Photos Liliana Salinas Story Luna Bacce
“Who or what is meant for me will not pass me by.” That certainty lies at the heart of “My Guy,” Merce’s new single. Although its title may suggest a song centered on a relationship, the Los Angeles–based singer, songwriter, and producer uses the track to engage in a dialogue with herself. Rather than focusing solely on someone with whom she could not connect, she transforms the experience into a reflection on acceptance and the ability to keep moving forward.
Created with Rick Friedrich, who has worked with The Roots, and Kush Oxford, “My Guy” unfolds as a slow, atmospheric, and melancholic composition.
“‘My Guy’ is less about a guy I didn’t align with and more about reassuring myself that there’s no need to cry,” Merce explains. “Who or what is meant for me will not pass me by. The music is atmospheric and moody with a march-like quality that feels like the path I’m on, the twisting, winding road to my highest good.”
That affirmation also connects with the journey behind “ALIVE,” an album written following the death of Richard Nichols, Merce’s partner in life and music.
While navigating grief and caring for her son with autism and developmental disabilities, music became a space where she could process loss, transformation, and renewal. Through a combination of acoustic and electronic elements, the project shows Merce taking control of her sound, production, and identity as an independent artist.
However, “ALIVE” does not mark the beginning of her relationship with music. Merce, also known by her given name, Mercedes Martínez, grew up in a home shaped by the influence of her father, a Cuban salsa musician who played bass and flute in addition to singing and composing. This family background was complemented by her classical piano training and exposure to different sounds from the 1980s and 1990s. Those influences can still be heard in the way she moves between alternative soul, pop, and electronic textures.
Her professional career began at sixteen when she joined the vocal group Shy!? Under the mentorship of musician, producer, and educator Reggie Andrews. In 1992, she became a founding member of The Jazzyfatnastees, a group positioned at the intersection of R&B and hip-hop during the early years of what would later become known as the neo-soul movement. After an initial period with Fathouse, the label run by her brother JSw!ft, the group began collaborating with The Roots and relocated to Philadelphia.
The Jazzyfatnastees eventually evolved from a quartet into a duo consisting of Merce and Tracey Moore. Both became sought-after vocalists within the music scene of the late 1990s and early 2000s, collaborating with The Roots, Stevie Wonder, De La Soul, Eric Benét, Meshell Ndegeocello, and The Brand New Heavies.
All that experience as a performer, collaborator, producer, and creator of artistic spaces helps convey the significance of this new chapter. With ALIVE, Merce seeks to use everything she has learned to define her own identity. “My Guy” reflects that sense of moving forward without having every answer figured out, trusting that the right things will find a way to remain in our lives.
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