Des'ree

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title: "Des'ree" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1968-births", "living-people", "english-women-singer-songwriters", "english-singer-songwriters", "english-soul-musicians", "english-contraltos", "neo-soul-singers", "brit-award-winners", "alumni-of-camberwell-college-of-arts", "english-soul-singers", "english-people-of-barbadian-descent", "english-people-of-guyanese-descent", "20th-century-black-british-women-singers", "20th-century-english-women-singers", "singers-from-the-london-borough-of-croydon", "people-from-croydon", "550-music-artists", "s2-records-artists", "21st-century-black-british-women-singers", "21st-century-english-women-singers", "world-music-awards-winners", "english-contemporary-r&b-singers"] description: "British pop singer (born 1968)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des'ree" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British pop singer (born 1968) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

Field	Value
name	Des'ree
birth_name	Desirée Annette Weekes
birth_date
birth_place	Croydon, London, England
genre	{{Flatlist
occupation	Singer, songwriter
years_active	1991–present
label	Epic Records, Sony Soho Square, 550, Stargazer Records
::

| image = | caption = | name = Des'ree | birth_name = Desirée Annette Weekes | alias = | birth_date = | birth_place = Croydon, London, England | genre = {{Flatlist|

• R&B
• pop
• soul
• adult contemporary | occupation = Singer, songwriter | years_active = 1991–present | label = Epic Records, Sony Soho Square, 550, Stargazer Records | website =

Desirée Annette Weekes is a British pop and soul recording artist and songwriter, who rose to prominence during the 1990s. Known for her distinctive contralto voice and uplifting lyrics, Des'ree's biggest hits include the singles "Feel So High", "You Gotta Be", and "Life", as well as the ballad "Kissing You", which featured on the soundtrack of the 1996 film Romeo + Juliet. She was named Best British Female at the 1999 Brit Awards. Her other accolades include an Ivor Novello Award, a World Music Award, and four BMI Awards.

Early life

Des'ree was born in Croydon, South London, on 30 November 1968. Her mother is from British Guiana (now Guyana), and her father is from Barbados. She was introduced to reggae, calypso, and jazz music by her parents. The family lived in Barbados for three years before returning to the UK when Des'ree was a teenager. Prior to entering the music business, her parents had hoped she would study law at university.

Career

1990s: Career beginnings and international success

In 1991, at the age of 22 and with no connections in the music industry, Des'ree was signed to Sony 550, having been encouraged by her then-boyfriend to send a demo tape to the label. In 1993, Des'ree collaborated with Terence Trent D'Arby on the song "Delicate", which hit the UK top 20. Next, she performed for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican City's inaugural concert of secular music, which aired on Italian television in December 1993; the event, Concerto di Natale, has been held with different artists every Christmas in the years since.

In 1994, Des'ree's single "You Gotta Be" entered the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 5. It became the most-played music video on VH1 that year, and remained on the Billboard Recurrent Airplay Chart for nineteen months. Her many live performances of the song include a 1995 episode of Saturday Night Live and the closing ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Des'ree's second album, I Ain't Movin', was released in May 1994, selling in excess of 2.5 million copies worldwide and earning positive reviews, with the Chicago Tribune commending its lyrical content and Des'ree's "beautiful, dusky voice". The record's success led to a tour with Seal, which took place across North America between November 1994 and July 1995. performing said track, "Kissing You", as Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes' characters meet for the first time.{{Cite web|url= https://youtube.com/watch?v=8JoOpx6VwHk|title=Romeo + Juliet (1996) - Love at First Sight Scene|date=9 October 2015 |publisher=YouTube|access-date=6 August 2024}} "Kissing You" was roundly praised by critics, and went on to receive a Satellite Award nomination for Best Original Song.

In 1997, Des'ree provided vocals for the Steve Winwood track "Plenty Lovin'". The following year, her single "Life" became a hit in Europe, reaching number 1 in many countries, as well as in Japan. In 2007, a BBC Radio 6 listeners' poll declared the song as featuring the "worst lyric in pop", its offending lines being, "I don't want to see a ghost / it's the sight that I fear most / I'd rather have a piece of toast / watch the evening news". The album from which the single was taken, Supernatural, was released in June 1998 to positive reviews, with American music critic J. D. Considine calling it "exquisitely listenable". Supernatural was successful across Europe, hitting the top 5 in Italy and the Netherlands, and peaking at number 16 in the UK. It was less successful in the United States, reaching number 185 on the Billboard 200.

