Andrea Monica Martin (April 14, 1972 – September 27, 2021) was an American R&B songwriter and singer.
Early life and education Born in New York City, Martin was one of six children of Reginald Martin Sr. and Mavis Martin, grew up in East New York, Brooklyn, and graduated in 1990 from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she studied voice. Inspired by Michael Jackson, she wanted to be a singer-songwriter from childhood.
Career Martin was writing songs and appearing at Amateur Night at the Apollo before she graduated; she sang in the lobbies of office buildings to try to catch the attention of music publishers located there. In the early 1990s she was signed as a songwriter by Rondor Music.
Starting in 1995 with "Before You Walk Out of My Life", a hit song for Monica, she became known for writing hit songs, usually with partners, in particular Ivan Matias, a high school classmate with whom she wrote 1997's You're the One, a number one hit for SWV. Other artists who charted with songs she wrote or co-wrote included En Vogue ("Don't Let Go (Love)"), Toni Braxton ("I Love Me Some Him"), Angie Stone ("Wish I Didn't Miss You"), and Melanie Fiona ("Give It To Me Right"). Her UK hit songs included Leona Lewis's "Better in Time", Another Level's "Be Alone No More", and No. 1s "Breathe" (Blu Cantrell, featuring Sean Paul) and "Loneliness" (Tomcraft), both in the early 2000s. She also wrote non-charting singles for artists including Paloma Faith ("Trouble with My Baby"), Nelly ("Fly Away"), RBD ("Wanna Play") and Jennifer Hudson ("I Still Love You").
She was less known as a singer, performing primarily as a backup singer and later as a featured artist. In the 1990s she was signed as an artist by Arista Records. She released her only album, The Best of Me, in 1998. It was not a success, but the single "Let Me Return the Favor" reached No. 82 on the Billboard Hot 100, and her single "Share the Love" was remixed for clubs and reached No. 4 on the Billboard Dance Charts in June 1999. Also in 1999, she appeared in concert on BET's Girls Night Out, headlining with then-Arista labelmates Deborah Cox, Faith Evans, Monica, and Shanice.
Personal life and death Martin had two children. She died in a hospital in New York City on September 27, 2021, at age 49.
Discography Studio albums Title Album details The Best of MeReleased: October 10, 1998 Label: Arista Format: CD, cassette
Singles As lead artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album US US R&B US Dance BEL (FL) "Let Me Return the Favor" 1998 82 32 — —The Best of Me "Share the Love"1999 — — 4 — "Middle of the Night" (with Hani) 2006 — — — — rowspan="5" "I Still Love You" (with Switch) 2011 — — — 55 "Someone Loves You Honey" 2016 — — — — "We Are One" (with CJ Fly) — — — — "Without You" (with TCTS and Boston Bun) 2021 — — — —
As featured artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album US US R&B US Dance GER NZ "Set It Off" (Organized Noise featuring Andrea Martin & Queen Latifah) 1996 105 51 43 11 65Set It Off soundtrack "Money Talks" (Lil Kim featuring Andrea Martin) 1997 — — — — —Money Talks soundtrack "The More I Love You" (M.F.F. featuring Andrea Martin) 2002 — — 12 — — rowspan="7" "So What" (Antigen featuring Andrea Martin) 2006 — — — — — "Story of My Life" (Disconfect featuring Andrea Martin) — — — — — "Higher Ground" (Hani featuring Andrea Martin) 2008 — — — — — "No