''Supernatural'' is the third studio album by British recording artist

Des'ree Desirée Annette Weekes (born 30 November 1968), known by her stage name Des'ree (), is an English pop and soul recording artist and songwriter, who rose to prominence during the 1990s. Known for her distinctive contralto voice and uplifting l ...

. Released by

550 Music 550 Music (originally known as Sony 550 Music) was a unit of Sony Music Entertainment, which operated through Sony Music's Epic Records division while in activity. Launched in 1992, the "550" name was inspired by the address of the Sony building ...

and

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

on 29 June 1998, it follows four years after the singer's previous album, ''

I Ain't Movin' ''I Ain't Movin is the second studio album by British soul singer-songwriter Des'ree. It was released on 9 May 1994 in the UK, and 5 July 1994 in the US by 550 Music and Epic Records, and features the top 5 smash hit, "You Gotta Be". Critical ...

''. Predominantly an R&B album, ''Supernatural'' received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, who praised Des'ree's voice, but noted that the album lacked memorable songs. The album appeared on several

record charts A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, ofte ...

, reaching the top ten in

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and the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, and the top twenty in

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France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. "

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

" was released as the

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

from ''Supernatural'', while " I'm Kissing You" was released as a single for the soundtrack of the 1996 film ''

Romeo + Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet or Romeo & Juliet may also refer to: Ballets * ''Romeo and Juliet'', a ballet score by Constant Lambert * Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev), ''Romeo and Juliet'' (Prokofiev), a ...

''. "Life" became a major hit for Des'ree and charted well, topping the singles charts of

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and the

. Her 1994 hit, "

You Gotta Be "You Gotta Be" is an R&B/ soul song by British singer and songwriter Des'ree, written by her with Ashley Ingram, who produced the song. It is the third track on the singer's second album, '' I Ain't Movin (1994), and the opening track on ...

", was remixed and included as a bonus track in the UK edition of ''Supernatural'', reaching the top 10 in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

and the United Kingdom, while topping the singles chart of

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Background

Des'ree's previous album, ''

'', was released in 1994. Its

, "

", was a hit in the United States, reaching number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The singer took a four-year break before releasing ''Supernatural'', which she said made her nervous. "But I said to myself, 'I'd rather have that absence and come out with a stunning record than feel the pressure to come out with something earlier and the record be mediocre. Polly Anthony, president of

, said that the record label had been "patiently waiting" for ''Supernatural'', and was comfortable with artists working within their own timeframes.

Composition

''Supernatural'' is an R&B and pop album, and uses acoustic guitar and light

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, and classical music, for the low-pitched P ...

String instrument In musical instrument classification, string instruments, or chordophones, are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer strums, plucks, strikes or sounds the strings in varying manners. Musicians play some ...

s, percussion and synthesisers are also used. ''

Dayton Daily News The ''Dayton Daily News'' (''DDN'') is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises, Inc., a privately held global conglomerate headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, with approximately 55,000 employee ...

A. M. Jamison wrote, "On ''Supernatural'', Des'ree's voice is the main instrument". It opens with "What's Your Sign?", a song about

astrological compatibility Astrological compatibility (synastry) is the branch of the astrology, that is meant to show compatibility of romantic partners. A natal horoscope is a chart or map of the angles of the planets in the Solar System and their positions in the zodia ...

. Des'ree says it was written because of her own interest in astrological horoscopes, but she is also "fascinated by people's fascination with it, especially within the usicindustry". In "God Only Knows" Des'ree mentions her

overthinking Analysis paralysis (or paralysis by analysis) describes an individual or group process where overanalyzing or overthinking a situation can cause forward motion or decision-making to become " paralyzed", meaning that no solution or course of acti ...

, while in "

" she sings about superstitions.

Release and promotion

''Supernatural'' was released by Sony Soho² in the UK on 29 June 1998, and by

and

in the United States on 11 August 1998. The album was re-issued in Japan on 9 September 1998. This edition contains two bonus tracks – "Warm Hands, Cold Heart" and "Soul Paradise. " I'm Kissing You" was released as the soundtrack single for

Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962) is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor whose various projects extend from film and television into opera, theatre, music, and the recording industries. He is regarded by ...