On 16 February 1999, Des'ree was named Best British Female Solo Artist at the Brit Awards. and collaborated with Ladysmith Black Mambazo on their cover of "Ain't No Sunshine", which peaked at number 42 in the UK. She subsequently put her music career on hold to focus on her private life.

2000s–present: Hiatus, other ventures, and return to music

Following the 2000 release of Endangered Species, a collection of B-sides and live tracks, Des'ree contributed vocals to the charity single "Wake Up the Morning", which was released in November 2001 to mark the first anniversary of the killing of Damilola Taylor. Next, she performed a sung sonnet from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice on the compilation album When Love Speaks. Her fourth album, Dream Soldier, was released in March 2003, with lead single "It's Okay" reaching number 69 in the UK. Dream Soldier was not a commercial or critical success, which led to her parting ways with Sony,

In 2008, Des'ree performed at the O2 Arena for Young Voices' "Big Sing" charity concert, where she helped break the world record for "most people simultaneously singing the same song" by leading 600,000 schoolchildren across the UK in singing her hit, "You Gotta Be". In 2011, she sang a lullaby on the sleep therapy CD, Sleep Talk Lullaby.

Des'ree's first album in sixteen years, A Love Story, was released by her own label, Stargazer Records, on 11 October 2019. She had begun work on the album in 2014, but took an extended break to care for her mother. *MusicOMH*s Nick Smith awarded it four stars out of five, noting the "subtle beauty and emotional power" of Des'ree's voice, and calling the album "a solid and engaging return".

Other work

"Silent Hero", written by Des'ree and Prince Sampson, featured in Spike Lee's 1995 film Clockers; "Feel So High" (Des'ree, Michael Graves) featured in the 1996 film Set It Off; "Crazy Maze" (Des'ree, Peter Lord Moreland, Vernon Jeffrey Smith) featured in the 1997 film Nothing to Lose; and "You Gotta Be" (Des'ree, Ashley Ingram) featured in both The Next Karate Kid (1994) and The Object of My Affection (1998), as well as the opening sequence number of the 2021 film Cinderella starring Camila Cabello.

Lawsuits

In 1997, Des'ree's hit "Feel So High" was interpolated into the Janet Jackson song "Got 'til It's Gone" (from Jackson's album The Velvet Rope), without due credit being given to Des'ree as a contributor.{{Cite web|url= https://youtube.com/watch?v=TlkZ5-pHi_0|title=Janet Jackson / Des'ree Comparison|date=21 May 2008 |publisher=YouTube|access-date=6 August 2024}} Subsequent releases containing the track would list Des'ree as one of its writers, following a successful lawsuit against Jackson.

In 2007, Des'ree filed a lawsuit against Beyoncé, claiming that the singer's cover of her song "Kissing You"—retitled "Still in Love (Kissing You)" and featured on the album B'Day—was released without permission. The case was later dismissed, but not before editions of the album featuring the song were pulled from sale.

Personal life

Des'ree is a vegetarian. In 2002, she took courses in photography and ceramics at the Camberwell College of Arts.

Accolades

Billboard Music Awards ::data[format=table]

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
1995	"You Gotta Be"	Adult Contemporary Single of the Year
::

BMI London Awards ::data[format=table]

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
2002	"You Gotta Be"	3 Million Award	rowspan=3
2007	4 Million Award
2015	5 Million Award
::

BMI Pop Awards ::data[format=table]

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
1996	"You Gotta Be"	Song of the Year
::

Brit Awards ::data[format=table]

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
1995	rowspan=2	British Female Solo Artist
1999
"Life"	British Single of the Year
::

Cash Box Year-End Awards ::data[format=table]

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
1995		Top New Female Artist	rowspan=2
"You Gotta Be"	Top Pop Single
::

Ivor Novello Awards ::data[format=table]

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
1995	"You Gotta Be"	Best Contemporary Song
1999	"Life"	International Hit of the Year
::

MTV Video Music Awards ::data[format=table]

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
1995		Best New Artist	rowspan=2
"You Gotta Be"	Best Female Video
::

---

::data[format=table]

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
1999	"Life"	Catchy Tune of 1998
::

Satellite Awards ::data[format=table]

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
1997	"Kissing You"	Best Original Song
::

World Music Awards ::data[format=table]

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
1999		World's Best-Selling British Artist
::

