- Desert Island Cloud Daisy DeVell steps into the spotlight on “Head Over Heels & Higher”

Liverpool-born and Manchester-based, Daisy DeVell has spent years commanding stages with little more than a feather fan, a raised eyebrow and impeccable timing. Now she’s swapped the burlesque boudoir for the recording booth, and her new single “Head Over Heels & Higher” lands like a champagne cork popping in a smoky 1930s supper club.

This is the final taste before her debut album, Underworld, and it feels like a statement of intent. The hook is the kind that lodges itself somewhere behind your ribs and refuses to leave, while Daisy’s vocal struts confidently over a punchy, vintage-leaning arrangement. Crisp modern production keeps everything sharp, but the song’s heart lives in retro glamour, jazz phrasing and a healthy dose of theatrical flair. It’s accessible enough for a first listen to stick, and distinctive enough that you’d never mistake it for anyone else.

Scratch beneath the sequins, though, and there’s more going on than a straightforward love song. Daisy wrote the track about the courage it takes to fall for someone while you’re still in the middle of becoming someone new. It’s about refusing to be boxed in by old decisions, or by the version of yourself you once assumed you’d turn out to be. Given her own leap from one art form to another, that sentiment carries real weight.

And what a leap it’s been. Before music took centre stage, Daisy built an international reputation as one of burlesque’s most celebrated performers, ranking among the Top 3 most influential in the UK and placing #24 worldwide in 2024. That same charisma and sense of drama now runs through her recordings, which blend the spirit of the 1920s and 30s with contemporary electro swing and jazz pop sensibilities.

Working with Freshly Squeezed Music, she’s been quietly building a catalogue of original songs that celebrate individuality, elegance and a little playful rebellion.

The rest of the year looks busy. Underworld arrives this autumn, promising to expand the cinematic world her recent singles have been sketching out, and a UK headline tour will bring her much-loved live show to audiences across the country. If “Head Over Heels & Higher” is anything to go by, both are worth dressing up for.