The UK duo struck gold with their debut Floetic, but for whatever reason Flo'Ology didn't get the same amount of love and it was a tight album, with this track as a perfect example. After high school, she decided to pursue music as a professional career and enrolled in the Berkley College of Music in Boston. Goapele Mohlabane started singing as a child, and at age 14 she joined the Oakland Youth Chorus.

'Closer' came from their criminally underrated second album, Flo'Ology. Goapele (pronounced gwa-puh-LAY) means to move forward in Sitswana, a South African dialect. And for those who may have missed the song by some stroke of misfortune, it was even included on her sophomore Columbia release.Īnother neo-soul fan favorite, Marsha and Natalie Stewart stepped onto the scene in the late '90s, flexing their songwriting talents for various artists before branching out to cut their own records as Floetry. Goapele broke out in 2002 with the independent release of her debut album, Even Closer, buoyed by the feel-good song 'Closer.' Columbia Records took notice of the Bay-area songstress, picked her up, rereleased the album in '04 and the song became a national hit amongst the neo-soul set.

And who better to put the duo up against than Goapele with their identically-named songs 'Closer.' Since Marsha Ambrosius got some Act Right, it's high time toĪdd Floetry to a Battle of the Beats.

Goapele closer album version