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

::data[format=table] | Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | UK | AUS | GER | NLD | NZ | US | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1992 | Mind Adventures | 26 | 39 | 53 | 57 | — | — | | | | 1994 | I Ain't Movin' | 13 | 14 | 91 | 77 | 9 | 27 | | | | 1998 | Supernatural | 16 | 27 | 17 | 4 | 41 | 185 | | | | 2003 | Dream Soldier | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | 2019 | A Love Story | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | "—" denotes releases that were not released in that country or did not chart. | | | | | | | | | | ::

Compilation albums

::data[format=table] | Title | Album details | Mystic Mixes | Endangered Species | |---|---|---|---| | | | | | | | | | | ::

Singles

::data[format=table title="List of singles released, showing selected chart positions and certifications"] | Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | UK | AUS Australian (ARIA) chart peaks: | GER | IRE | ITA | NLD | SPA | US | "Feel So High"1 | "Mind Adventures" | "Why Should I Love You" | "You Gotta Be" | "I Ain't Movin' | "Little Child" | "I'm Kissing You" | "Life" | "What's Your Sign?" | "You Gotta Be" (remix)3 | "It's Okay" | "Why?" | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1991 | 13 | 28 | 15 | 20 | — | 25 | — | 67 | | Mind Adventures | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1992 | 43 | 89 | 94 | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 44 | 102 | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1994 | 14 | 9 | 79 | — | 15 | 47 | — | 5 | | ''I Ain't Movin''' | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 44 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 69 | 210 | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1997 | 83 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | | Romeo + Juliet | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1998 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | | Supernatural | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19 | 167 | 65 | — | — | 70 | 1 | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1999 | 10 | — | 76 | — | — | 77 | 1 | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2003 | 69 | 96 | — | — | 59 | — | — | — | | Dream Soldier | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | "—" denotes releases that were not released in that country or did not chart. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

Notes

• 1 "Feel So High" originally peaked at number 51 on the UK singles chart in 1991. It was re-released in 1992 and peaked at number 13. In the US, the single featured on ''I Ain't Movin''' and did not chart until 1995.
• 3 "Fire" was included on the 1998 edition of Supernatural as track 11. "You Gotta Be" replaced it when a new edition of the album was released in 1999.

As a featured artist

::data[format=table] | Song | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | UK UK chart peaks as featured artist: | AUS | GER | IRE | NLD | "Delicate" (Terence Trent D'Arby, featuring Des'ree) | "Ain't No Sunshine" (Ladysmith Black Mambazo, featuring Des'ree) | "Wake Up the Morning" (Together As One) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1993 | 14 | 99 | 56 | 23 | 45 | Symphony or Damn | | | | | | | 1999 | 42 | — | — | — | — | In Harmony | | | | | | | 2001 | 161 | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | "—" denotes releases that were not released in that country or did not chart. | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

Promotional singles

::data[format=table] | Title | Year | Album | "Sun of '79" | "Competitive World" | "Fire" (with Babyface) | "God Only Knows" | "Best Days" | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1992 | Mind Adventures | | | | | | | | 1998 | Supernatural | | | | | | | | 1999 | | | | | | | | ::

