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In 2002 Tim Westwood declared her as a UK talent to watch, MOBO presented her with 2004’s Best Newcomer award and she’s won Best Female Artist three times in a row at the UK Hip-Hop Awards. Six year’s on and Estelle, the 28 year old from West London, is set to take the world by storm with the release of her second album ‘Shine’. Not only has she moved to New York to live the dream, but she’s also the first artist to release under John Legend's label, Homeschool Records, and going by her latest long-player which features production from the likes of Kanye West, Wyclef Jean, Will.i.am and Mark Ronson there’ll be plenty more high profile collaborations to come.
To successfully bridge the gap between Hip-Hop, RnB, Soul and Pop, retain her London heritage and sound naturally fresh at the same time is no mean feat but Estelle pulls it off and as a result stands out in the crowd. In contrast to her debut ‘The 18th Day’, ‘Shine’ provides Estelle with a platform to display a newfound voice, confidence, and maturity and with summer just around the corner is possibly the most radio friendly album of 2008, a point proved by the experimental spin on Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ ‘I Put A Spell On You’ ‘Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)’ and George Michael’s ‘Faith’ inspired ‘No Substitute Love’.
‘Shine’ goes from strength to strength with the funk infused strut of hit single ‘American Boy’ featuring Kanye West, other notable associations being the Mark Ronson produced dancehall smash ‘Magnificent’ featuring Kardinal Offishall, ‘You Are’ featuring John Legend, which sees Estelle successfully punch above her weight as far her peers are concerned and the mighty fine ‘Pretty Please’ featuring Cee-lo. Her ability to operate dexterously within her genre and perfectly balance verse with chorus is illustrated in ‘So Much Out The Way’ and ensures an album that not only holds its appeal, but also keeps you interested.
There’s also a thoughtful, soulful and sensual side to Estelle, displayed through the timeless twenty first century love songs ‘More Than Friends’, ‘Come Over’ and ‘Back In Love’ which combine all the subtleties of Hip-Hop, R&B and Pop. A pure enjoyment from start to finish, to make sure the album goes out with the bang it deserves is the title track, produced by Swizz Beatz, which once again underlines her London roots and more than justified self-confidence.
‘Shine’ is a highly polished album bursting with fantastic tracks that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face and it’s also an album that marks Estelle out as a serious contender.
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