Editing Princess (singer)

{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name              = Princess
| image             = 
| image_size        = 
| caption           = Princess' debut album cover.
| background        = solo_singer
| birth_name        = Desiree Carole Heslop
| alias             = Princess<br>
HRS Princess
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1961|11|28|df=y}}
| birth_place       = [[London]], [[England]]
| instrument        = Vocals
| genre             = {{hlist|[[R&B]]<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/princess-mn0001358706 Princess] All music  Retrieved 28 March 2025</ref>|[[Soul music|soul]]|[[disco]]|[[synth-pop]]|[[contemporary R&B]]}}
| occupation        = Singer, songwriter
| years_active      = 1983–present
| label             = {{hlist|[[Supreme Records UK|Supreme]]|[[Sony BMG Music Entertainment]]|[[Universal Music Group]]|[[Warner Music Group]]}}
}}

'''Desiree Carole Heslop''' (born 28 November 1961), best known as '''Princess''', is a British soul singer who found chart success in the mid-1980s. In the early 1980s, she worked with the afro soul group [[Osibisa]]. She is best known for her hit single "[[Say I'm Your Number One]]" which made the UK Top Ten in 1985.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> 

==Career==
Princess initially started out in law as a secretary and sales assistant. During her first year of college she sang vocals on a punk rock track. Before going solo, she was a backing vocalist for the band [[Osibisa]] in the early 1980s.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N-A3Uhb20xsC&q=osibisa+desiree&pg=PT185|title=Osibisa: Living in the State of Happy Vibes and Criss Cross Rhythms|last=Aniagolu|first=Charles|date=2004|publisher=Trafford Publishing|isbn=9781412021067|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.softshoe-slim.com/lists/o/osibisa.html|title=Osibisa Albums|website=www.softshoe-slim.com|access-date=2019-03-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030510053040/http://www.softshoe-slim.com/lists/o/osibisa.html|archive-date=10 May 2003}}</ref> She recorded sessions on the [[Brilliant (band)|Brilliant]] album ''Kiss The Lips of Life'', which brought her to the attention of producers [[Stock Aitken Waterman]] (SAW).

Princess also sang backing vocals for artists such as [[Precious Wilson]] and [[Evelyn "Champagne" King]]. In 1985, Princess, known as Desiree at the time, collaborated with 501's, and released the single "Let the Night Take the Blame", which was released under [[Fanfare Records]]. The single failed to chart.

Her debut solo album ''Princess'' (1986) was composed and produced by SAW which contained the [[hit single]], "[[Say I'm Your Number One (song)|Say I'm Your Number One]]". The album spawned five charting singles,<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite web|last1=Wynn|first1=Ron|title=Artist Biography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/princess-mn0001358706/biography|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=1 October 2020}}</ref> and was certified Silver in the UK.

Princess signed with [[Polydor]] and recorded her second album, ''All for Love'' (1987) in the United States, but neither the album nor its three singles had much success.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|page=439/440}}</ref>

Her third album, ''Say It'', which was slated for release in 1990, was never issued as Princess retired from the music scene and moved to the US. She later returned to being a backing singer, appearing on the [[Vanilla Ice]] album ''[[To the Extreme]]'' that same year.<ref>{{cite book|title=Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004|first=Graham|last=Betts|publisher=Collins|year=2004|page=615|isbn=9780007179312}}</ref>

From 1991 to 2003 she lived in the US, then returned to England. She formed her own music label with her brother Donovan, OnDa Ground Music Label, which has released all her music since, and released her first single in 14 years, "Ride", with rap ensemble EEDB. A music video was also filmed which referenced her retirement.

She appeared in [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s 2005 production ''[[Hit Me, Baby, One More Time (TV series)|Hit Me, Baby, One More Time]]'', singing [[Kylie Minogue]]'s "[[Slow (Kylie Minogue song)|Slow]]".

In April 2014, she released her third album, ''The Emergence'', the first in 27 years. It is the first in a trilogy of albums, the other ones titled ''The Passion'' and ''The One''. 

In March 2019, she released the EP "The Passion Part 1".

In May 2021, Princess released a teaser for her single "Silhouettes in the Dark", which can be found on her YouTube channel. In July that year, an interview with Princess and her brother Donovan was featured on "A Journey Through Soul" podcast, which would later return in November.

