Estelle: Shine

Estelle: Shine West London singer/rapper/producer Estelle releases her sophomore album Shine and her first album to make a dent in the states. Estelle's debut album, The 18th Day made a decent impact on British charts but never was released in the States. The album was a modest outing featuring the songstress' singing and rapping. Estelle's sophomore effort Shine seems to be constructed to be a hit in the states. The album starts off with "Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)" which is produced by will.i.am. With such an infectious beat, it is no wonder it was chosen as the lead single for the album in the UK. The first single in the States, however, was "American Boy" which features Kanye West. The first voice heard on the track is Kanye's making it an obvious choice for the first American single. With its major key and dance beat, "American Boy" has been on of the highlight singles of the first half of the year. I question Estelle's ability in the American market. Estelle's sound reminds me of two things. First is female rap/R&B group, Floetry who managed to score a minor hit with "Say Yes" off their debut album but never quite duplicated the success. The second person Estelle's sound reminds me of is another UK hit maker, Lily Allen. Estelle's ability to mix R&B, hip hop, and reggae is very Lily Allen like. Will Estelle be Lily Allen or Floetry? That's a question only time will answer. Her American debut is solid but whether or not she will be remembered for more than "American Boy" is questionable. Rating: 6.1/10 MP3: Estelle feat Swizz Beatz "Shine"