You Gotta Be


"You Gotta Be" is a R&B and soul song by British singer Des'ree, written by the singer with the track's producer, Ashley Ingram. It was the third song on Des'ree's second album I Ain't Movin', and the first song on that album's US version.
The song was released as a single around the world in 1994, becoming a top-forty hit in several countries and a top-ten hit in the United States and Australia. As of 13 June 1998 the single sold 358,000 copies in United States, and it received Gold certifications in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The song was used in several television advertisements over the following years, and a 1999 remix single became a top-ten hit in Des'ree's native UK and a number-one hit in Spain. In 2003, Q Magazine ranked "You Gotta Be" at number 562 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".

Background

Described by Stuart Elliott in The New York Times as "an infectiously sunny tune about the affirmative powers of self-confidence," "You Gotta Be" according to Des'ree is, like all the songs on its parent album, "about having the inner strength to figure out who you are" with "You Gotta Be" specifically being "born out of me stopping myself and thinking everyday how you gotta be something. You have to be cool and calm in situation, and then you have to be bold and strong in another situation." Des'ree drew inspiration for "You Gotta Be" from the Shakti Gawain book Creative Visualization which had abetted the singer's recovery from a painful romantic break-up; "I've always been blindly optimistic, and that helped me rise from my melancholia," explains Des'ree who it is said "swears by daily affirmations."
"You Gotta Be" was released several times in the United Kingdom: first in March 1994, it was then re-released in February 1995 after it had become a USA top 10 hit, and in 1999 in a remixed version because of its use in the 1999 Ford Focus advertising campaign and following the success of Des'ree's previous singles "Life" and "Kissing You". The latter release of "You Gotta Be" charted in its highest position out of all three releases in the United Kingdom, peaking at No. 10. This version, entitled the "1999 Mix" was added to a re-issue of her third studio album Supernatural. The original release first charted in September 1994 in the United States and slowly climbed the charts peaking at No. 5 in March 1995, and staying 44 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. The remixed version of the song was a number-one hit in Spain for two weeks in February and March 1999.

Critical reception

editor Tom Demalon described the song as "uplifting" and noted that it "best exemplified Des'ree's smooth blend of pop/R&B music and power-of-positive thinking lyrical style." Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that "adventurous artist delves into her new "I Ain't Movin'" album, pulling out this percussive mover. Des'ree has a deep alto range and a compelling style that renders anything she sings a sophisticated musical gift. At a time when jockin' a new-jill-swing position is the name of the R&B radio game, single has an iffy future. Justice prevailing, though, programmers with minds of their own will give this one a fair shot. Otherwise, punters should take this information and go find the album on their own. It's well worth the effort." Michele Romero from Entertainment Weekly noted "You Gotta Be" as "deliciously hypnotic" and said that it "sounds like a mini-motivational seminar". Mike Wass from Idolator wrote, "A relentlessly upbeat self-help anthem with a mantra-like chorus, the track was a much-needed ray of light at the height of grunge, and can still be heard in lifts and doctor’s waiting rooms today." John Kilgo from The Network Forty called it a "superb" track. Bob Waliszewski of Plugged In said it is "heeding parental wisdom".

Music video

The music video, is filmed in color, but it was removed during post-production. In 1995, it was nominated in the category of "Best Female Video" at that year's MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Madonna's "Take a Bow".

Track listings

1994 release

CD maxi – UK
  1. "You Gotta Be" – 4:04
  2. "Sun of 79" – 5:14
  3. "You Gotta Be" – 5:18
  4. "You Gotta Be" – 4:30
CD maxi – UK
  1. "You Gotta Be"
  2. "You Gotta Be"
  3. "You Gotta Be"
  4. "Warm Hands, Cold Heart"
12" maxi – UK
  1. "You Gotta Be"
  2. "You Gotta Be"
  3. "You Gotta Be"
  4. "You Gotta Be"
  5. "You Gotta Be"

    1995 release

CD single 1 – Europe
  1. "You Gotta Be" – 4:01
  2. "Warm Hands, Cold Heart" – 4:35
CD single 2 – Europe
  1. "You Gotta Be" – 4:01
  2. "Warm Hands, Cold Heart" – 4:35
  3. "Sun of 79" – 5:15
CD maxi – Europe
  1. "You Gotta Be" – 4:03
  2. "You Gotta Be" – 5:29
  3. "You Gotta Be" – 5:18
  4. "You Gotta Be" – 4:03
12" maxi – UK
  1. "You Gotta Be"
  2. "You Gotta Be"
  3. "You Gotta Be"
CD single – Promo – France
  1. "You Gotta Be" – 4:04

    1999 Mix

CD single 1 – UK
  1. "You Gotta Be" – 3:57
  2. "You Gotta Be"
  3. "Soul Paradise"
CD single 2 – UK
  1. "You Gotta Be" – 3:57
  2. "Life" – 3:36
  3. "You Gotta Be" – 4:06
Cassette – UK
  1. "You Gotta Be" – 3:57
  2. "You Gotta Be" – 4:06

    Charts and sales

Weekly charts

Original version

1999 remix

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Canada Adult Contemporary 38
France 87
US Billboard Hot 10020

Certifications and sales

Cover versions

"You Gotta Be" has been covered by:
In April 1994, it was used by Sky Movies, for their summer preview commercial. In March 1995, ABC began airing an ad campaign for Good Morning America, aimed at attracting a younger demographic and also boosting male viewership, in which Des'ree's "You Gotta Be" played under scenes of "Americans immersed in morning rituals: commuters rushing, a young man shaving, school-bound children" intercut with shots of the Good Morning America hosts.
Also in 1995, the song and music video were parodied by Ellen Cleghorne during a Season 20 episode of Saturday Night Live. While Luscious Jackson were the musical guests that episode, Des'ree herself performed both the song and "Feel So High" as the musical guest two episodes later.
This song was featured in the films The Next Karate Kid and The Object of My Affection. It was also used in a special promo for PBS Kids shown every Martin Luther King, Jr. Day between 2001 and 2006. A cover of the song was also featured in an episode of Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23.
After being dropped from Sony in 2004, Des'ree did not allow the use of the song in films, television shows or commercials. However, upon her return to the music industry in 2019, the song was re-licensed, with the song being used in the film Captain Marvel and the episode of the TV show PEN15, "Dance".
A reworked version of this song was used in the Big Sing 2008. The Big Sing raised money for CLIC Sargent and Marie Curie with hundreds of schools singing this song at the same time across Ireland, England and Wales, breaking the record for "most people simultaneously singing the same song".
In 2019, the song was featured in an episode of the ABC series, Schooled. ABC used the song again in the series finale of Fresh Off the Boat, which aired in February 2020.