Los Angeles singer, songwriter and producer Merce is stepping into a new chapter of her career with “My Guy,” a new single from her forthcoming debut solo album, “ALIVE.”

The atmospheric track pairs Merce with longtime collaborators Rick Friedrich, who has worked with The Roots, and Kush Oxford, whose credits include Estelle. But for an artist whose career stretches back to the early days of the neo-soul movement, “My Guy” also represents something more personal: learning to trust the direction her life is taking.

“‘My Guy’ is less about a guy I didn’t align with and more about reassuring myself that there’s no need to cry. Who or what is meant for me will not pass me by. The music is atmospheric and moody with a march-like quality that feels like the path I’m on, the twisting, winding road to my highest good,” Merce said.

The single arrives as Merce prepares to release “ALIVE,” an album developed following the death of her partner in life and music, Richard Nichols. The project explores grief, resilience and renewal as Merce navigated the loss while raising their son, who has autism and developmental disabilities.

Musically, the album moves between acoustic and electronic elements while incorporating the layered harmonies that have been a hallmark of Merce’s work. She also takes on a larger creative role with the project as an independent artist, producer and creator, extending its concept into visual and live performance elements.

The solo project follows a career that began decades earlier.

Performing under her given name, Mercedes Martinez, Merce became a founding member of The Jazzyfatnastees in 1992. The group emerged at the intersection of R&B and hip-hop during a period that would help give rise to the neo-soul movement.

After initially signing with Fathouse, an imprint of Tommy Boy Records, The Jazzyfatnastees later worked with The Roots and relocated to Philadelphia. The original quartet eventually became a duo featuring Merce and Tracey Moore.

The Jazzyfatnastees went on to work with artists including Eric Benét, Meshell Ndegeocello, De La Soul, Stevie Wonder and The Brand New Heavies. Their debut album, “The Once and Future,” featured contributions from Questlove and producer Scott Storch.

The group released three albums and performed internationally, including appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival and London’s Jazz Café. In 1999, The Jazzyfatnastees received a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award nomination and later appeared on the soundtracks for “The Hurricane” and “In Too Deep.”

Merce also helped build a platform for other musicians through Black Lily, a women-centered live music series co-founded by The Jazzyfatnastees with manager and producer Nichols.

Beginning at New York’s Wetlands in 1999 before establishing a home at The Five Spot in Philadelphia, Black Lily combined live performances, artist residencies and an open-mic format. Its events eventually expanded beyond Philadelphia to San Francisco, Washington, France and Japan.

The platform also developed into the Black Lily Film & Music Festivals, which featured performers including Toshi Reagon, Amy Winehouse, Alice Smith, Jean Grae, Jill Scott and Kindred the Family Soul.

With “ALIVE,” Merce is moving from a career built largely through groups and collaborations toward a project centered entirely on her own perspective.

“My Guy,” accompanied by a music video, serves as an introduction to that transition, turning a relationship that did not work out into a broader reflection on accepting what comes next.