Misplaced Pages

#343656

59-495: " American Boy ” is a song by British singer and rapper Estelle featuring American rapper Kanye West from the former's second studio album Shine (2008). The song was written by the artists, alongside Ethan Hendrickson , will.i.am , John Legend (who provides additional background vocals), Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, and Keith Harris . It was produced by will.i.am, and uses the instrumental from "Impatient" from his own third studio album Songs About Girls (2007). "American Boy"

118-645: A MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award in the UK for Best Newcomer. Three years later, US R&B singer John Legend announced that Estelle would be the first signee to his HomeSchool label, distributed by Atlantic in the US. Four years after The 18th Day ' s release, Estelle returned with her second album, Shine . Though it was her second album, it was the first to be released in the US and her major-label debut. Kanye West , Swizz Beatz , Wyclef Jean , Will.i.am , Mark Ronson and CeeLo Green and Jack Splash all worked on

177-425: A Minute (Just a Touch)" and instrumental versions of both songs. Mariel Concepcion of Billboard called "American Boy" "a charming duet with West". Andy Kellman of AllMusic , Luke Bainbridge of Observer Music Monthly and Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine named the song as a standout on its parent album. Bill Lamb of About.com gave the song a four star rating, listing the chemistry between Estelle and West,

236-877: A giant screen. She later performed it at the 2008 World Music Awards , hosted in Monte Carlo, Monaco, with a live band. Estelle performed a mash up of the song with the Ting Tings " Shut Up and Let Me Go " and " That's Not My Name " at the 2009 BRIT Awards. West also performed the track at the Coke Live Music Festival in 2011. Locations Personnel Credits adapted from the liner notes of Shine , Atlantic Records, HomeSchool Records. Sales figures based on certification alone. Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. Estelle (musician) Estelle Fanta Swaray (born 18 January 1980)

295-455: A guest spot from the self-proclaimed King of Hip-Hop to make this tune a hit." Timothy Gabriele of PopMatters called the song "an essential piece of ebullient summer musical manna rained down from empyreal heights and granted to us passive listeners as one final gift before the world spirals off into an inescapable vortex of cyclones, earthquakes , economic collapse , and a doom-sealing Presidential race ." Joshua Love of Pitchfork praised

354-446: A joyful bounce, verdant in textures (particularly the sunglassed analogue synth stabs), contagiously catchy, danceable and singable, and lyrically devoid of depth or scope, like an aimlessly pleasant walk in the park." — Timothy Gabriele of PopMatters commenting about "American Boy". "American Boy" was written by Estelle , will.i.am , John Legend , Kanye West , Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, Ethan Hendrickson and Keith Harris. It

413-616: A new partnership with BMG Label Services to release her upcoming album." In November 2013, she began voicing Garnet in the Cartoon Network animated series Steven Universe . In 2014, Estelle performed live at Amber Lounge, the original Formula One after-party, in Singapore. She would return for an exclusive performance at Amber Lounge Abu Dhabi in November. In March, she premiered the first single off her fourth album True Romance which

472-639: A platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales exceeding 70,000 units. In New Zealand, the single debuted at number 25 on 31 March 2008 and rose to its peak position of number five four weeks later. The song remained on the chart for thirteen more weeks. "American Boy" experienced great chart success in the United States. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on 3 May 2008, slowly rising

531-563: A press release. "BMG has been an awesome partner throughout my career, and with New London we plan to continue bridging the gap between soul, R&B, London and New York – uniting them through music." Added BMG executive president Richard Blackstone, "Estelle has been a valued member of the BMG family as a writer for some time now. She is a deeply passionate artist gifted with a tremendous voice and has music running through her veins. We are thrilled that Estelle has expanded our relationship and entered into

590-530: A reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz , the frequency of Middle B (B 4 ) is 493.883 Hz. See musical pitch for a discussion of historical variations in frequency. The referent of the musical note B varies by location. See Musical note § History of note names for a discussion on other differences in letter naming of the notes. In the United States , Canada , Australia, the United Kingdom ,

649-507: A song about meeting an American boy?'. So I was like 'Well, that's pretty easy' - because I have a lot of male friends out there in New York. And I unwittingly ended up creating a new ladies' anthem!" She also spoke about West's involvement on the song, commenting "Kanye basically just brought his own cheeky self to the track, his own sense of humour. At first he was like 'How can you rap over a dance beat?' - and now he's DONE it!" Instrumentation on

SECTION 10

#1732877314344

708-414: A variety of celebrity guests, earned a Video Music Award nomination for Best UK Video. Estelle and West performed the song at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards and 2008 Grammy Awards . "It's a song as breezy as air, so carefree its gorgeously channeled vocals practically float off from the grounded four-on-the-floor disco beat and Quincy-Jones-producing-Michael-Jackson funk bass. It's a pure pop gem with

