Floetry

Floetry

Company type	Musical duo
Industry	Music
Founded	1997
Founder	Marsha Ambrosius, Natalie Stewart
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom, United States
Products	Music albums, live performances

Floetry was a British musical duo established in 1997, consisting of vocalist Marsha Ambrosius (known as "the Songstress") and spoken-word artist Natalie Stewart ("the Floacist"). They became notable for blending poetic expression with musical composition.

Upon moving to the United States, Floetry achieved widespread recognition with their initial hit single "Floetic" and their bestselling debut album, Floetic (2002), which featured the chart-topping U.S. Adult R&B Songs track "Say Yes". The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The pair toured alongside prominent performers, and their live show at New Orleans' House of Blues was captured in the 2003 release Floacism "Live". Their sophomore album, Flo'Ology (2005), included singles such as "SupaStar" and "Lay Down".

Despite enjoying both critical acclaim and commercial success, the group dissolved due to conflicts with management after Stewart attempted to sever ties with manager Julius Irving III, who sought to shift their artistic direction and image. Ambrosius went on to engage Amanda Seales (then Amanda Diva) for the Floetry Remix Tour. Subsequently, both artists embarked on individual solo endeavors. They reunited occasionally, notably performing together at The Clapham Grand in 2014, which led to the 2015–2016 Floetry Reunion Tour, and again in July 2025 for a trio of concerts at the YS Firehouse in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

By 2016, Floetry had sold over two million records globally. Their honors include three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, five Grammy Award nominations, three Soul Train Music Awards nods, and two MOBO Awards.

1994–1999: Formation and early years

During her time at North London University, Natalie Stewart created a poetry collective named 3 Plus 1. Stewart encountered Marsha Ambrosius at an opposing basketball match. The two developed a friendship, and Stewart later realized Ambrosius was a singer. At a concluding 3 Plus 1 show, Stewart invited Ambrosius to join her on stage to perform "Fantasize," a track they co-wrote in 1999. Encouraged by favorable audience reactions, they decided to form the duo Floetry.

2000–2004: Breakthrough and Floetic

In 2000, Floetry moved from London to the United States, initially settling in Atlanta before relocating to Philadelphia. There, they contributed songwriting and production efforts for artists such as Jill Scott, Larry "Jazz" Anthony, and Bilal. Under management by Julius Erving III, they secured a contract with DreamWorks Records. John McClain, DreamWorks' senior urban executive and then-manager of Michael Jackson, facilitated their introduction to Jackson. The duo co-wrote "Butterflies" for Jackson’s 2001 album Invincible.

Floetry entered the charts in August 2002 with "Floetic," the lead single from their debut album Floetic, which was released in the United States on October 1, 2002. The album featured production contributions from Keith "Keshon" Pelzer, Darren "Limitless" Henson, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis, and Ivan "Orthodox" Barias. Floetic reached number nineteen on the Billboard 200 chart and number four on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling over 864,000 copies domestically. It earned gold status from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The single "Floetic" peaked at number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and number seventy-three on the UK Singles Chart.

In October 2002, Floetry served as opening act for India.Arie during her Voyage to World Tour.

Their follow-up single "Say Yes," released in January 2003, surpassed their previous success by reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, "Getting Late," peaked at number thirty-three on US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number seventeen on the US Adult R&B Songs chart. They also contributed "Where's the Love" to the soundtrack of the film Bringing Down the House. At the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, Floetry garnered three nominations. In February 2003, they joined rapper Common on his Electric Circus Tour. That July, they won three awards at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: Best Single by a Group ("Say Yes"), Best Album by a Group (Floetic), and Best New Group.

On July 3, 2003, Floetry recorded a live album along with a concert film at New Orleans' House of Blues. The live album Floacism, released November 18 that year, reached number seventy-four on the Billboard 200 and number eleven on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. It included three new studio tracks such as "Wanna B Where U R (Thisizzaluvsong)" featuring rapper Mos Def. In 2004, they received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals. Additionally, that year saw their guest appearance in season three of sitcom One on One, episode titled "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Hip Hop World".

2005–2006: Release of Flo'Ology

Following DreamWorks Records’ shutdown in January 2005, Floetry signed with Geffen Records. Between July and August that year, they participated in the Sugar Water Festival. They also appeared in season five of spoken word series Def Poetry Jam. On November 8, 2005, their second studio album Flo'Ology was released; it debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 and number two on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums with first-week sales exceeding 77,000 copies. The lead single "SupaStar", featuring rapper Common, reached number fifty-five on US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. However, follow-up single "Lay Down" did not perform well commercially due to lack of an accompanying music video. In March 2006, Floetry headlined their own concert tour promoting Flo'Ology.

