Rising act Marteen is bringing his own personal charm and flair to the scene, and that comes through on his latest releases "Sriracha" and "Two Days." His musical style is a mix of R&B and pop, and he blends the two seamlessly with help from veteran producer J.R. Rotem, who has taken the 16-year-old under his wing at Lyon Estates, in association with Warner Bros.
"Sriracha" currently stands as his biggest track streaming-wise, but "We Cool" has all the makings of a potential breakthrough hit as Marteen showcases his vocal range and lighthearted approach to life.
"For now we good, 20 dollars for the weekend/Yeah we good, that won't stop the way we feeling 'cause/Yeah we good, you know we young and we livin'/And nothing gon' kill my vibe," he sings before diving into the catchy hook.
“The idea for 'We Cool' came to me one day when I was thinking about how I wasn’t where I wanted to be yet, but how I was OK with that," Marteen told Complex via email. "I feel like you gotta be able to see the bright side of every moment, and just have fun in it.”
Rotem also shared how the song came together. “Working on 'We Cool' with Marteen was such an amazing experience, unfolding in one of my favorite ways to make a song: When an artist comes in with a clear vision of what they want to convey," he explained. "In this case, Marteen told me that he wanted to express, like being able to enjoy life right now as it is, in ways that money can’t buy. To appreciate little things like hanging out with his friends. Going off his message, I started playing a quirky, playful piano riff and chords I knew he would connect with. We wrote this awesome song that very much defines his state of mind at this phase of his life.”
Check out "We Cool" below and grab the track when it arrives everywhere at midnight.
You can catch Marteen throughout the rest of 2017. He'll first join Dua Lipa for several stops on her tour, make an appearance during Red Bull Sound Select Presents: 30 Days in Chicago, then link up with Kehlani for a string of TSNMI Christmas show dates. For tickets, visit his official website.
*with Dua Lipa
+with Khalid and Amber Mark, for Red Bull Sound Select Presents: 30 Days in Chicago
Nov. 20: Boston, MA House of Blues*
Nov. 22: Toronto, ON Rebel*
Nov. 23: Montreal, QC Mtelus*
Nov. 24: New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom*
Nov. 26: Chicago, IL The Aragon Ballroom*
Nov. 28: Silver Spring, MD The Fillmore Silver Spring*
Nov. 29: Chicago, IL The Aragon Ballroom+
Nov. 30: Nashville, TN Cannery Ballroom*
Dec. 8: Oakland, CA A Tsnmi Christmas: Kehlani & Friends
Dec. 10: Oakland, CA A Tsnmi Christmas: Kehlani & Friends
Dec. 11: Los Angeles, CA A Tsnmi Christmas: Kehlani & Friends
Dec. 18: Santa Ana, CA A Tsnmi Christmas: Kehlani & Friends
Dec. 19: San Diego, CA A Tsnmi Christmas: Kehlani & Friends