References

References

1. "Images for Des'ree - Supernatural".
2. (28 November 2012). "R.E.M win International Group presented by Des'ree ". BRITs.
3. Hocter, Matthew. (6 May 2024). "Des'ree's 'I Ain't Movin'{{‘}} Turns 30".
4. Humphrey, Aaliyah. "My Contribution to the 'Pick a Letter' Song Challenge: "K-L"". [[Medium (website).
5. Hocter, Matthew. (7 August 1998). "The deification of Des'ree". [[The Irish Times]].
6. Nina Myskow, [https://www.thefreelibrary.com/star+challenge%3A+Hanging+on+the+telephone+with...+Des%27ree.-a098788894 "star challenge: Hanging on the telephone with... Des'ree."], ''Daily Mirror'', 15 March 2003
7. Briton Hadden, Henry Robinson Luce (1995), ''[[Time (magazine). Time]]'', Volume 145, Issues 18–26, 1995.
8. Billboard]]'', 13 June 1998.
9. Mann, Sam. "Living a Dream; British Soul Diva Des'ree Comes Back Fighting".
10. (18 March 2010). "Ford - Crowd". [[YouTube]].
11. (3 October 2019). "February 11, 1995 – Bob Newhart / Des'ree (S20 E12)".
12. (8 August 2020). "You Gotta Be Kidding Me: The Timelessness of Des'ree's Empowering Anthem". musicology.blog.
13. (10 November 1994). "Des'ree I Ain't Movin' (Sony 550)".
14. (23 April 2013). "Romeo and Juliet Fish Tank Scene Makes Us Want to Dress Like an Angel".
15. Considine, J. D.. (7 November 1996). "CD Reviews – William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet Music from the Motion Picture". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
16. Lipper, Kate. (13 December 1996). "'Romeo & Juliet' Soundtrack". [[Richmond Times-Dispatch]].
17. (4 May 2007). "Des'ree takes bad lyric top spot". BBC.
18. Lewis, Angela. (20 June 1998). "Jazz: Album Reviews". [[The Independent]].
19. Considine, J. D.. (21 August 1998). "Music Review: 'Supernatural'".
20. "Brit award winner Des'ree performs during 'Here, There and Everywhere,' a charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall, in memory of Sir Paul McCartneys' late wife Linda. The soul singer sang the Beatles classic 'Blackbird' at the concert.". [[Alamy]].
21. (26 November 2001). "Stars release Damilola tribute single". BBC News.
22. "Des'ree". [[Apple Music]].
23. (27 November 2008). "Pembrokeshire-led Big Sing aims to smash its own record".
24. (15 April 2011). "Sleep Hypnotherapy - Sleep Talk Lullaby by Julie LangtonSmith and Des'ree". [[YouTube]].
25. Bond, Nick. (10 September 2019). "Whatever happened to Life and Kissing You singer Des'ree?".
26. (4 November 2019). "You Gotta Be singer Des'ree returns with new album after career break".
27. (18 January 2022). "Des'ree – A Love Story". [[musicOMH]].
28. (1997). "Janet* Featuring Q-Tip and Joni Mitchell – Got 'til It's Gone". [[Discogs]].
29. Hyland, Ian. (31 May 1998). "Des'ree wins pounds 2m in Janet Jackson song copying war". Sunday Mirror.
30. (2007-04-18). "Des'ree sues Beyonce over song". [[Metro (British newspaper).
31. "3. Rock/pop music and vegetarianism". [[International Vegetarian Union]].
32. Sloan, Ben. (27 October 2009). "Des'ree - 60 Seconds Extra!". [[Metro (British newspaper).
33. "Billboard: 1995 Year-End Chart-Toppers".
34. (24 October 2002). "BMI London Awards".
35. (16 October 2007). "2007 BMI London Awards: Song List".
36. (19 October 2015). "Graham Gouldman and Top Songwriters Honored at 2015 BMI London Awards".
37. (June 1996). "Billboard".
38. "BRIT Awards 1995". [[YouTube]].
39. "BRIT Awards 1999". [[YouTube]].
40. "Cash Box - A Rear View of '95".
41. "1995 MTV Music Video Awards".
42. (27 June 2015). "RSH Gold 1999".
43. "Des'ree - Awards". [[IMDb]].
44. "Des'ree (b.1968)". [[National Portrait Gallery, London.
45. "Des'ree". [[Official Charts Company]].
46. "charts.nz > Des'ree in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien.
47. "Billboard > Des'ree Chart History > Billboard 200".
48. "BPI > Certified Awards > Search results for 'Mind Adventures' (from bpi.co.uk)". [[British Phonographic Industry.
49. "BPI > Certified Awards > Search results for 'I Ain't Movin' (from bpi.co.uk)". BPI.
50. Scapolo, Dean. (2007). "The Complete New Zealand Music Charts: 1966–2006". Dean Scapolo and Maurienne House.
51. "BPI > Certified Awards > Search results for 'Supernatural' (from bpi.co.uk)". BPI.
52. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts > Suchen nach "Des'ree"". GfK Entertainment.
53. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know > Search results for 'Des'ree'". Fireball Media.
54. "Hit Parade Italia > Indice per Interprete: D". HitParadeItalia.
55. "dutchcharts.nl > Des'ree in Dutch Charts". Hung Medien.
56. (16 January 1999). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc..
57. "Billboard > Des'ree Chart History > Hot 100".
58. "You Gotta Be".
59. "I'm Kissing You".
60. "Life".
61. Ryan, Gavin. (2011). "Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010". Moonlight Publishing.
62. Roberts, David. (2006). "British Hit Singles & Albums". Guinness World Records Limited.

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