Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Martika
Marta Marrero (born May 18, 1969), better known professionally as Martika (/mɑːrˈtiːkə/ mahr-TEE-kə), is an American singer and actress. She rose to prominence as an actress, playing the role of Gloria in the television programme Kids Incorporated between 1984 and 1986. Following her appearance in the show, Martika signed a recording contract with Columbia Records, and in October 1988, released her self titled debut album to critical acclaim. It spawned the internationally successful single "Toy Soldiers", which peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. It received similar commercial success in other international territories, and received a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Other singles released from the album – "More Than You Know", "I Feel the Earth Move" and "Water" – also achieved commercial success. The album sold over three million copies worldwide.
Her second and most recent album, Martika's Kitchen (1991), failed to match the commercial success achieved by Martika. It did, however, spawn a number of commercially successful singles, including "Love... Thy Will Be Done" and "Martika's Kitchen", both of which charted within the Billboard Hot 100, while "Coloured Kisses" achieved some commercial success in the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. The album was certified Gold by both the Australian Recording Industry Association and British Phonographic Industry. Martika's Kitchen is estimated to have sold over one million copies worldwide. In 1992, she quit the music industry, citing burnout and feeling overwhelmed with the burden of fame.
She returned to the music industry in 2000, forming the band Oppera with her husband Nikki. In 2005, her single "Toy Soldiers" was heavily sampled on "Like Toy Soldiers" by American rapper Eminem, with Martika credited as one of the songwriters. In 2012, she released her first solo single since 1993, "Flow With the Go", via DCR Records, which originally was intended to serve as the lead single from a third album, titled Mirror Ball. The album was eventually shelved for personal reasons.
Martika was born in Whittier, California, to Cuban parents of Canary Islands ancestry.
She entered mainstream show business in an uncredited role as one of the girls in the 1982 motion picture Annie. This led to her being cast as Gloria on the long-running children's show Kids Incorporated as one of a group of neighborhood children who rise to local fame by singing staged productions at a corner malt shop. Once the second season began, she formally adopted her stage name Martika Marrero before shortening it to the mononym Martika, which she has used ever since. Martika and many other Kids Incorporated cast members were featured in the musical numbers from the Mr. T motivational video Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool! in 1984.
Following her role in Kids Incorporated and Be Somebody, Martika was signed by Columbia Records. Her first solo release was released only in Japan: "We are Music" was recorded to promote Sony cassette tapes in the Japanese market, where the song was released in 12", 7" and CD formats.
In 1987, Martika recorded a version of the Michael Jay/Gregory Smith song "Bounce Back", which included a music video which was aired on Entertainment '80, although it was not available for purchase.
Her debut album, Martika (1988), reached number fifteen on the US Billboard 200 albums chart. The album spawned the internationally successful single "Toy Soldiers", which she co-wrote with her producer Michael Jay and it became a top-5 hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Australia. In the US, "Toy Soldiers" spent two weeks at No. 1 in 1989. "Toy Soldiers" also went to No. 1 in New Zealand. "Toy Soldiers" was written about drug addiction, but can sound like a break-up ballad.
Hub AI
Martika AI simulator
(@Martika_simulator)
Martika
Marta Marrero (born May 18, 1969), better known professionally as Martika (/mɑːrˈtiːkə/ mahr-TEE-kə), is an American singer and actress. She rose to prominence as an actress, playing the role of Gloria in the television programme Kids Incorporated between 1984 and 1986. Following her appearance in the show, Martika signed a recording contract with Columbia Records, and in October 1988, released her self titled debut album to critical acclaim. It spawned the internationally successful single "Toy Soldiers", which peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. It received similar commercial success in other international territories, and received a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Other singles released from the album – "More Than You Know", "I Feel the Earth Move" and "Water" – also achieved commercial success. The album sold over three million copies worldwide.
Her second and most recent album, Martika's Kitchen (1991), failed to match the commercial success achieved by Martika. It did, however, spawn a number of commercially successful singles, including "Love... Thy Will Be Done" and "Martika's Kitchen", both of which charted within the Billboard Hot 100, while "Coloured Kisses" achieved some commercial success in the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. The album was certified Gold by both the Australian Recording Industry Association and British Phonographic Industry. Martika's Kitchen is estimated to have sold over one million copies worldwide. In 1992, she quit the music industry, citing burnout and feeling overwhelmed with the burden of fame.
She returned to the music industry in 2000, forming the band Oppera with her husband Nikki. In 2005, her single "Toy Soldiers" was heavily sampled on "Like Toy Soldiers" by American rapper Eminem, with Martika credited as one of the songwriters. In 2012, she released her first solo single since 1993, "Flow With the Go", via DCR Records, which originally was intended to serve as the lead single from a third album, titled Mirror Ball. The album was eventually shelved for personal reasons.
Martika was born in Whittier, California, to Cuban parents of Canary Islands ancestry.
She entered mainstream show business in an uncredited role as one of the girls in the 1982 motion picture Annie. This led to her being cast as Gloria on the long-running children's show Kids Incorporated as one of a group of neighborhood children who rise to local fame by singing staged productions at a corner malt shop. Once the second season began, she formally adopted her stage name Martika Marrero before shortening it to the mononym Martika, which she has used ever since. Martika and many other Kids Incorporated cast members were featured in the musical numbers from the Mr. T motivational video Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool! in 1984.
Following her role in Kids Incorporated and Be Somebody, Martika was signed by Columbia Records. Her first solo release was released only in Japan: "We are Music" was recorded to promote Sony cassette tapes in the Japanese market, where the song was released in 12", 7" and CD formats.
In 1987, Martika recorded a version of the Michael Jay/Gregory Smith song "Bounce Back", which included a music video which was aired on Entertainment '80, although it was not available for purchase.
Her debut album, Martika (1988), reached number fifteen on the US Billboard 200 albums chart. The album spawned the internationally successful single "Toy Soldiers", which she co-wrote with her producer Michael Jay and it became a top-5 hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Australia. In the US, "Toy Soldiers" spent two weeks at No. 1 in 1989. "Toy Soldiers" also went to No. 1 in New Zealand. "Toy Soldiers" was written about drug addiction, but can sound like a break-up ballad.