More" (Hani featuring Andrea Martin) — — — — — "This Ain't Love" (Après featuring Andrea Martin) 2015 — — — — — "Sleep" (Michael Woods featuring Andrea Martin) — — — — — "Always" (Toddla T featuring Andrea Martin & Silkki Wonda) 2016 — — — — — Foreign Light "Magnet" (Toddla T featuring Andrea Martin) 2017 — — — — — "Right Now" (Rudo Brody featuring Andrea Martin & Dot Demo) — — — — — rowspan="7" "Live Forever" (Nicolaas featuring Andrea Martin) 2018 — — — — — "Only for a Man like You" (Antigen featuring Andrea Martin) — — — — — "All I Want" (Secondcity x Paul Woolford featuring Andrea Martin) 2020 — — — — — "All My Life" (L'Tric featuring Andrea Martin & Sean Declase) 2021 — — — — — "Shut Up and Kiss Me" (Sankhab featuring Andrea Martin) — — — — — "Palm Reader (Remix)" (Frisco Cosme featuring Andrea Martin) — — — — —
Album appearances Title Year Other artist(s) Album "Set It Off" 1996 Organized Noise, Queen Latifah Set It Off soundtrack "Money Talks" 1997 Lil Kim Money Talks soundtrack "No Man Should Be Loenly" 2009 Reggae Got Soul "Catch Ya" 2010 Dennis Blonde "Drama Queens" 2011 Stress Renaissance II "What's the Point?" "Take My Life" 2013 Pusha T Wrath of Caine "Nothing to Lose" 2014 Freemasons Shakedown "W.T.L" 2015 Redlight X Colour "Never See the Light" Flux Pavilion Tesla "Last Night I Dreamed" Pudgee Unreleased 92–98 "We Are Not Broken" Men in My Head, I.O.U. Fallen Ash "Crying in My Sleep" Shift K3Y Off the Record "Me Pt2" 2016 Dot Demo Outer Body Experience "Always" 2017 Toddla T, Silkki Wonda Foreign Light "Beast" Toddla T, Stefflon Don "Blackjack21" Toddla T "Faithful Skit" "Foreign Light" Toddla T, Coco "Magnet" Toddla T "Ungrateful" "Won't Admit It's Love" Toddla T, CASisDEAD "The Getaway" 2019 Bas de Beer Having Another Bailey "Ain't No Use in Crying" 2020 The Anti Valentine Album "I've Got a Love 4 You" "The Good Man"
Notes
In the charts as a writer YearSongArtistChart positionR&BHot 100ClubUK1995 "Before You Walk out of My Life" Monica17-22 "All I Can Do" Tina Moore48--- "Anything" J. Quest94--- "Hooked on You" Silk1254-- "It's All About You" Adina Howard58---1996 "You're the One" SWV15-13 "Only Love" The Braxtons52--- "I Got Somebody Else" Changing Faces49--- "Set It Off" Organized Noize featuring Queen Latifah51105--1997 "Can't Let Go" Laurneá2055-- "I Love Me Some Him" Toni Braxton919-- "Don't Let Go (Love)" En Vogue12-5 "It's All About You" (a.k.a. "It's All About U") SWV3261-361998 "Be Alone No More" Another Level---6 "Let Me Return The Favor" Andrea Martin8232-- "Stay" Room Service63--- 1999 "Still in My Heart" Tracie Spencer368839- 2002 "Wish I Didn't Miss You" Angie Stone31791302003 "Breathe" Blu Cantrell feat. Sean Paul 8370171 "Loneliness" (a remake of "Share the Love") Tomcraft---1 2005 "Make Things Right" (interpolating "Before You Walk out of My Life") Lemon Jelly---33 2006 "I Wasn't Kidding" Angie Stone--17- 2008 "Better in Time" Leona Lewis-11-22009 "Give It to Me Right" Melanie Fiona57--41 "It Kills Me" Melanie Fiona149-- "Face Drop" Sean Kingston-61-66 2010 "Tell Me You Love Me" Leela James71--- 2013 "Lose to Win" Fantasia39102-- "Think About It" Naughty Boy ft. Wiz Khalifa & Ella Eyre---78 2015 "Love Revolution" (interpolating "Share the Love") Will Young---103 2017 "More Than Friends" (interpolating "Don't Let Go (Love)") James Hype featuring Kelli-Leigh---8
UK chart data from polyhex.com
References
External links