Background
The album marked the solo debut for Martika, and spawned the American #1 single "Toy Soldiers". The song is about drug addiction, but with only a cursory listen it sounds like a break-up ballad. The song was later sampled by rapper Eminem for his 2004 song "Like Toy Soldiers". Songs that charted internationally included "More Than You Know", "Water", and "I Feel the Earth Move", a Carole King cover that cracked the American Top 25. Stylistically the music was strictly pop, despite exploring some adult topics lyrically. The song "Water" is partially sung in Spanish, an homage to Martika's Cuban ancestry. Other songs were re-recorded fully in Spanish for international release.
The album was successful in the United States; it managed to peak at #15 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the RIAA, making it her best-selling album to date. The album peaked at #11 in the United Kingdom, containing three top 20 singles there. In the UK, the song "Cross My Heart" had already been a top 20 hit for the band Eighth Wonder a year previously, whilst Big Fun pulled their planned single release of "I Feel the Earth Move" shortly before Martika's release.
Read more about this topic: Martika (album)
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