On 14 February 2023 she released the single "Will You Call Me" from her upcoming album "The Passion".

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable"
!rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Title
!colspan="2"| Chart positions
!rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]]
!rowspan="2"| Record label
|-
!width="30"|<small>[[UK Albums Chart|UK]]</small><br><ref name="UK"/>
!width="30"|<small>[[Kent Music Report|AUS]]</small><br><ref name="Australian Chart Book 1970-1992"/>
|-
|1986
|''[[Princess (Princess album)|Princess]]'' 
|align="center"|15
|align="center"|81
|
* [[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]]: Silver<ref>{{cite web|title=Princess - Princess (album)|url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/5217-1163-2 |website=bpi.co.uk|access-date=15 January 2022}}</ref>
|align="center"|[[Supreme Records (UK)|Supreme Records]]
|-
|1987
|''All for Love'' 
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
|align="center"|[[Polydor Records]]
|-
|2014
|''The Emergence''
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|
| OnDa Ground Music Label
|-
|2019
|''The Passion Part I''
|—
|—
|
|OnDa Ground Music Label
|-
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
|}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" colspan="14"| Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="UK">{{cite web|title=PRINCESS - full Official Chart History |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/22718/princess/|website=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=1 October 2020}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br /><ref name="Australian Chart Book 1970-1992">{{Cite book|last=Kent|first=David|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|year=1993|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, NSW, Australia|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page= 241}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Dance Club Songs|US Dance]]<br /><ref name="VF">{{cite web|title=Princess Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|url=https://www.musicvf.com/Princess.art|website=Music VF|access-date=1 October 2020}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US R&B]]<br /><ref name="VF"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Ireland|IRE]]<br />
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Switzerland|SWI]]<br />
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[VG-lista|NOR]]<br />
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Media Control Charts|GER]]<br />
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[MegaCharts|NLD]]<br />
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Sweden|SWE]]<br />
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Austria|ATR]]<br />
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Ultratop#In Flanders|BEL]]<br />
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]<br />
|-
! scope="row" | "Let the Night Take the Blame"
| rowspan="3"| 1985
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — 
|-
! scope="row" | "[[Say I'm Your Number One]]"
| 7 || 8 || 15 || 19 || 11 || 4 || — || 2 || 6 || — || 29 || 12 || 2
|-
! scope="row" | "After the Love Has Gone"
| 28 || 57 || 6 || 41 || 27 || 15 || 5 || 27 || 25 || 8 || — || 21 || 6
|-
! scope="row" | "I'll Keep on Loving You"
| rowspan="3"| 1986
| 16 || — || — || — || 27 || 19 || — || 25 || 41 || — || — || 28 || 11
|-
! scope="row" | "Tell Me Tomorrow"
| 34 || — || — || — || — || — || — || 65 || — || — || — || 29 || —
|-
! scope="row" | "In the Heat of a Passionate Moment"
| 74 || — || 30 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
! scope="row" | "Red Hot"
| rowspan="3"| 1987
| 58 || — || 30 || 78 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || 34 || —
|-
! scope="row" | "I Cannot Carry On"
| 92 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
! scope="row" | "Jammin' with Your Love"
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
! scope="row" | "Lover Don't Go"
| 1989
| 104 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
! scope="row" | "Dressed to Kill"
| 1989
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
! scope="row" | "Ride"
| 2004
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
! scope="row" | "Sweet Money"
| 2008
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
! scope="row" | "One Away"
| 2010
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
! scope="row" | "I'm Gonna Love Ya"
| 2013
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
! scope="row" | "Will You Call Me"
| 2023
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Musicbrainz artist|id=2a126d96-a405-453e-bb0d-15a4bbcbb831|name=Princess}} (Discography)
* {{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5184|label=Princess}}
* [https://www.discogs.com/artist/19849-Princess Discography] at [[Discogs]].

{{Stock Aitken Waterman}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Princess (singer)}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English dance musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Black British women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century British women singers]]
[[Category:English people of Antigua and Barbuda descent]]
[[Category:Singers from London]]
[[Category:English women pop singers]]
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:21st-century Black British women singers]]
[[Category:21st-century British women singers]]