Naturally 7 originated in 1999 within New York, where its seven vocalists set out to transform a cappella conventions. Rather than relying solely on lush vocal blends, the ensemble generated every rhythmic element—including guitar, drum, bass, and horn textures—through the human voice alone. They coined this technique “vocal play,” and their concerts across the United States left listeners astonished by the full-bodied, instrument-free sound. The independently issued debut Non-Fiction elicited the same reaction from industry executives and fans, prompting a recurring question that later supplied the title of the group’s first major-label album. Released in 2003, What Is It? included the single “Music Is the Key” featuring Sarah Connor; the track registered substantial European success and prompted the ensemble to establish its primary base on that continent. The members—Garfield Buckley, Rod Eldridge, Warren Thomas, Jamal Reed, N'glish, Dwight Stewart, and Armand Hutton—began by touring extensively throughout Germany before extending engagements to Austria, Switzerland, France, Hungary, and additional neighboring countries. Rising sales mirrored the expanding audience. Their third studio effort, Ready II Fly, achieved rapid traction on continental R&B charts and yielded the popular single “Feel It (In the Air Tonight),” a reimagining of Phil Collins’ classic. In early 2009 the quartet issued its fourth album, Wall of Sound, timed to coincide with an appearance at the U.K. Royal Variety Performance before the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. The following year brought the fifth release, VocalPlay, which showcased original material alongside a collaboration with Michael Bublé; the two acts subsequently toured together. Continued acclaim in Europe and the United States accompanied a brief personnel shift in which Lee Ricardo Cort and Kelvin Mitchell assumed the bass and fourth-tenor positions. The resulting sixth studio album, Hidden in Plain Sight, juxtaposed contemporary covers such as Coldplay’s “Fix You” with 17th-century Baroque selections. Late in 2016 the group previewed its seventh studio project with a reinterpretation of Adele’s “Hello.” The full album, Both Sides Now, entered the U.K. charts in May 2017 before receiving wider international distribution later that year.
