 During a recent night of drinking at a gay bar (duh, where else would we be drinking?) the DJ put down a track that got all the boys a-buzzing and several of them stormed the booth to ask just who was singing the gorgeous melody. The track was a remix of Estelle’s single “American Boy” off her recently released second album Shine. The single, already a number one smash in her native Britain, is a foot-tapping pop ditty that features hip-hop Svengali Kanye West.
When told about the American gay boys going crazy over her song, Estelle (born Fanta Estelle Swaray) literally squeals with delight. “I’m so ready for all my gay fans,” she says. “At my concert the other day, I had all these guys in the front row and they knew all my songs and were just singing along and we were having a moment together.”
And she’s no stranger to how the gays love to party. “I love my gay friends; they just want to go out and have fun and enjoy themselves. It’s not so much about posturing,” says the Brooklyn-based singer.
She doesn’t posture either, even when working with some of today’s hottest acts like West, John Legend and Cee-Lo. “I don’t get star-struck and they’re very nice guys,” she says. “I think it pushed me…if I can’t do a hit with these guys, then what does that say about me?”
The resulting album is full of hits, showing off Estelle’s eclectic style with traces of R&B, hip-hop, reggae, rock and electronica strewn about the album along with her sweet voice, which is reminiscent of Lauryn Hill or Mary J. Blige, one of Estelle’s idols. It’s one of those rare records that’s fun and beautiful to listen to while relaxing around the house, but also lends itself to some kick-ass dance remixes.
But even with her collaborators, Estelle still writes all her own songs. “I’ll show them a song and they say, ‘You can try harder on this,’ or, ‘This doesn’t get the point across; you need to rewrite it,’” she says. “They’re never like, ‘Just sing this.’ If I can’t do the song the way it is in my heart it won’t come out right.”
Call her headstrong, Estelle has no problem with that. In fact, she aspires to be a diva. “People are always saying, ‘You don’t want to be a diva,’ like that’s a bad thing,” Estelle scoffs. “Demanding is bad? Getting what you want is bad? A diva is someone who goes and gets what she wants and that’s me. Call me that all day.”
One diva whom she’d love to work with is Janet Jackson, another idol of hers. “She just doesn’t give a shit,” Estelle says, full of esteem for the icon. “[If I were to work with her] I would just cry. It would be so much fun, but I’d just cry.”
Just give it time, Estelle, and everyone will be saying that about you. N
Shine is in stores now. Visit EstelleMusic.com for more information.
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