And he’s coming in HOT!
It’s an emotional time for famed Canadian musician and dancer Shawn Fernandes, who we all know as Shawn Desman, as he embarks on a celebrated career comeback. “I’m just doing a lot of crying actually,” replied Desman when we asked how he was. “So, I don’t know if I’m doing good, [or] if I’m doing bad, honestly…but they’re happy tears…I’m on cloud nine.” After a life-changing performance and unforgettable encounter with celebrated superstar, Drake – at the OVO presented All Canadian North Stars concert in July – Desman now has a fresh new single, “Maniac” (his first since 2015). He’s back in the spotlight and gracing stages and the music industry just can’t get enough of the new, ‘Shawn Desman 3.0’…
@darealsd #Gratitude No gimmicks, No trends… Just a big THANK YOU ❤️ #ShawnDesman #MANIAC ♬ original sound – Shawn Desman
The Rise and Disappearance
Desman, now 40, is no stranger to the entertainment world; he’s been singing and dancing professionally since childhood. After making a name for himself in local circles as a child performer who sang in Portuguese, Desman decided it was time for a more mainstream rebrand in his late teens. He shot to fame in the early 2000s, becoming a Canadian radio staple after the release of his self-titled album in 2002 and its hits like “Shook” and “Get Ready.” The album went on to receive gold certification in Canada. A follow-up album, “Back for More,” resulted in a Juno Award for Best R&B Recording for Desman. Continuing the same trajectory, his 2010 album Fresh garnered two gold singles, one platinum single, and Video of the Year at the Much Music Video Awards.
Desman’s next album, the 2013-released “Alive,” however, didn’t receive the same success as the three studio albums that came before it. In 2015, a disenchanted Desman stepped away from the music industry, opting to focus all of his time on his wife Chantelle – who he adorably met when he was 12-years-old at dance class – and their three children. During this time, Desman virtually disappeared from the spotlight, running his dance company and “driving the kids around and making lunches.”
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The Night that Changed it ALL
Earlier this year, Desman was invited by Drake to perform at his OVO Fest music festival as part of the All Canadian North Stars event at History concert venue. Desman’s performance would ultimately change his life (hence, the happy tears) and ignite the long-lost music flame for him once again. It was one of the heads of Wax Records who stressed the enormity of the show for Desman’s career. “He’s like, ‘Do you realize how big of a deal this is?,’” explains Desman. “’The biggest artist in the world has invited you to do a show.’ It was going to be jam-packed, with the show selling out in 10 minutes. So, he said, ‘You have to seize this opportunity, because if you ever wanted to make a comeback, the time is now.’ So, Desman got to work.
“I really put time and effort into putting that show together,”
says Desman. “In terms of the songs, I was going to do a medley. I put together the performance. I was rehearsing in my bedroom in front of the mirror and my wife’s like, ‘What are you doing? You’ve never done that.’ I said, ‘I’m rehearsing for the show, this is a big deal.’ When the big night came, while doing press for the show, Desman had one message for fans, family, and the media: “I kept telling people – not in a conceited or ignorant way – that I was going to blow the roof off that place and they have no idea what’s going to hit them,” said Desman. “If I’m going to do it, trust me, I’m going to do it.”
And he did. “I’m on stage and I could tell that there was something special going on, but I can’t hear the crowd and whatnot because I have in ear monitors and all I can hear is myself and my music,” says Desman. “I could see Drake in the corner of my eye, on the balcony, losing his mind during my set, like smacking the wall song after song – it was crazy.” Post-performance, Desman ran into Drake backstage, in an encounter that he’ll never forget. “He grabs me and pulls me aside and says, ‘Shawn Desman, you’re different, bro,’” says Desman. “I’m like, ‘Drake, I don’t know what that means bro, what are you talking about?’ He’s like, ‘Did you hear those people, man? They love you. Those songs that you just did, even the older stuff, they feel like they’re brand-new and living. Those songs are still alive today.’ He’s like, ‘Come on, man, what are you doing? I’m like, ‘Drake, honestly man, I love music but I hate the music business.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I get that but you’ve got to squash that. Shawn Desman needs to make music again now, bro. People need you.’ I just couldn’t believe it.”
