At this point in her career, Estelle is focusing on embracing the transformation in an era where most chase reinvention. Artist-wise, the British singer has always done a good job of making sure her music reflects her roots. Born in London, her longtime love for soul inspired her to become one of the most recognisable voices within the U.K’s storied R&B scene. Bred of Grenadian and Senegalese descent, the GRAMMY-Award winner never lost touch with her “Lovers Rock” influences that would later pay homage to with her last album from 2018 under the same name. Even outside the music, her love for her influences and keeping them alive continues with hosting “The Estelle Show” on Apple Music.
Amidst her musical return, Estelle shifts from maintaining her connection with the past to strengthen the one she has with her present self. With over two decades in the industry, the “American Boy” songwriter doesn’t have a problem telling you how she is. “I’m a weirdo,” Estelle humorously yet proudly admits in our exclusive EARMILK interview. “I don’t fit the mold, and I’m not going to engage in what everybody else is doing. The weirder you are, the more amazing you are.”
Today, Estelle’s inspirations are drawn from accepting the change she’s undergone during her hiatus. Stay Alta, her first album in seven years, serves as her personal journal documenting the last few years she’s spent reclaiming control of her story.
“Stay Alta was focused more on who I wanted to be and who I found myself becoming, instead of retelling old stories… I found that I was writing songs that didn’t sound like me… it sounded a lot like my parents and the things I grew up on. I realised I had no real personal identity.”
The urge to take back control of her sound and voice was born from born mental and, at times, physical limits, as she details moments of her voice “telling her no”. Rather than pushing through and dismissing it, she listened and used those moments as the first step towards the journey of feeling like Estelle again. Moments like these are how album cuts like “Oh I” come into fruition, the triumphant letter to herself as she acknowledges the need to let go and realign. The same can be said for “Let It Drop”, the energetic, ballroom-esque track that embodies the singer losing the feeling of being shackled down. Across the project, her voice pierces through breathing new life and sounding as vibrant as ever.
The album marks newfound direction for the multi-platinum vocalist, as she confidently stands firm in her current era while allowing herself to freely explore what’s next. Prioritising purpose over momentum, Estelle is looking forward to her creative challenges ahead — including a desire to step onto the Broadway stage. “I’d like to go do Broadway,” she says. “I think that would be an interesting challenge.” While this answer may sound odd to many, it makes perfect sense from someone looking to invite into every space that feels purposeful. Like Stay Alta, this new era in her life is not about creating the moment, but honouring the one’s in: fully grounded and feeling more like herself than ever.
