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HelloBeautiful.com’s “Base Level” column features the hottest new artists we’re buzzing about. Before they make it to the summit of superstardom, we spot them at base level–the beginning of their hopeful journey to the top.

Rihanna, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Alicia Keys could take all the credit for their success, if they wanted, but they’d be doing songwriter Stacy Barthe an injustice. Her pen laid the foundation for some their most popular hits including Rihanna’s song “Cheers.” The Grammy-nominated artist is one of those entertainers who keep you locked into her sound with her soulful voice. Her smile is warming like it is welcoming you to her story.

She recently released her debut single “Hell Yeah” featuring the Bawse Rick Ross under Motown Records. The Brooklyn songbird, who recently lost a whopping 157 pounds, told TheGrio “I’m not losing weight for aesthetic purposes, I’m losing weight because I want to live. I just want to feel good. I was borderline suicidal… I just wasn’t in a good place.”

Get the basics on Stacy, below:

Interview by: Danielle Young

Name: Stacy Barthe, honestly I don’t know what else to call myself.

Age: 27

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Who are you listening To: Right now I’m listening Jay-Z (always), I never get tired of him. A$AP Rocky, Miguel…

Musical inspirations: Always been a fan of Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill, Shade, Elephants Gerald, Nina Simone, Anita Baker. I’ve always loved people with tones. Even Brandy has one of the most amazing tones. Whitney Houston–I remember she was like the first I saw and I remember it made me be like ‘Oh I wanna sing.’

Biggest break: The first time was when I heard myself on an actually radio station. I heard my vocals on TI, Andre 3000 record “Sorry”. I did the hook for T.I like a year before that and I didn’t know that he was going to keep it. When I heard it and heard my vocals, that’s the first time I heard myself on the radio. I kinda was like tripping.

Biggest fear as a new artist: I really do feel like I’m going to connect with people because I’m coming from a people stand point. The everyday woman and just all the things we go through. All the people I talk to, will be like OMG I totally related.

Do you have a name for your sound? My friend Elle Varner and I came up with the idea, it’s called “Nouveau Noir” if you listen to each of us we’re kind of “genreless” and colorless. We make the music we feel. From “Kaleidoscope Dream” to “Imperfectly Perfect,” we’re not just R&B. We don’t have a genre, we’re just doing what we feel.

Was being an artist always your passion? I wanted to, I was in and out with it. My partner and I decided we’re going to do this artist thing. I was literally 316 pounds when I got signed. It didn’t matter that I was that size, I was giving you the music. I never really thought I could do that until recently. I was tired of trying to shop songs to people and making music that I didn’t necessarily care about. Everyone wants the party song nobody wants to sing the right song until really until after Adele. Before everyone just wanted a dance record, a club record. I was tired of making that kind of music.

If you were the child of two musical artists who would they be? Lenny Kravitz and Lauryn Hill, that would be an interesting mix.

Give “P.S I Love You” a listen:

MORE FROM OUR BASE LEVEL COLUMN:

BASE LEVEL: B. Smyth Doesn’t Mind Being Compared To Chris Brown

BASE LEVEL: Tinashe Is More Than Just A Pretty Chick

BASE LEVEL: What’s So Special About Mackey?

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