On the drive home, Desman’s wife reinforced the magic he made on stage. “She turns to me and says, ‘Babe, I don’t think you realize what you did up there tonight,’” says Desman. “She said, ‘I know it’s been really hard with everything that’s been going on the last few years and you haven’t had, you know, the passion and stuff that you had, but I feel it. The universe is on your side, there’s a shift, something is shifting. You need to do this again.’” Desman gets notably emotional recounting the story.
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The stamp of approval from both the biggest superstar in the world and his wife – not to mention, the countless phone calls and emails that began to roll in after his performance – was all Desman needed to turn his sights back on his music career.
The Fresh New Single
Last month, Desman released “Maniac.” Catchy and upbeat, the song tells the tale of a passion-fuelled relationship that keeps you coming back for more. “Funny enough, I wrote a version of that song back in 2014 when I was writing for what would have been my last album that I would have put out that never happened,” says Desman. “One of the guys, I was writing the track with, puts on this instrumental. And I had this title, ‘Maniac,’ sitting in my documents and I literally started singing, ‘She’s a maniac, yeah, but you love her just like that.’ It was so catchy and I feel like girls, when they hear that, they totally eat that up, right? It’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m crazy, but my man keeps coming back anyway.’ So, that was kind of the inspiration and I think, I honestly feel like, whether you’re a male and in a relationship with another male, or female in a relationship with another female or, you know, a male in the relationship with a female, like everybody has a little bit of maniac in them, you know what I mean?”
Desman says that the common denominator about a Shawn Desman song or Shawn Desman music is that it makes people feel good. “Anytime I go into a writing session or am working with people, I tell them that,” says Desman. “I say, ‘Guys, if we’re doing anything, it’s got to make people feel something. I don’t want to just write cookie cutter music. We’ve got to do something that’s catchy, makes people feel good, and is easy to remember. Easier said than done. But I think we really nailed that with ‘Maniac.’”
Desman’s launch of the “Maniac” and unofficial start of his comeback came a few weeks back when he performed for a packed house at Toronto’s Rivoli. The audience included his family, who were singing along like diehard fans. “Drake messaged me the next day and he was like, ‘Dude, I’m so proud of you. I saw all these interviews for the show and I’m so glad that you listened to me that night; you didn’t just leave it up on stage and let it fizzle out.’ He was away for his birthday, but he said, ‘If I was in Toronto, I would have pulled up to that show and showed you love, bro. I can’t wait to see what you do next.’ He didn’t have to reach out to me and say these things. So, I am grateful. And when I tell people that Drake changed my life that night, he changed my life. I mean that.”
Adapting to a New Industry
Naturally, the music industry looks a lot different than it did when Desman left it nearly a decade ago.
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“Between social media and like digital streaming platforms, the landscape has changed so much; now, anywhere in the world I can hear a Shawn Desman song where, you know, 10 years ago when I was putting out music, you actually had to go to a store and buy a CD ,” says Desman. “And then, social media – oh my god; the ability to promote and advertise yourself and connect with fans. Like, I always tell everybody, if what we had now or what I have at my disposal now was at my disposal 10 to 12 years ago, I feel like it’d be such a different day right now. It’s crazy. I feel like artists coming up and independent artists and major label artists just have so many more tools for exposure. And it’s great. And I’m totally using these things to my advantage. Now, trust me, like, I’m going for it.”
While, like most of us, Desman has had an Instagram account for around a decade, he joined TikTok just this past summer – something he calls a culture shock. “Maybe two months ago I was like, ‘No, I’m not joining TikTok, that’s for kids; I’m not getting on there and doing all these dances. I don’t have the time for that,’” says Desman. “Then, I had a meeting with TikTok and they said, ‘Shawn, you don’t have to do any of that stuff. Just go on there and be yourself; be authentic and don’t force anything.’ And so, I did that and, you know, now in the course of maybe two months, I have over 65,000 followers – double what I have on Instagram. The engagement is crazy and, honestly, I feel like TikTok is kind of like a family. So, I’m actually having a really good time posting stuff.”
He admits, however, that it’s not always easy to stay consistent on the social media platform. “I’ve got three kids here, man,” says Desman. “It’s busy; soccer practice, dance practice, make lunches, help with homework…So, I probably haven’t posted a TikTok in like three, four days and I’m feeling some withdrawal.”
