Madonna, U2, Ed Sheeran and Aitana on one record — and Garrix himself on the mic. This is not a festival set, it’s a life story.
By Theon Lewis — The Superfan, CelebnMusic247
Alright, let’s be clear about what Martin Garrix just announced, because the headline names alone could make you miss the real story. MARTY, his first pop album, arrives March 5, 2027, via Darkroom Records and STMPD RCRDS, per Consequence and Bandwagon. Fourteen tracks, cut down from more than 400 songs developed over a decade. And yes, the guest list is ridiculous: Madonna on “Bizarre,” U2 on “Fireflies,” and Ed Sheeran on “Rewind Repeat It,” with a newly confirmed collaboration with Spanish pop star Aitana as his first Spanish-language song.
But here is the part that actually matters: Garrix is singing. Solo, on four tracks, including “Catharina” and “This Dream Of You.” A DJ who built an empire behind the decks is stepping out front with his own voice, and he is not pretending that is a small move.
From DJ Marty to MARTY
The title is the tell. Before Martin Garrix was a headline name, he was a kid performing as DJ Marty, with the slogan “Party with DJ Marty.” Naming the album MARTY is him going back to that bedroom producer and telling the whole story from there — upbringing, the rise, fame, relationships, and even thoughts about the afterlife, with transitions and key changes connecting the chapters and a theme of eternal love running through it.
Opening track “Catharina” is named after his mother, who encouraged him to learn instruments. And Bono did more than feature with U2 — per Bandwagon, he mentored Garrix on vocal technique and co-wrote, pushing him toward a more vulnerable approach. Garrix himself said he still feels like he is just at the beginning, and that the album is about growth and the idea that the love and energy people put out do not just disappear when they are gone.
The Aitana link-up closes a long loop, too. Per Consequence, rumours started in 2023 when Garrix followed her on Instagram, resurfaced when she commented on a post this year, and he finally previewed their track during a performance in Mexico City on October 16. He revealed the album during a Spotify event ahead of Amsterdam Dance Event, where top listeners heard unreleased tracks.
Context matters here. His 2022 album Sentio was club-oriented. MARTY is deliberately not that. It follows his Americas Tour through December, and he headlines Ultra Music Festival in Miami from March 26 to 28, 2027 — weeks after the album lands, which means the first big live test of this new, singing Garrix comes almost immediately.
Risky? Absolutely. Dance stars get forgiven for a lot, but putting your own unproven voice at the centre of a record with Madonna and U2 on it is a real gamble. It is also the only move that makes this album mean something beyond a features list. Anybody can book big names. Not everybody will stand next to them and sing.
The 247 Take — MARTY will live or die on Garrix’s own four solo tracks, not the superstar features — and the fact he knows that, and did it anyway, is why this announcement hits different.
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Sources: Consequence | Bandwagon
