Celeste was born Celeste Epiphany Waite on 5 May 1994 in Culver City, California. She is an English singer and songwriter. Her mother is English and her father was Jamaican. Early on, her parents separated. When she was about three years old, she and her mother moved from the U.S. to England, settling in Dagenham. A couple of years later (around age five), they moved to Saltdean, on the outskirts of Brighton, and that is where she spent much of her childhood. From a young age, Celeste was immersed in music. Her family home often played classic soul, jazz and gospel singers such as Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday — those voices were part of her environment. She also sang hymns in church in Brighton, which she cites as among her earliest musical memories. When she was about 10, Celeste won a scholarship to a performing-arts school (for ballet) and spent a year there. That exposure was meaningful, even if later on she decided that strict stage-school structure wasn’t quite her vibe. Around 14 she started discovering more diverse music via YouTube, iTunes, exploring artists like Thelonious Monk and others beyond what she’d grown up with. A major turning point was when her father died of lung cancer when she was 16. That loss deeply affected her and became a catalyst for her songwriting. Celeste is known to be very focused and hard-working; in interviews she has said that her work ethic has cost her in terms of friendships and developing relationships. She tends to prioritize music intensely.
Four: Daydreaming
“Daydreaming” was Celeste’s debut single, released in October 2016 through Lily Allen’s record label, Bank Holiday Records, in collaboration with Chess Club Records. The track marked her official entrance into the professional music scene after years of uploading covers and demos online. Produced by Push and co-written with Tev’n, the song is a soulful, jazz-tinged ballad that showcases Celeste’s smoky, emotive voice—one that drew immediate comparisons to legends like Amy Winehouse and Billie Holiday. It has garnered over 230K views on Lyrically, “Daydreaming” explores the tension between longing for someone and escaping into one’s imagination when reality doesn’t measure up. Critics praised it for being both timeless and fresh, with The Guardian naming Celeste as “one to watch” following its release. Though it didn’t chart, “Daydreaming” was significant because it established Celeste’s signature sound—soulful, jazzy, and emotionally charged—and opened doors for her later projects, including her early EPs and eventual signing with Polydor Records. It also set the tone for the kind of deeply personal, evocative storytelling that would become her hallmark as an artist.
FYI
- Celeste’s vocals and music are often compared to those of soul singers and Adele. Nick Reilly from NME described Celeste as a “once-in-a-generation talent” who is “the finest British soul singer to emerge in years.
Three: Strange
“Strange” is a song by British singer-songwriter Celeste, released on 4 September 2019 through Both Sides and Polydor Records as the lead single from her debut studio album Not Your Muse. It was co-written by Celeste, Stephen Wrabel, and Jamie Hartman, with Jamie Hartman also producing the track. The song was partly inspired by Celeste’s emotional response to the 2018 California wildfires. Driving through smoke, seeing destruction, feeling loss and isolation—these elements fed into her reflections on loss, emotional distance, and change. It has garnered over 253M streams on spotify and over 14M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. “Strange” earned strong critical praise. It was included in several year-end best song lists (e.g. Apple Music’s Top 100 of 2019), and people praised how Celeste’s voice and the song’s emotional honesty stood out. She performed “Strange” on several high-profile platforms: Later… with Jools Holland, at the 2020 Brit Awards, and on The Late Late Show with James Corden. These performances helped deepen her visibility internationally. The music video was shot in Bulgaria in October 2019, released in November. Directed by Silent Tapes, it starts at the end and comes full circle narratively, symbolizing how “reckless behaviours” can lead lovers to become strangers.
Two
Woman Of Faces
“Woman Of Faces” is the lead (or title) track of Celeste’s second studio album Woman Of Faces, released on 5 September 2025 ahead of the full album dropping 14 November 2025 via Polydor Records. In terms of songwriting/production: it was written by Celeste along with Hayley Gene Penner, Jamie Hartman, KIDDO, and Matt Maltese. Produced by Jeff Bhasker. It has garnered over 500K streams on spotify and over 125K views on YouTube. Lyrically, Celeste uses “Woman Of Faces” to explore complexity of identity and mental/emotional landscape. She says originally the song was about realizing she has many shades inside her mind, not always able to pinpoint why or how they are there — sort of a self-diagnosis. She also intended it to give space to women who feel unseen: caregivers, people always supporting others, always in the background, not celebrated but essential. This song sets the tone for the album: Woman Of Faces. It is shaping up to be a record forged from heartbreak, recovery, identity, resilience, and reclaiming oneself. The emotional weight is real.
Awards/Nominations
- Celeste won the BBC Music Sound of 2020 and the Brit Award for Rising Star (2020), two of the UK’s biggest breakthrough honors.
- Her debut album Not Your Muse (2021) earned her a Mercury Prize nomination, plus three Brit Award nominations including Album of the Year. She’s also received nominations at the Grammy Awards for her song “Hear My Voice” from the film The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Discography
- Not Your Muse (2021)
- Woman of Faces (2025) *Yet to be released*
One: Stop This Flame
“Stop This Flame” is one of Celeste’s breakthrough singles, released in January 2020 as the lead track from her debut studio album Not Your Muse (2021). The song is a fiery, piano-driven anthem built around a sample of Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman,” which gives it that urgent, gospel-infused rhythm. Produced by John Hill, it merges jazz, soul, and pop with Celeste’s powerful, raspy vocals leading the charge. It has garnered over 100M streams on spotify and over 16M views on it’s Official Music Video on YouTube. Lyrically, “Stop This Flame” is about determination, resilience, and refusing to give up—whether in love, life, or chasing your passion. The repeated refrain embodies a kind of inner fire that can’t be extinguished, which made it resonate strongly with listeners as an anthem of perseverance. Upon release, the track quickly became her most recognizable song, gaining heavy radio play in the UK and beyond. It was chosen as the theme song for Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage in the 2020/21 season, which helped it reach an even wider audience. Critics praised its uplifting energy and the way Celeste’s commanding voice transformed what could have been a retro-leaning jazz tune into something modern and commercially appealing. The song performed well on the UK Singles Chart, peaking within the Top 40, and cemented Celeste’s reputation as one of the most exciting soul voices of her generation. “Stop This Flame” remains a career-defining track, often associated with her rise to mainstream recognition and still one of her signature live performance songs.