MARINA IS READY TO 'ENJOY LIFE TO THE MAX'

The cult-favorite singer tells us about the playful pop and deeper introspection of her latest album

- By TOMÁS MIER

There's a bridal shower just a few tables away from Marina as she sips a berry smoothie in the sun-dappled courtyard of a Los Angeles hotel and tells me she's trying not to protect her heart quite so carefully these days.

"I've dove into my fear of love," says the singer, 39, who made her new album, Princess of Power, from the perspective of a superheroine whose greatest power is love. "It can sound trite, but I think the ability to love is so powerful and brave. It's a courageous thing, particularly if you've been hurt.... It can be really hard to reprogram yourself, and I think I've finally been able to do that."