Disbandment and subsequent activities

After Flo'Ology underperformed commercially, manager Julius Irving III advocated for a shift toward a more hip-hop-oriented sound aimed at broader market appeal. Stewart resisted this direction and attempted to dismiss Irving from his role. Ambrosius retained Irving’s management services while signing solo with Aftermath Entertainment, releasing a mixtape titled Neo Soul Is Dead. By late 2006, Floetry quietly disbanded. In June 2007, Ambrosius embarked on a solo tour named Floetry Remix Tour substituting Stewart with American vocalist Amanda Seales (then Amanda Diva). Seales reported poor audience reception and absence of public disclosure regarding lineup changes; she also described an altercation with Ambrosius prior to an Atlanta show. Stewart clarified via radio that she was not involved in this tour despite her image being used for promotion. Plans for a new duo project called Floetry Remix with Seales were eventually abandoned.

In early 2010, Stewart sought to revive Floetry alongside Ambrosius but was declined. She released her debut solo album Floetic Soul in November that year through Shanachie Records. Ambrosius followed with her debut solo album Late Nights & Early Mornings in March 2011 under J Records. During production of Stewart’s second album, she recorded a reimagined version of "Say Yes" intending collaboration with Ambrosius for its tenth anniversary; however Ambrosius declined participation. Stewart released "Say Yes (10 Year Anniversary Edition)" as lead single from her second album Floetry Re:Birth in August 2012; the full album was issued in November. In March 2014 Stewart unveiled her third album Rise of the Phoenix Mermaid, while Ambrosius released her sophomore album Friends & Lovers in July.

In December 2014 during Ambrosius’ London concert, she invited Stewart onto stage to perform "Floetic". In February 2015 Stewart confirmed plans for a reunion tour. On May16 that year they reunited for their first performance together in nine years at Pepsi Funk Festival held in College Park, Georgia. Although plans were announced for new material during this time frame, they parted ways following completion of their reunion tour’s second leg in August2016. In July2025 Floetry performed three reunion concerts at YS Firehouse located in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Musical style and influences

Floetry’s sound is characterized by an integration of R&B infused with hip hop and neo soul influences. Each member adopted stage personas reflecting their artistic contributions: Ambrosius as The Songtress emphasizing melodic choruses and vocal embellishments; Stewart as The Floacist delivering lyrically driven verses through spoken word poetry. The duo was described by Sister 2 Sister magazine as “exotic sisters rooted in traditional soul yet refreshed.” Hana Anderson from Windy City Times observed that their debut merged R&B with narrative poetic storytelling. AllMusic characterized their work on Flo'Ology as fusing neo-soul rhythms with emotive R&B vocals complemented by spoken word elements. Their inspirations include renowned artists such as Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Fela Kuti.

Discography

Studio albums

• Floetic (2002)
• Flo'Ology (2005)

Tours

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Headlining

• Floetry Experience (2003)
• Flo'Ology Tour (2006)
• Floetry Reunion Tour (2014–2016)

Template:Col-2 Supporting act

• Tanqueray Soul Suite Tour (2002)
• Voyage to World Tour (for India.Arie) (2002–03)
• Electric Circus Tour (for Common) (2003)
• Sugar Water Festival Tour (2005)

Awards and nominations

• Grammy Awards

Year	Category	Work	Result
2003	Best Contemporary R&B Album	Floetic	Template:Nom
	Best R&B Song	"Floetic"	Template:Nom
	Best Urban/Alternative Performance	"Floetic"	Template:Nom
2004	Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals	"Say Yes"	Template:Nom
2006	Best Urban/Alternative Performance	"Supastar"	Template:Nom

• MOBO Awards

Year	Category	Work	Result
2003	Best Album	Floetic	Template:Nom
	Best Newcomer		Template:Nom

• MTV Video Music Awards

Year	Category	Work	Result
2003	Breakthrough Video	"Floetic"	Template:Nom

• Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards

Year	Category	Work	Result
2003	Best R&B/Soul Single by a Group or Duo	"Say Yes"	Template:Won
	Best R&B/Soul Album by a Group or Duo	Floetic	Template:Won
	Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year	"Floetic"	Template:Nom
	Best New Group or Duo		Template:Won

• Soul Train Music Awards

Year	Category	Work	Result
2003	Best R&B/Soul Single by a Group or Duo	"Floetic"	Template:Nom
	Best R&B/Soul Album by a Group or Duo	Floetic	Template:Nom

|- |2006 ||Best R&B/Soul Single by a Group or Duo||"SupaStar"|| |}