Martika
Marta Marrero (born May 18, 1969), better known professionally as Martika ( mahr-TEE-kə), is an American singer and actress. She began her career as an actress, playing the role of teen Gloria in the television program Kids Incorporated between 1984 and 1986. Following her appearance in the show, Martika signed a recording contract with Columbia Records. Over her career, she scored three US top 20 hits. In October 1988, her self-titled debut album was released. It spawned the hit single "Toy Soldiers", which peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. The song received commercial success in other international territories, and received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Other singles released from the album include "More Than You Know" (peaking in the US top 20), "I Feel the Earth Move" and "Water". The album has sold over three million copies worldwide.
Her second, and only other, studio album, Martika's Kitchen (1991), failed to match the commercial success achieved by the album Martika. However, it did spawn one US top ten hit with "Love... Thy Will Be Done" (her second US top 10 hit and her third top 20 hit). A minor hit was seen in the single "Martika's Kitchen". Another single, "Coloured Kisses", failed to chart in the US, but was a minor hit in Germany, the United Kingdom, 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 one million copies worldwide. In 1992, she left the music industry after the perceived underperformance of her second album and the pressure of the industry, citing burnout.
Martika returned to the music industry in 2000, forming the band Oppera with her husband Nikki. In 2005, her single "Toy Soldiers" was sampled on the song "Like Toy Soldiers" by American rapper Eminem, with Martika credited as one of the songwriters. In 2012, her first solo single since 1993 was released, "Flow With the Go", via DCR Records, which originally was intended to serve as the lead single from a third album, titled Mirror Ball. However, the album was eventually shelved.
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