Alternative- Soul Musician Dessireé drops off her creative new EP dubbed ‘Tell Me Y’ – a mesmerising insight into the songwriting, artistry and self-production of the South-East London songstress. Dessireé fuses her jazz-infused sound with raw, soothing vocals and empowering lyricism, delivering a candid outlook on the reality of being a black woman in the modern world. The rising star takes that nostalgic, classic sound and adds a contemporary spin with a refreshing message. Dessireé is quickly proving herself as a one-woman musical powerhouse with myriads of rhythms that will transport you to a different place and time.
Discussing the new EP, Dessireé shares: “I wanted to create a project that is a raw and true declaration of my vulnerability and expression as a black woman. Each song is a reflection of a different character and energy I find within myself. Society has consistently put black women in a box but this project is an opposition to that ideology. My core message for the entire project is to represent the freedom for black women to be who they want to be without being put in a box, to take whatever form they desire free from society’s ideals. Tell me Y I cant be stern and sexy. Tell me Y I can’t be vulnerable. Tell me Y I can’t be me. The aim is to break the usual stereotypes we are faced surrounding our vulnerability and the many forms we can assume. It intends to celebrate our femininity, sensuality and sensitivity by offering that expression from my experience in the project.”
“Each song is a reflection of a different character and energy I find within myself. I creatively directed and produced a shoot where I brought these characters to life. There are seven tracks on the EP so there are seven different characters/energies for each song. For the first track ‘Insanity’ I assumed the character of ‘Miss Dessy’ because that’s what the school kids used to call me when I was a teacher before I started doing music. I also wrote the song at that time too. For the 4th track ‘Unrequited’ I assumed the energy of ‘Housewife Dessy’ because it’s about unrequited love. I was inspired by my heartbreak but also the 1950-60’s era when gender roles were a lot more prominent. The woman’s role was to be a housewife and take care of the kids, whilst the men would work long hours and sometimes cheat on their wives and then come home to a full plate of dinner.”
Dessireé is an Alternative- Soul Musician. Her first, self- produced single ‘Want You To Be Mine’ was released independently in July 2019 currently amassing over 20,000 views on YouTube. Her second single ‘Ladybug’ expressed the journey of innocence to womanhood and the enlightening journey of being a woman in society. Her third single ‘Peppermint Tea’ debuted on BBC Sounds Radio by Jamz Supernova in May 2020 and has been featured in a number of Spotify playlists and magazines such as New Wave Mag, Dummy Mag, No Signal: Soul Surge and The Pit Ldn. Dessireé released the single of her Debut EP in April 2021 to exceptional review by New Wave Mag. Her full length EP has been funded by the British Arts Council and is set to release November 30th.