767-652: Is a British singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actress. She is known for her eclectic blending of musical genres including R&B , soul , reggae , grime , hip hop and dance. She has collaborated with prominent American artists including Chris Brown , Kanye West , will.i.am , Nas , Akon , Tyler, the Creator , Robin Thicke and Rick Ross , among others. After signing with V2 Records , Estelle released her debut studio album The 18th Day (2004). A moderate critical and commercial success, it peaked at number 35 on

826-452: Is a breezy R&B and disco - funk song that lyrically describes a romance with an American suitor. The song's conception came after Legend, Estelle's mentor, suggested she write a song about meeting a man from the United States. "American Boy" was released by Atlantic Records as the album's second single on 31 March 2008. The song received positive reviews from music critics , who praised its fresh sound and production. The song reached

885-431: Is an R&B , disco and funk song with a tempo of 118 beats per minute. Estelle's vocals, which have been described as "sweet" and "flirty", ranges from B 3 to E 5 . Timothy Gabriele of PopMatters described Estelle's vocals as those of one connecting "with her inner soul chanteuse". West's rap verse has been described by The New York Times ' s Jon Caramanica as "perfunctory" and idling "cool". Lyrically,

944-483: The Flanders region of Belgium, "American Boy" entered the chart at number 41 on 26 April 2008. The song advanced to the top twenty in the following week and inside the top ten three weeks later. It reached the chart's summit on 7 June 2008, where it remained for another week. The song charted in the top five for eleven consecutive weeks and lasted a total of twenty four weeks on the chart. "American Boy" reached number four in

1003-595: The Republic of Ireland , and the Netherlands, as described above, B usually refers to the note a semitone below C, while B-flat refers to the note a whole tone below C. However, in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe , and Scandinavia , the label B is sometimes used for what, above, is called B-flat, and the note a semitone below C is called H. This makes possible certain spellings which are otherwise impossible, such as

1062-513: The UK Albums Chart . She then signed with American singer John Legend 's Homeschool Records, in a joint venture with Atlantic Records to release her second album, Shine (2008), which effectively tailored to international audiences by entering the US Billboard 200 , as well as other worldwide charts. It was preceded by the single " American Boy " (featuring Kanye West), which peaked atop

1121-476: The UK Singles Chart , peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 , and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration . Her third album, All of Me (2012) solely entered American and Australian charts, and was supported by the single " Thank You "—which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance . The album served as her final release on a major label. Estelle provided both

1180-612: The 'British (musical) invasion.' It's been ongoing. It's been an invasion for the last 10 years. We are here! We crossed over. I'm like one of the first black British artists to come over here and win a Grammy . We are here!" Studio albums Estelle's work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including three MOBO Awards , a World Music Award , and one Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "American Boy". She has also received two Brit Award nominations, including one for Best British Female Artist . B (musical note) When calculated in equal temperament with

1239-542: The 100 Best Songs of 2008. The song was nominated for the 2009 Brit Award for Best British Single, and Estelle was also nominated for Best British Female Artist. Shine was released following the single on John Legend 's HomeSchool label, reaching the albums chart in most countries worldwide, including number 6 in the UK . Shine sold enough copies to be certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry , and

SECTION 20

#1732877314344

1298-430: The 2000s, published by Pitchfork . The Village Voice ' s Pazz & Jop annual critics' poll ranked "American Boy" at number 2 to find the best music of 2008, after M.I.A. 's " Paper Planes ". MTV listed the song fourth on its list of "Best Songs of 2008". PopMatters named "American Boy" the best single of 2008. BBC America listed "American Boy" at eighty-five on its list of "Top 100 British Songs of

1357-458: The 2008 UK Urban Music Awards , and the 2009 Urabn Music Awards. The music video earned a nomination at the 2009 MTV Australia Awards for Best Collaboration. "American Boy" was listed number 7 on the 100 Best Songs of 2008, published by the music magazine Rolling Stone . Blender named it the fourth best song of 2008. The song also ranked the 10th best song of 2008 and 238th on the Top 500 songs of

1416-494: The 21st Century". in 2019, Time Out included it in its list of the 50 best songs of the 2000s. In 2020, The Guardian named it the eighty-fifth greatest ever UK no. 1. "American Boy" proved to be an international success, outperforming Estelle's previous singles in the United Kingdom and stands as her most successful single worldwide. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 72 on 31 March 2008. It dropped out of