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The Lessons Learned
Despite his early success, Desman’s career is also characterized by hurdles. He was dropped from record label BMG in 2005 and then by Universal Music in 2015. The artist recognizes, however, that setbacks can come with silver linings and learning experiences. “The biggest takeaway, I think, is don’t do it if it doesn’t feel right. The last time I put out music, it didn’t feel right,” says Desman. “ I said at the time that I was going to be a team player and try something that they wanted me to do. But, in my gut, I just knew it wasn’t going to work, but I did it anyway. But did I think they were just gonna turn around and be like, ‘Okay, you know what? The label is going in a new direction. We’re not gonna put out a new record with you,’ Like, I did, I did what you asked me to do. I didn’t want to do this. This was not my decision. So, I guess the big thing I’ve always learned is to stick with my gut, and don’t do anything that doesn’t feel right – I’m seriously gonna hold myself to that now.”
Desman also says that he’s learned not to take things personally – something that can be a challenge in our social media-saturated climate. “You can’t take everything personal because if you do, I think artists are already probably one of the worst businesses for mental health, especially with social media,” says Desman. “Listen, social media is great, but it also has its negative side, you know, because you can read everything people are saying about you, good or bad. So, if you read the bad and you take that personally, you are gonna have a very difficult time. So, for me, I’ve learned to like, read something and be like, ‘I don’t care,’ and I put my phone down and I move on, you know. But I think again that comes with experience and age. ‘Maniac’ wouldn’t sound the way it does today without the setbacks. The original version I wrote in 2014 is not the version that you’re hearing today, which is three million times better.”
Moving Forward
Clearly, there’s no signs of slowing down for Desman. Right now, he says his focus is on finishing his EP in time for a summer release. While his main focus is on his solo career, a collaboration isn’t off the table. After all, last summer’s “Hey Now” (Iko Iko) – a collaboration with country music star Tebey; Alx Veliz, a Latin dance artist; and saxophone-playing Altur Santos – was a smash hit.
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“I assume the New Year will be busy, especially in the summertime,” says Desman. “What I’d like to do though is take that Rivoli show to every major Canadian market: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Montreal, and kind of do that as like a tease to what’s coming. Then I’ll get onto the really big shows. The Rivoli show was so special and so cool because it was small and intimate but still felt like a massive show. I felt like it was a great way to kick it all off.”
Come 2023, Desman will also focus his attention on his dance businesses, MOVE Dance Competition and MOVE/X Dance Convention. “I do six or seven dance competitions in the spring – pretty much every weekend from March,” says Desman. “And honestly, it’s my baby. I grew up competing in dance, and so it was an easy kind of move to do that. My sister-in-law and I have been running it for 15-years. It’s successful and such a blast because I love kids – anything to do with kids, like watching kids, dance, sing, and perform. It just brings me so much joy, especially since my daughter dances and competes as well. So, yeah, I still find time to do that. Now, it’s gonna be a little bit busier than it has been, but I will, those are my babies.”
Forever a Toronto Boy at Heart
One thing is for sure; Desman isn’t leaving his hometown of Toronto. Aside from his friends and family, his favourite thing about the city is the food – in particular, spots like Myth and Pisac Peruvian Bistro.
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“I’m a foodie and I just love good food in Toronto,”
says Desman. “Toronto probably has some of the best food in the world, if not the best food in the world, for me, at least. The people that know me, know I love the people here in Toronto. I think it gets a little bit of a bad rap, sometimes from people coming from out of town, but most of the time, it’s pretty positive. For me, this city is also about culture and multiculturalism. Everybody is out here, you know what I mean? I love all of our little pockets; like Little Portugal, Little Italy, Greektown, and Chinatown…I love this city.”
If you haven’t heard Maniac yet, stream it on Apple Music, now.
Cover Credits
Creative/Fashion Direction and Producer: STEVEN BRANCO; Photography: NICK MERZETTI; Fashion Assistant: ALANNA DUSSIAUME; Production Manager and Contributor: MERRILL FLYNN; Lighting Assistant: BRANDON JAMES; Grooming + MAKEUP: ANGELA LEE; Production Assistance and BTS Photography: PATRICK CONCEPCION; Location: CONCORD ADEX SKYBRIDGE SUITE. A special thank you to NORDSTROM CANADA, and ALDO SHOES for their continued support.
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