Level by Level, Marina Turns Her Concert Into a Pixelated Pop Odyssey

Written by Rebecca Ackerman

September 15, 2025, Minneapolis, MN

Welcome to Marina’s (stylized in all caps) video game. You’re now all cordially invited to start the game and join as Marina wades through the land of love, loss, nostalgia, and victory. A video game is at the forefront of Marina’s concert for The Princess of Power Tour. Marina made her long-awaited return to Minneapolis on September 15 after 3 years.

Before powering on and joining Marina’s game, Mallrat opened the night. On her first night as an opener on tour, Mallrat’s ethereal and angelic energy was immediately apparent as she glided around during her songs. She came out wearing over-the-ear headphones, which I assume was a stylistic choice instead of actual in-ears like most artists wear during their performances.

The Australian singer was ecstatic to be performing on this tour and kept telling the crowd how beautiful they all looked and how loud everyone was cheering. She played “Wish on An Eyelash,” “Rockstar,” and “Hideaway” during her set and covered the Lana Del Ray song “Radio” to get the crowd’s voices singing and warmed up for Marina. Mallrat’s stage presence pulls you in and leaves you wanting more. It was the perfect way to kick off the night.

If there was only one negative aspect to the show, it was the attempt to build anticipation at the beginning, which went on a little too long. This was long forgotten, and the rest of the night was a pop perfection masterclass.

Photographed by Danica Robinson

It was now time to enter the game. Complete with an old-fashioned video game screen as her concert visuals, Marina flawlessly set the route we would be taking for the night. Beginning with Level 1: Star Fields, Marina introduced us to the journey we’d be on with “PRINCESS OF POWER” and “Are You Satisfied.” We saw all the aspects of the beginning of a video game, complete with picking the character and a background monologue by a narrator.

Now that she’s set the scene, the character brings us into Level 2: The Heartbreaker. Here our heroine experiences the loss of relationships and a momentary slip into a depression-like state. Marina played her songs, “CUPID'S GIRL,” “Hermit the Frog,” and “How to Be a Heartbreaker.”

After the tragedy and effort exerted in level 2, we now must venture to level 3: The Cocoon. This was an opportunity for the crowd to rest and slow the vibe down. Marina grabbed a stool and her acoustic guitar during this portion, which gave the fans a brief break from the jumping and screaming. She also spoke about what it’s like to be in this industry for as long as she has and how she has watched her fanbase grow and change. She emphasized the importance of embracing everyone no matter who they were. Fittingly, this level ended with “Butterfly.”

Photographed by Danica Robinson

Back at the party, Level 4: Digital Fantasies, started off with the exact Marina song you’d expect: “Digital Fantasy.” Marina and her character have now entered a state of realizing that the person who loved her in the past didn’t love the real her, so we are gallivanting closer to the realization of self-love and self-worth. To help move the story closer to this goal, we close out this section with “METALLIC STALLION.”

Level 5: Party Paradiso was where I had the most fun and wanted to live forever. Our main character has now reached the point of loving herself and was finally starting to have fun again. Her hits like “Froot,” “Cuntissimo,” and “Bubblegum Bitch” were all included. There was a best-dressed competition in between the songs “Cuntissimo” and “Bubblegum Bitch,” and fans were brought up on stage to dance with Marina, and a winner was announced and given a sash.

Thus, the concert concludes with the ultimate victory of Level 6: Keys to the

Castle. We faced the final boss and won. Much like the hero in the video game, the fans have had their share of mental health and internal struggles. Through the years, Marina’s music guided fans and our hero for the night into a world where they realized their worth. I felt drawn into her story throughout the entire night.

The carefully curated setlist took fans on a ride through Marina’s music by combining the old and new. It tied in the themes Marina has explored throughout her musical career, and it was beautiful to witness.