Too obscure to be released as a single,[1] almost not even making to the final tracklist of the album,[2][3] the track received a warm reception from her fanbase and grew to become a substantial song in Diamandis' discography,[4][3] which is noted to define the Tumblr "sad girl" subculture[5][6] and did influence later singers like Billie Eilish[7][8] and Melanie Martinez.
[9] The song incorporates eerie downtempo music as the lyrics articulate problems with youth lifestyles and include metaphors for the issues such as the loss of virginity, eating disorders, and suicide.
"Teen Idle" was the second non-single track from Marina's discography to be certified Gold in the United States,[10] following a TikTok-revived sleeper hit, "Bubblegum Bitch".
"Teen Idle" is a ballad telling a story of a depressed teenage girl and her disappointment in glamourised youth portrayal and a façade of adolescence perfection in mass media.
In the song, Marina discusses the loss of virginity, narcissism, religion, alcohol, suicide attempts, eating disorders as well as adhering to society's standards.
As observed, it "twists the cynicism of the whole Electra Heart concept into an intriguingly nasty lyric that subverts the message of a million Hollywood teen films by apparently suggesting adolescents would be better off trying to curry favour with the vacuous social elite in their school than expressing their individuality".
[8] American singer Melanie Martinez praised "Teen Idle" in an interview to celebrity news website Hollywire, answering a question about a song that "she wishes she had written", saying "the lyrics are perfect and the melodies are insane".