1475-461: The Top 75 the following week and re-entered at number one a week later, where it remained for four consecutive weeks. It lasted thirty two weeks on the singles chart, earning a triple platinum certification for sales exceeding 1,800,000 copies. It landed on the UK year end chart at number six and on the end of the decade chart at number 83. In Ireland, "American Boy" entered the singles chart number eight and rose to peak at number two one week later. In

1534-498: The US Hip-Hop/R&;B, the week of 2 July 2011. The following week the song rose to 37. Dual second singles were released in the US and UK. In the US, the second single was announced as being "Thank You" whereas "Back to Love" was issued in the UK. Estelle subsequently confirmed on Twitter that All of Me was released on 28 February 2012 in the US. In the UK, All of Me was released on 12 March 2012. In 2013, Estelle announced

1593-544: The United States and Canada, as well as achieving number-one status on the UK Singles Chart . and in Belgium and Israel. The song won many awards worldwide, including Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 51st Grammy Awards ; it was also nominated for Song of the Year . It is rumored to be inspired by American comedy writer Sam Means after the artist met him near a plane. "American Boy" was Number 7 on Rolling Stone ' s list of

1652-623: The Wallonia region of Belgium and lasted twenty five weeks on the chart. The song also reached number one in Slovakia; number three in Denmark, France, Hungary and Italy; and number five in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. In Australia, "American Boy" entered the singles chart at number seven, earning the title of the week's "highest debut". The song rose to number three four weeks later, where it stayed for three consecutive weeks. "American Boy" earned

1711-516: The Year . The song received a nomination for BRIT Award for Best British Single. The single won Best Song at the 2008 MOBO Awards . The song was nominated for Best R&B/Urban Dance Track at the 2009 International Dance Music Awards. It received a nomination for Outstanding Duo or Group at the 40th NAACP Image Awards . "American Boy" was nominated for Best International Song at the NRJ Music Awards 2009 . The song won Best Collaboration at both

1770-697: The album was announced as being " Fall in Love ", which featured versions featuring Nas and John Legend . Due to the underperformance of both "Freak" and "Fall in Love", both songs were ultimately left off the final track listing for All of Me . However, "Freak" was featured on both the Step Up 3D soundtrack and the reissue of David Guetta 's album One Love , titled One More Love . In 2010, Estelle also modelled at Naomi Campbell 's Fashion For Relief runway show for The White Ribbon Alliance to raise funds for mothers in Haiti. She

1829-421: The album, which was executive produced by John Legend . "Her sound is a unique blend of hip hop, R&B, reggae and soul," explains Legend. "She has a special voice, unlike any other voice out there in mainstream music, and she can really write. She writes hip lyrics with unforgettable melodies. I recognised that in her when I first worked with her in 2004." He continues, "I'm excited and honored to have Estelle as

American Boy - Misplaced Pages Continue

1888-474: The chart until it reached number 11 almost four months later. It was later removed from iTunes resulting in its fall to number 37 on 6 September 2008. The song was re-added to iTunes, causing a resurgence in downloads that aided its rise to its peak position of number nine on 27 September 2008, selling 91,000 downloads. "American Boy" became Estelle's highest-charting single in the United States, ahead of " Thank You " (2011), which only peaked at number 100. It ended

1947-465: The early 2000s when she happened to see Kanye West sitting in a restaurant while on a trip to Los Angeles. Estelle approached Kanye, introduced herself and asked for an introduction to John Legend . She eventually got that introduction, and Legend eventually helped produce two songs on her debut album, The 18th Day , which was released in the UK in October 2004. Her breakthrough track came when " 1980 "

2006-447: The first artist on my label, Homeschool Records. I believe the world is going to fall in love with her album, as I already have. Estelle is an amazing talent, and she's going to do big things." The lead single, " Wait a Minute (Just a Touch) ", released in November 2007. In 2008, Estelle rose to fame with her collaboration with rapper Kanye West , titled " American Boy ". This song reached the top 10 in many countries worldwide, including

2065-411: The invitation to be the grand marshal of Howard University Homecoming vs. Norfolk State University . She also sang "We'll Be There", the theme song for Cartoon Network's We Bare Bears . In June 2017, she announced she was working on a full-length reggae album due for a late 2017 release, in addition to releasing the album's lead single "Love Like Ours" featuring Tarrus Riley . On 13 July 2018,

2124-468: The launch of New London Records, an independent label in partnership with BMG , with whom she's worked as a writer since 2003. Estelle will release the second and third volumes of her three-volume EP Love & Happiness on the new label (the first volume, Love Jones, was released in June), taking creative control of her current and future musical endeavours. "This is a new and exciting move for me," Estelle said in

