September 6, 2016
By Michael Flores
Music Television (MTV) International has launched a new campaign called Cover of the Month Showdown. The competition challenges aspiring artists around the world to submit their best cover versions of a popular hit song. Dominican junior Adam Martinez submitted his version of Mike Posner’s “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” for September’s challenge. As of September 3, Adam was tied for first place with over 17 million claps. One of our writers caught up with Adam for in depth interview on his participation in the competition.
Is this your first cover of the month?
This is my first cover of the month, but it’s also MTV’s first time doing this. I’m honored to be a part of it!
What influenced your cover?
Although I really do enjoy the club mix of the song, I’m definitely a bigger fan of acoustic music. When I went to see Mike Posner live he did an acoustic version of the song, so I based my rendition off that. It sounds more emotional and intimate, and that’s the feeling I was going for. As for the twist added towards the end, I owe that to my older brother. We were ready to release the video and then he heard the melody in his head and wanted me to add it in: he made me redo the whole thing! It was worth it in the end. I actually got to meet and sing for Mike Posner the day I went to see him, so it’s kinda funny how this all worked out.
Wow! That’s amazing! Meeting an artist whose music you’re a fan off is always cool. How was it?
He was really kind to me. He told me I had a talent for songwriting, which definitely motivated me.
Dope! So is music a passion or more of a hobby?
A passion, no doubt about it. I’m not one to believe in things like destiny, but there’s something about making music that just feels right. It’s not only enjoyable but I also see it as a form of therapy. There’s a weird satisfaction that comes from writing a good, sad, song when my heart’s broken. The music gives meaning to the bad (or good) times in your life. Being able to share something as beautiful as a song with other people and having them relate to it… There’s something really special about that!
Definitely. Many people say music is its own language. What genre of music do you prefer or typically tend to cover?
I tend to lean towards Pop/R&B/Soul. It needs to be catchy, but it also needs to have meaning. I think a lot of songs on the radio always have the catchiness down but hardly ever have lyrical depth. I like to find a balance between the two and I feel that these genres really capture that balance. Artists like Bruno Mars or Ed Sheeran are perfect examples. Also, for some reason, I always find myself singing sad songs, which is weird since I’m always laughing and smiling! Sad music just has this powerful sound that can make you sad, regardless of what you were feeling before. From my experience, “happy” music doesn’t do a great job of making you feel happy when you’re down. It’s not that I like being sad, it’s just that for me, there’s nothing better than music that tugs at your heart strings.
You can vote for Adam at www.mtvcoverofthemonth.com and follow him on Instagram at @adamthesinger.
flormichael@my.dom.edu