Estelle

Estelle first drew notice while working at London’s Deal Real record store, where a spontaneous stage appearance led to her initial hit, the autobiographical hip-hop track “1980” released in 2004. She later described the song as “the beginning of her life,” and its momentum carried the singer, rapper, and songwriter toward lasting recognition that peaked with the international success of “American Boy,” which reached number one in the U.K. and number nine in the U.S. The playful disco-funk single powered her second album, Shine (2008), into the upper reaches of charts on both sides of the Atlantic and earned her a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Subsequent projects such as All of Me (2012), True Romance (2015), and the contemporary reggae-oriented Lovers Rock (2018) demonstrated her refusal to be confined by any single style or early breakthrough.

Raised in West London amid traditional African music, gospel, and rap supplied by relatives, Estelle Swaray began performing after coworkers at Deal Real urged her onto the microphone. She soon appeared at numerous neighborhood venues alongside Roots Manuva and Rodney P. In 2000, Skitz invited her onto his album Countryman, which opened doors to further guest spots with the 57th Dynasty and Blak Twang. Her first solo release arrived in 2003 with the “Excuse Me” 12-inch on Paradise Isle, yet wider attention came in 2004 when V2 issued “1980,” a track that climbed to number 14 on the U.K. pop chart. Street mixtapes under the Da Heat banner and the charting singles “Free” and “Go Gone” strengthened her grassroots support. October 2004 saw V2 deliver her debut album, The 18th Day…, which collected those three singles and reached number 35 on the U.K. chart, earning her the MOBO Award for Best Newcomer that year.

Although The 18th Day… remained unavailable in the U.S., contributor John Legend helped arrange a deal with Atlantic for her follow-up. Shine appeared in April 2008, climbing to number six in the U.K. and entering the American Top 40, driven chiefly by “American Boy,” a collaboration with will.i.am and Kanye West that topped the U.K. chart, reached the U.S. Top Ten, received a double-platinum certification, and secured the Grammy. After issuing several singles featuring Kardinal Offishall, Nas, and Rick Ross, Estelle released All of Me in February 2012; the set entered the U.S. Top 30 and marked her final Atlantic project. She next formed a boutique label under BMG Rights Management and returned in February 2015 with True Romance, whose inspirational track “Conqueror”—performed with Jussie Smollett on an episode of Empire—became her strongest single since “American Boy.” Following the 2017 retro-soul release “Woman’s World,” she issued the full contemporary reggae album Lovers Rock in September 2018.