2183-402: The mic on-stage; soon she was playing numerous London clubs and appearing with the likes of Manuva and Rodney P . Local hero Skitz asked her to appear on his 2001 album, Countryman , and soon she landed on albums by artists such as The 57th Dynasty and Blak Twang . She made her solo debut in 2003 with the 12" "Excuse Me", released on the label Paradise Isle. Her career got a jump-start in

2242-541: The single. The maxi single includes several remixes of the song by Soul Seekerz and TS7 as well as the uncensored version, the version excluding West rap segment, and the song's instrument. The promo single features remixes by TS7 and different versions of the single. The 12-inch disc includes the TS7 remix and remixes of the previous single "Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)" by British electronic duo The Count & Sinden and British disc jockey Aaron Ross. The 12-inch promo features "Wait

2301-537: The song " Star " was released; it is also used for Crystal Light commercials. In 2009, Estelle started working on her upcoming third studio album, All of Me . Estelle made a cameo appearance in the video for new star Mr Hudson for his single " Supernova ". Estelle made an appearance on 11 August 2009 episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien . She performed the song "Good Girls Go Bad" with Cobra Starship in Leighton Meester 's absence. Estelle also appears on

2360-409: The song "Rollacoasta", co-written by her and American singer-songwriter Robin Thicke ; the song appears on his album, Sex Therapy . Estelle confirmed her third album would be titled All of Me . The album was originally led by the single " Freak ", featuring Kardinal Offishall and produced by David Guetta . The video premiered on her website on 26 February 2010. The original second single from

2419-453: The song also earned her nominations for several categories. She first performed it on The Friday Night Project on 21 March 2008. Estelle performed the song with Kanye West at the Fête de la Musique on 21 June 2008. She performed the song at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards with Kanye West singing his rap section, during an image of then newly elected United States president Barack Obama appeared on

American Boy - Misplaced Pages Continue

2478-452: The song describes a foreign woman's interest in a male American suitor, listing places such as New York and Los Angeles as sites she wants to visit. Timothy Gabriele of PopMatters found the song's lyrics to be about "the thrill of new experience, the excitement of a being in a fresh, unexplored environment while simultaneously meeting someone new." "American Boy" was released as the second single from Shine on 24 March 2008. "American Boy"

2537-462: The song's beat and Estelle's vocals as the song's highlights. Lamb also added "This song is perfection for a slick, summery glide across the dance floor." Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy found "American Boy" to "boasts bags of self-confidence ("Don't like his baggy jeans but I like what's underneath 'em," she purrs at one point), a winning chorus and sultry, super-sleek production from Will.i.am and John Legend" while commenting "it shouldn't have taken

2596-415: The song's hook and will.i.am's production work. while Omar Jenning of The Skinny was dismissive of West's rap interlude. Ben Hogwood of musicOMH lauded the song as an example of how "Estelle has added a large pinch of soul to take her music to the next level." In 2009, "American Boy" earned Estelle and Kanye West a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration , while receiving a nomination for Song of

2655-676: The speaking and singing voice for the character Garnet in the animated series Steven Universe (2013–2019), a role she reprised in Steven Universe: The Movie (2019) and Steven Universe Future (2019–2020). She also made cameo appearances in the films Beyond the Lights (2014) and Girls Trip (2017), and appeared as Linda in the Netflix original film Fatal Affair (2020). Estelle hosts and presents The Estelle Show on Apple Music , which has run for over 500 episodes. Swaray

2714-1046: The title of the album was revealed as Lovers Rock . The single "Better" was released along with the pre-order. The album was released on 7 September 2018. Estelle also hosts a show on Apple Music, The Estelle Show , playing music that "inspires and excites her." Between 2019 and 2020 she gave voice to Garnet in Steven Universe Future and acted as Linda for Netflix 's new film Fatal Affair . As of October 2020 The Estelle Show on Apple Music has had over 500 episodes. For her ability to rap, sing, act and write songs, Estelle has been praised by musicians such as John Legend and Roots Manuva ; Estelle's taste in music encompasses Todd Rundgren , Lauryn Hill , Kanye West , Nas , Jill Scott and Jay-Z . In league with other contemporary British sirens like Amy Winehouse , Adele and Duffy , her main musical influences are Mary J. Blige and Ella Fitzgerald . In an interview, Estelle remarked: "Every three years they are talking about

2773-421: The top five in many European and Oceanic markets, and peaked at number-one in Flanders , Slovakia, and Estelle's native United Kingdom. It also achieved success in the United States, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming Estelle's breakout song in the country. The song earned many nominations, and ultimately won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration . The music video, featuring

