What Song Plays in the Romeo + Juliet Aquarium Scene? Des’ree Explained
The song playing when Romeo and Juliet first see each other through the aquarium in Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film is “Kissing You” by Des’ree.
It’s also sometimes listed as “I’m Kissing You”.
The recording was created specifically for the film.
The scene features Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo and Claire Danes as Juliet.
They notice each other through a fish tank during the Capulet family’s party.
Des’ree’s emotional ballad accompanies their first connection.
The result became one of the most memorable romantic scenes in 1990s cinema.
Who sings Kissing You?
Des’ree.
She’s a British singer-songwriter known for recordings including “You Gotta Be” and “Life”.
Her music combines pop, soul and R&B influences.
“Kissing You” belongs to the more dramatic side of her catalogue.
The recording places enormous emphasis on her vocal performance.
Rather than relying on an energetic pop arrangement, it uses piano and orchestral strings to create emotional intensity.
Who wrote the song?
Des’ree and Timothy Atack.
The composition was created for Romeo + Juliet.
Producer Nellee Hooper worked on the recording.
Craig Armstrong arranged the strings.
That combination helped create its distinctive atmosphere.
The production is sophisticated but restrained.
The instrumental arrangement supports the vocal rather than competing with it.
When was the song released?
It appeared on the soundtrack to the 1996 film.
The single was released in 1997.
The recording subsequently appeared on Des’ree’s album Supernatural in 1998.
That gave the song a life beyond the original film.
But its connection with Romeo and Juliet remains central to how many listeners recognise it.
What happens during the aquarium scene?
Romeo attends the Capulet family’s party.
He encounters Juliet unexpectedly.
The two characters notice each other through a large fish tank.
Their attention immediately becomes focused on one another.
The aquarium creates a physical barrier.
They can see each other clearly.
But they haven’t yet met properly.
That makes the moment visually romantic.
The water also creates an unusual sense of distance.
Des’ree’s recording reinforces the emotional atmosphere.
Why does the song work so well?
Because the arrangement feels intimate and enormous simultaneously.
The piano establishes a gentle foundation.
Des’ree’s voice becomes increasingly expressive.
The strings create a larger emotional environment.
That musical progression reflects the characters’ experience.
Their encounter begins with a glance.
But the audience understands that the relationship will become extraordinarily important.
The music gives the moment a sense of destiny.
Is Des’ree actually in the film?
Yes.
She appears as a singer during the Capulet party.
That makes the soundtrack placement particularly interesting.
The recording doesn’t simply play over the scene as background music.
Its performer exists within the fictional environment.
That helps connect the musical performance with the party itself.
What does Kissing You mean?
Romantic longing and emotional attachment.
The song communicates the intensity of wanting to be close to somebody.
Its lyrics are relatively direct compared with the elaborate imagery in Shakespeare’s original play.
That makes the recording an effective emotional bridge between the historical story and Luhrmann’s modern setting.
The audience doesn’t need to understand every part of the Shakespearean dialogue to recognise the feeling.
Why is the film’s soundtrack so unusual?
Because Luhrmann combined Shakespeare’s original language with contemporary music.
The film uses alternative rock, electronic music, pop and orchestral scoring.
That creates an unusual contrast.
The dialogue belongs to an older literary tradition.
The setting and music feel contemporary to the 1990s.
The soundtrack helps make the emotional experiences accessible to modern audiences.
What other songs are in Romeo + Juliet?
The soundtrack includes:
- Radiohead – Talk Show Host
- Garbage – #1 Crush
- The Cardigans – Lovefool
- The Wannadies – You and Me Song
- Everclear – Local God
- Des’ree – Kissing You
These recordings represent different parts of 1990s alternative music.
Some are romantic.
Others create tension.
The complete soundtrack is an excellent introduction to the musical environment surrounding the film’s release.
Is Kissing You the same as the main Romeo + Juliet theme?
It’s one of the film’s most recognisable vocal songs.
But the movie also uses instrumental scoring by Craig Armstrong and other musical contributors.
Some melodies appear in different forms throughout the film.
That means viewers searching for the soundtrack may encounter both Des’ree’s song and instrumental material associated with the same romantic themes.
If you’re looking for the aquarium scene, Des’ree’s recording is the correct starting point.
Why does the music sound so cinematic?
Because the arrangement uses relatively few instruments very effectively.
The piano provides harmonic movement.
The strings create emotional scale.
The vocal becomes the focus.
There’s no conventional rock rhythm section dominating the recording.
That makes the song particularly suitable for a scene built around eye contact and emotional anticipation.
The music gives the audience time to experience the moment.
Where else have I heard Des’ree?
Her biggest international hits include “You Gotta Be” and “Life”.
Those recordings have a more conventional pop and soul character.
“Kissing You” demonstrates another side of her musical personality.
It is considerably more restrained and theatrical.
That makes it worth hearing even if you already know her radio hits.
Songs like Kissing You
Try:
- Sade – By Your Side
- Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On
- Seal – Kiss from a Rose
- Sarah McLachlan – Angel
- The Cranberries – Dreams
- Dido – Here with Me
- Florence + the Machine – Never Let Me Go
- Jeff Buckley – Lover, You Should’ve Come Over
For another example of an atmospheric alternative recording becoming inseparable from a film’s emotional ending, Radar explains “Just Like Honey” in Lost in Translation.
Both scenes demonstrate how music can create emotional meaning without requiring much dialogue.
What song plays during Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting?
“Kissing You” by Des’ree.
Written with Timothy Atack for Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film.
It accompanies the famous aquarium scene where Romeo and Juliet first notice each other.
The music became one of the defining romantic recordings associated with the film.
Nearly thirty years later, many listeners still hear its opening notes and imagine two people looking at each other through glass.