The Floacist

Following the 2007 dissolution of R&B duo Floetry, spoken word performer and whisper-voiced singer Natalie Stewart—known professionally as the Floacist—contributed guest spots to several projects by fellow artists, one of which was Brian Culbertson’s XII. She later secured a solo deal with Shanachie, the label that issued her first full-length project, Floetic Soul, during November 2010. Built largely around sultry ballads that highlighted her signature soft-spoken delivery, the set drew on joint efforts with Musiq Soulchild, Raheem DeVaughn, and Lalah Hathaway, plus production work by J.R. Hutson, Know-I, and Chris "Big Dog" Davis. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 195 and climbed into the upper half of the R&B albums ranking. Nearly two years afterward, again through Shanachie, she unveiled Floetry Re:Birth, an effort helmed by her spouse Nolan Weekes. That release peaked at number 51 on the R&B chart. With Davis once more among her creative team, Stewart issued Rise of the Phoenix Mermaid in March 2014.