's 1996 film ''

'' on 18 June 1997 and was included on its

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( ...

. It reached number seventeen on the Australian Singles Chart. "

" was released as the album's lead single in Europe on 2 June 1998 and in the United Kingdom on 8 June. It reached number one on the

Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired on Tuesdays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as ...

and the Dutch

Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Du ...

, while reaching the top ten in Australia, Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The song "Fire", a duet with

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

and a cover of the

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

song was released as promotional single in the US on 16 June 1998. A music video was made to accompany the release and it was featured on the '' Hav Plenty'' film soundtrack. " What's Your Sign?" was released on 30 September 1998 as the second single from the album. It peaked at number nineteen in the UK, and attained top-fifty places in Austria, France, New Zealand and Switzerland. "God Only Knows" was released as the album's third single only in Japan on 21 January 1999. On 22 March 1999, "You Gotta Be" was released for the third time in the UK because of its use in the 1999

Ford Focus The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1998 until 2025. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worl ...

advertising campaign. This version charted within the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart for the first time. Due to the success of this mix, "You Gotta Be" (1999 Mix) replaced "Fire" as the eleventh track on UK physical copies of ''Supernatural'' following the re-issue on 14 December 1998.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's Michael Gallucci awarded ''Supernatural'' two and a half out of five stars, calling the songs "forgettable" but commending Des'ree's voice. Angela Lewis of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' positively reviewed the album, stating that Des'ree is "as gorgeously earthy and organic as she used to be, if not quite as fascinating". Writing for ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'', J. D. Considine noted ''Supernatural'' as "exquisitely listenable" and complimented Des'ree's voice for its "depth and complexity". A. M. Jamison from the ''

'' praised Des'ree's optimistic lyrics and described the record as refreshing.

Commercial reception

''Supernatural'' debuted at number 185 on the United States ''Billboard'' 200, on the issue dated 5 September 1998. On 12 September it fell to number 187, before slipping off the chart the following week. On the

Top R&B Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

appeared at number 72 on the chart of 5 September, moving to number 82 the next issue. In its third week, it jumped to number 73, while its final week on the component chart was spent at number 96 on 26 September 1998. ''Supernatural'' sold 50,000 copies in the US, while ''I Ain't Movin sold 500,000 and went Gold. In Europe, ''Supernatural'' reached the top ten of album charts in Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland, and the top twenty in Flanders, France, Norway and Sweden, and number twenty-three in Wallonia. On the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

, it debuted at number sixteen, and spent nine weeks on the chart. In Australia, the album peaked at number twenty-seven, lasting eleven weeks on the chart. In New Zealand, ''Supernatural'' appeared at number forty-one on the chart dated 4 October 1998, before falling off the chart.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits for ''Supernatural'', adapted from

: *Timothy Atack – mixing, production *

– production *

Paul Buckmaster Paul John Buckmaster (13 June 1946 – 7 November 2017) was a British cellist, arranger, conductor and composer, with a career spanning five decades. He is best known for his orchestral collaborations with David Bowie, Shawn Phillips, Elton Joh ...

– conducting, mixing *Steve "Barney" Cahse –

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

, mixing *Jason Clift – mixing *Des'ree – executive production, production, vocals *

Anne Dudley Anne Jennifer Dudley (née Beckingham; born 7 May 1956) is an English composer, keyboardist, conductor and pop musician. She was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in the classical and pop genre ...

– conducting, mixing *Simon Hale – conducting, mixing *Ashley Ingram – conducting, mixing, production *Steve MacMillan – engineering *Will Malone – conducting, mixing *Peter Lord Moreland – production *Peter Moshay – engineering *Rick Nowels – production * Michael Peden – production *V. Jeffrey Smith – production *Mario Sorrenti – photography *

Mark "Spike" Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & the Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sheeran, ...

– mixing *Brian Tench – engineering, mixing, production

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1998 albums Des'ree albums Albums produced by Rick Nowels Albums produced by Mike Peden