27 October 2026
Off the back of her biggest UK headline show yet at Camden’s KOKO, South-African DJ and producer DESIREE enlists Marieme’s soulful vocals on their new track ‘Heartbreaker’ that transduces break-up pain into palpably motoric empowerment.
When speaking about the track, DESIREE said:
“Everyone’s met a heartbreaker. This one’s for the moment you stop crying over him and start laughing about him with your girls.”
Marieme added:
“This song is so sexy and raw, I love the movement of it and how it sounds like the perfect portrayal of emotions as old as time. The whole journey of this song was so fun in South Africa and very spontaneous and magical.”
The instrumental, featuring synthetic string stabs, reserves a quietly bubbling tension throughout. ‘Heartbreaker’ has reflections of amapiano, house, and techno, with the carefully revealed layers of interlocking percussion really driving the tune.
After a successful 2026 including performances at GALA and Lost Village, as well as opening for Black Coffee and Solomun, DESIREE proves she is one of the rising stars of afro house.
Words by Charlie Edmondson