Floetry is an English music duo formed in 1997 by singer Marsha Ambrosius ("the Songstress") and spoken-word poet Natalie Stewart ("the Floacist"). They are known for their diverse musical and performance style referred to as "poetic delivery with musical intent".

After relocating to the U.S., the duo was launched into mainstream recognition with the release of their song "Floetic" and their best-selling album, Floetic (2002), which contained the U.S. Adult R&B Songs number-one single "Say Yes". The album, Floetic, became a commercial success and received a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Floetry followed up by touring as the opening act for several notable music acts. Their performance at the New Orleans House of Blues was recorded and released as a live album titled Floacism "Live" in November 2003. In November 2005, Floetry resurfaced with the release of their second studio album Flo'Ology. The album spawned the singles "SupaStar" and "Lay Down".

Despite critical and commercial success, the duo was disbanded as Stewart attempted to split from the duo's manager Julius Irving III as Irving wanted to change the group's musical style and image. In response, Ambrosius hired Amanda Seales (then known as Amanda Diva) for a concert tour referred to as the Floetry Remix Tour. Following the conclusion of the tour, Ambrosius and Stewart have pursued solo careers. Since the group's disbandment in 2006, Ambrosius and Stewart have reunited several times, including at a 2014 The Claphand Grand performance; which lead to the Floetry Reunion Tour from 2015-2016. The group reunited again in July 2025 for three performances at the YS Firehouse in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Floetry has sold more than 2 million records worldwide, as of 2016. The duo have three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, five Grammy Awards nominations, three Soul Train Music Awards nominations, and two MOBO Awards.

History

1994–1999: Early beginnings

During her enrollment in North London University, Natalie Stewart formed a poetry group called 3 Plus 1. During that time, Stewart was introduced to Marsha Ambrosius during a rival basketball game. After briefly staying Atlanta, they relocated to Philadelphia. They penned the song "Butterflies" for his album Invincible (2001). featuring productions by Keith "Keshon" Pelzer, Darren "Limitless" Henson, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis, and Ivan "Orthodox" Barias. It also managed to sell over 864,000 copies in the United States alone, earning a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The lead single "Floetic", reached number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number seventy-three on the UK Singles chart. In October 2002, the duo joined India.Arie as the opening act for her Voyage to World Tour. In February 2003, Floetry toured alongside Common during his Electric Circus Tour. In July 2003, Floetry garnered four nominations at Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, of which they won: Best Single by a Group for "Say Yes", Best Album by a Group for Floetic, and Best New Group.

Floetry recorded a live album and concert film at the House of Blues in New Orleans on 3 July 2003. They released their live album Floacism on 18 November 2003,

2005–2006: Flo'Ology

In January 2005, Floetry experienced as a music label roster shift from DreamWorks Records to Geffen Records after the record label became defunct. From July to August 2005, Floetry toured with the Sugar Water Festival. During the tour, the duo made an appearance in season five of spoken word poetry television series Def Poetry Jam. On 8 November 2005, they released their second album Flo'Ology. The album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 and number two on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling over 77,000 copies in its first week. In August 2005, the album's lead single "SupaStar", which featured American rapper Common, peaked at number fifty-five on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Its follow-up single, "Lay Down" performed poorly, and no music video was filmed for it. In March 2006, Floetry headlined their Flo'Ology concert tour.

2007–present: Disbandment and aftermath

Following the disappointment in album sales of Flo'Ology, Floetry's management Julius Irving III encouraged the duo to change their musical style in order to appeal to a wider audience. Irving pressed for Floetry to pursue a more hip-hop sound. Stewart, not wanting to change their sound and positive image, attempted to fire Irving as their management. Ambrosius moved forward with Irving as her manager and signed a solo record deal with Aftermath Entertainment. In June 2007, Ambrosius embarked on the Floetry Remix Tour without Stewart, instead replacing her with American singer Amanda Seales (then known as Amanda Diva). In an interview with Club Shay Shay, Seales remarked that the tour was not well-received nor did Ambrosius ever publicly announced that a lineup change had happened along with the introduction of Seales. Seales also stated that Ambrosius attempted to fight her before a performance at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Atlanta. In response to the Floetry Remix Tour, Stewart did an interview on the Wendy Williams radio show to announce that she was not part of the tour as her likeness was still being used to market the tour. Following the conclusion of the tour, Seales stated that Ambrosius intended to create a new music duo with her called Floetry Remix and record an album but Ambrosius opted not to follow through. In November 2012, Stewart released her second album, Floetry Re:Birth. In March 2014, Stewart released her third album Rise of the Phoenix Mermaid, followed by Ambrosius releasing her second album Friends & Lovers in July 2014.

In December 2014, Ambrosius invited Stewart on-stage to perform "Floetic" during her concert at The Clapham Grand in London. In February 2015, Stewart confirmed that duo would be touring in 2015. On 16 May 2015, Floetry reunited and performed their first show in nine years at Pepsi Funk Festival in College Park, Georgia. Despite announcing they would be recording a new album, Floetry subsequently split after the second leg of their reunion tour in August 2016.

In July 2025, Floetry reunited and performed for three dates at YS Firehouse in Yellow Springs, Ohio. In February 2026, Floetry announced that they had reformed again for Say Yes: The Tour.

Artistry

Musical style and themes

Floetry recorded R&B songs with styles that encompass hip hop and neo soul. The members took on stage names that emphasized their role in the group. Ambrosius, who often performs the chorus and ad-libs, adopted the stage name The Songtress while Stewart, who often performs the individual verses and ad-libs, adopted the stage name The Floacist. Stewart has often described their style as "poetic delivery with musical intent". Floetry have cited Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Fela Kuti as their influences.

Discography

;Studio albums

  • Floetic (2002)
  • Flo'Ology (2005)

Tours

Headlining

  • Floetry Experience (2003)
  • Flo'Ology Tour (2006)
  • Floetry Reunion Tour (2014-2016)
  • Say Yes: The Tour (2026)

Opening act

  • Tanqueray Soul Suite Tour (for Common) (2003)
  • Sugar Water Festival Tour (2005)

Awards and nominations

  • Grammy Awards