While known for writing songs for the likes of Rihanna (“Cheers”) and Katy Perry (“Teenage Dream”), Stacy Barthe got her big break when penning Britney Spears’ single, “Blur,” from the pop star’s sixth studio album, Circus. “Blur,” recounts a night of continuous intoxication, and that Las Vegas, Hangover moment people so readily reenact the morning after. “The song came from me drinking with some friends,” says the Brooklyn, New York native. “It’s about basically being hung over the next morning, [and] not knowing what you did [the] night [before] because of being too intoxicated.” But what Barthe thought ended as just a night on the town really turned into the start of a legitimate music career.

The alto singer got a call to come into a studio and write a song for Spears, and when sitting down she remembered her night out and thought, ‘Why not?’ Soon after, the songwriter-turned-singer got a call saying Britney and her team loved the song—but the funny part, remembering the song she wrote was, ironically, all a blur.

From that point forward, Barthe was in the fast lane. She soon found herself working with Melanie Fiona, Alicia Keys, John Legend and most recently sat down with T.I. and Andre 3000 for Tip’s first single, “Sorry,” from his eighth studio album, Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head. But while many may look at the Northern-bred songwriter’s career as pure success, Stacy doesn’t see it that way. “I don’t think I’ve had like my real big, big break to remember as a songwriter. But I think definitely in 2013…a lot of things I planned are definitely gonna come into fruition.” Songwriting will always be in Barthe’s future, but that’s not the only thing she has up her sleeve for the coming year. Writing for Rihanna and Katy is one thing, working alongside Akon and P. Diddy another, but a singing career all her own is dream slowly coming to life.

Currently gearing up for the release of her debut EP with Motown Records, P.S. I Love You, this mellifluous songbird is bringing the heart of soul to the forefront. As the voice of tomorrow, Stacy honors the late and great singers of the past with every note she sings. Fulfilling the sounds of Sade, Ella Fitzgerald and Lauryn Hill in songs like “Flawed Beautiful Creatures,” the New York-born vocalist delivers a soulful and melodic groove with her soft vocals. Singing a legato tune, Barthe’s sound will take audiences to a world of relaxation on undiscovered beaches. And as Puffy and others openly recognize the raw talent that lies within Stacy’s alto sound, the Motown songstress admits while music may be her life now, there will be much more to help describe her as time goes on.

“Music is like 1/10th of all the things that I want to do in my lifetime,” she says. “I would want to be writing scripts and developing shows and movies and writing books. I’m also a chef. I want to open a restaurant eventually.” In the end, the only thing this musically-infused persona will have to say is, “Sincerely Yours, Stacy Barthe.”