2832-592: The track includes drums, keys, synths, and bass; the former were provided by will.i.am while Caleb Speir provided the latter. will.i.am also co-recorded and co-engineered the song with Padriac Kerin at The Record Plant in Hollywood, Florida as well as Hit Factory Criteria and Circle House Studios in Miami . Serge Tsai mixed the song and recorded West's rap at Platinum Sound Recording Studios in New York City . "American Boy"

2891-531: The year at number 39 on the Hot 100 year-end chart and as the thirty-third best selling song of 2008. The song was also her best selling single there, selling 2 million downloads and earning a double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of September 2009, "American Boy" was the 25th best-selling downloaded song of all time in the UK, and as of November 2011, it

2950-526: Was "Make Her Say (Beat It Up)." The follow-up single "Conqueror" premiered on 15 July 2014. After numerous delays, the album was released on 17 February 2015 in the US. In 2015, Estelle guest starred in the hit Fox TV show Empire , singing the duet version of her single "Conqueror" with Jussie Smollett , refuelling sales of the single (peaking at No. 42 on the Hot 100 and No. 15 on R&B) and making it her biggest US hit since her Grammy -winning "American Boy" with Kanye West . In October, Estelle accepted

3009-423: Was also featured on Reflection Eternal 's new album with the song Midnight Hour and last track of Gucci Mane 's album The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted . In 2011, it was announced that " Break My Heart ", featuring Rick Ross , would be released as the new lead single from All of Me . It was released for download on 26 April 2011 and released to US urban radio stations on 17 May 2011. The song peaked at 33 on

SECTION 50

#1732877314344

3068-445: Was also produced by will.i.am and recorded over the instrumental of his song "Impatient", from his third studio album Songs About Girls (2007). The credits of Lopez, Speir, and Harris were the result of this sampling. In a 2008 interview with Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul , Estelle explained how the song came to fruition: "We were just messing about in the studio, joking around. And John (Legend) just said to me 'Why don't you write

3127-462: Was always playing us Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane ; he was a bad boy and my mum wasn't really happy that I was hanging out with him". By the time she was in her early 20s, she had decided on a music career. She used to be a nanny before she began her music career. Estelle got her start in London's renowned hip-hop record store Deal Real. Her fellow employees encouraged her to take a chance and get on

3186-695: Was born and raised in Hammersmith , London. Her mother's family came from Dakar , Senegal, and her father's family comes from Grenada . She is the eldest of nine children. Swaray's parents were very religious when she was growing up, and secular music was not allowed in the family's home. Instead, spiritual music—particularly American gospel—and West African music were what Swaray grew up listening to. However, she would sometimes listen to hip hop when not at home. She spent her childhood listening to her parents' reggae records and her aunt's soul collection before discovering hip hop. "I got into hip hop from my uncle; he

3245-409: Was nominated for Best UK Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards , but lost to The Ting Tings ' single " Shut Up and Let Me Go " (2008). The video also ranked at number 45 on BET 's Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2008 countdown, while its spin-off channel BET J listed it at number 10 on the year-end Last Call 2008! Top 50 Countdown . Estelle performed "American Boy" at various awards shows, where

3304-415: Was one of the twelve albums shortlisted for the prestigious 2008 Mercury Music Prize . Shine was certified Gold in the UK, denoting 100,000 copies sold. The album had sold 233,000 copies in the United States as of January 2012. Estelle also released a single with American rapper Busta Rhymes called " World Go Round ", from his album Back on My B.S. , which was released on 19 May 2009. In February 2009,

3363-471: Was released by the V2 label and reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart . A street-level mixtape series called Da Heat and further 12"s like "Free" and "Go Gone" helped build a loyal following, and Estelle gave back to the UK hip hop scene by forming her own Stellarents label to sign new artists. The album was a modest success, debuting at No. 35 on the UK albums chart, and generating two top 20 singles. She received

3422-417: Was released on third CD single formats, as well as a promo single, a maxi single, and 12-inch picture discs. The second CD single contains a radio remix of the song by UK dance and remix group Soul Seekerz . The third CD single features "Lift to Me", a song recorded by US rapper and producer Hi-Tek , featuring Estelle, for his fourth studio album Hi-Teknology 3 (2007). It also includes the music video for

3481-493: Was the 17th best-selling digital song by a British artist in the United States. The music video for "American Boy" was directed by Syndrome. It features guest appearances by John Legend , Kardinal Offishall , Sa-Ra 's Taz Arnold, Kidz in the Hall 's Naledge and Double-O, Danger Mouse , Consequence , Hi-Tek , Ryan Leslie , T.I. , Brandon Hines, LL Cool J , and 106 & Park ' s Terrence J , among others. The music video

#343656