs with no real identity to them for the most part. They all follow the same formula when it comes to composition, lyrics, and themes, so they all short, and they even sound repetitive. The first half, "LOVE", sounds and feels better than the second, with songs like the magical 'Handmade Heaven', or the political magnificent highlight 'To Be Human'. However, the songs on "FEAR" feel repetitive, and to a certain extent, boring.

    It's a shame that someone as talented as Marina decided to be so traditional with such a promising concept of a record. For now, "FROOT" remains the most interesting, most notable entry in her catalog, and it seems like it'll be hard for her to top it off if she sticks to the formula she overplayed for "LOVE + FEAR".    … Expand
  3. viniciuspotlght
    Apr 29, 2019
    5
    She did what Katy Perry tried to do with Witness: let her pop persona go without falling, but, negatively, also without taking risks, wich I think she must have done with such a strong album title. It could be refined. Let's wait for Marina's next album without her diamonds.
  4. Joel_Freecheck
    May 29, 2020
    5
    Wallpaper pop music that is forgotten the minute it is heard. Pleasant to listen to intially though but the album is waterdown compared to Marina's previous projects.
  5. rosuxx
    Sep 23, 2019
    5
    decepção do ano. marina vem de uma discografia invejável, pra, infelizmente, fazer um material super genérico. dá pra tirar umas 6 músicas e o álbum continuaria cansativo
  6. spyretto
    Feb 24, 2020
    5
    Too many fillers on this slbum, she could have done better if she made a single LP out of her material, not two. However the new single About Love is a step in the write direction - and freakishly catchy.
  7. Fernivs
    Jan 22, 2020
    6
    Esperaba otra cosa de marina ,el álbum no es malo pero podría ser mejor por la espera
  8. voxluxangels
    May 30, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To Be Human is the highlight of the album. Some tracks working, but not so much with the others. More hoping that she explores her music like what she did with FROOT.… Expand
  9. potasioxd
    Sep 1, 2020
    6
    es aceptable, pero pudo ser mejor. marina pudo demostrar que sabe componer y escribir con su anterior álbum, y tuvo la oportunidad de explotar esa parte creativa en este álbum también, pero creo que los miles de escritores y compositores que este tuvo fue un obstáculo para eso. lo que me gusta del álbum es de los temas que trata, aún así las letras se sienten salidas de marina. mis canciónes aceptable, pero pudo ser mejor. marina pudo demostrar que sabe componer y escribir con su anterior álbum, y tuvo la oportunidad de explotar esa parte creativa en este álbum también, pero creo que los miles de escritores y compositores que este tuvo fue un obstáculo para eso. lo que me gusta del álbum es de los temas que trata, aún así las letras se sienten salidas de marina. mis canción favorita (y la mejor de todas) es to be human… Expand
  10. WaniasDiaz
    Oct 24, 2021
    5
    After her hiatus from the music industry, Marina Diamandis gets rid of her Diamonds and returns as MARINA with her highly anticipated fourth studio album, Love + Fear, which features generic pop production and lacklustre lyrics so predictable, you might as well call yourself a clairvoyant after getting through this album.
  11. jorsian
    Feb 17, 2023
    6
    In Love + Fear Marina seems to be rebranding herself. Quite literally, with a new stage name, and in the sense that the music on this record takes a completely different direction. Those who grew to adore Marina + The Diamonds fell in love with the quirky, experimental pop music she seemed to be able to craft effortlessly. On Love + Fear there is very little of that charm remaining, asIn Love + Fear Marina seems to be rebranding herself. Quite literally, with a new stage name, and in the sense that the music on this record takes a completely different direction. Those who grew to adore Marina + The Diamonds fell in love with the quirky, experimental pop music she seemed to be able to craft effortlessly. On Love + Fear there is very little of that charm remaining, as many of the tracks feel lackadaisical and muted in their expression. At many times it sounds like Marina is medicated or apathetic to the form her creations take here. The production sounds uninspired and attempting too hard to appeal to a mainstream demographic, which Marina herself was never apart of. It isn't quite clear why the album is named Love + Fear or which songs belong in which camp. There are moments of brilliance with "Handmade Heaven" and "To Be Human", but the bulk of the songs lack the qualities that made Marina popular to begin with. "Orange Trees" and "Baby" in particular are banal, radio-friendly pop music the likes of which can be found a dime a dozen by any other artist. It seems in abandoning some of her mystique Marina has delivered an album that does not live up to what came before.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Most Discussed Album of 2019
57
#57 Most Shared Album of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. musicOMH.com
    May 17, 2019
    60
    As ever with Diamandis, there’s some decent pop music here, but it seems like we’re still waiting for her to produce that genuine killer album, Diamonds or no Diamonds.
    Read full review
  2. Q Magazine
    May 14, 2019
    40
    There are suggestions of better directions not taken. [Jul 2019, p.113]
  3. AllMusic
    May 2, 2019
    80
    As the first offering of a new stage in her career, Love + Fear not only reveals its creator as newly hopeful, but it also gives hope that future efforts might be carved in a similar fashion. Marina's Electra heart still beats, it's just pumping smoother and with a confidence born from a renewed and mature perspective.
    Read full review
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