Radioactive (Marina and the Diamonds song)

Background and composition

Diamandis said of "Radioactive":

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. I have changed my approach to songwriting completely, and as a result, written songs I would never have written on my own (i.e on my shit Argos keyboard alone in my bedroom in London).

Musically, "Radioactive" is a Eurodance song with a minimalist club beat.

Critical reception

"Radioactive" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Digital Spy editor Robert Copsey gave the song four out of five stars and, regarding the song's "radio-friendly, synth-laden, and deeply hypnotic" chorus, wrote, "[B]efore we accuse her of bandwagon-hopping (it was produced by Rihanna and Katy Perry collaborators Stargate), we're certain it's all part of the irony, right?" Popjustice named it Song of the Day and commented, "What we like most about 'Radioactive' (and we like a LOT about 'Radioactive') is that it sounds quite a bit like loads of stuff that's in the charts, but proves that you don't have to act like a total fucking idiot singing shit about nothing in order to carry it off." Jim Hiscox of the Daily Star also gave the song a positive review, stating, "More straight-up dancefloor action than the Welsh wonder's previous quirks, Marina suddenly sounds a fully-fledged pop star."

In a review for MTV Buzzworthy, Bradley Stern opined that the song "may throb like one of Rihanna's latest club bangers, but the cutting, sinister lyricism and vocal acrobatics are strictly within her comfort zone, proving that (CHEESE ALERT!) this Diamond's just found more than one way to shine." Damien Ryan of So So Gay, rating the track four-and-a-half stars out of five, expressed it is "like nothing else we've heard from Marina, yet still manages to sound distinctly her". He continued, "The production on its own is hardly revolutionary, however; it's most likely just a left-over from Stargate's studio sessions with Rihanna. Though the duo are obviously running on auto-pilot, Marina's unique vocals save 'Radioactive' from Ibiza club hell and really help the track stand out from the rest of the pop charts." This Is Fake DIY's Gareth O'Malley scored "Radioactive" seven out of ten, concluding that "[t]his is a good pop song, yes, and an even better single, but she can definitely do better."

Commercial performance

"Radioactive" peaked at number 25 on the UK chart, and spent 3 weeks on the chart. In Ireland it peaked at number 37.

Music video

The music video for "Radioactive" was directed by Caspar Balslev, and is the second part of the Electra Heart music video series, following "Fear & Loathing" (also directed by Balslev). It was shot in Los Angeles and premiered on 22 August 2011. Prior to the video's premiere, Diamandis 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.

Diamandis 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.

The video centers around Diamandis and her male companion on the run. The first scenes show her packing a suitcase into a car, applying a white blonde wig and leaving the premises with her partner. Following this, the couple are shown trashing a house, arriving at a motel, purchasing food from a supermarket, whilst in disguise and sitting in a diner. The final scenes feature Diamandis dancing in the streets and the couple wandering in the desert. Diamandis removes her wig and proceeds to wander alone in the desert.

1. "Radioactive" – 3:46
2. "Radioactive" (Tom Staar Remix) – 5:20
3. "Radioactive" (Chuckie Big House Mix) – 6:00
4. "Radioactive" (How to Dress Well Remix)– 5:12
5. "Radioactive" (Captain Cuts Remix) – 4:06
6. "Radioactive" (Acoustic) – 3:30
7. "Radioactive" (Extended Edit) – 4:43