How Estelle found her American Boy!
In 2008, the relatively unknown Estelle came from seemingly nowhere. Surrounded by some of the biggest names in the business, she dropped American Boy and the world sat up to take notice.
Performed with Kanye West and produced by will.i.am, American Boy was written by Estelle, John Legend, Kanye, will.i.am, and Ethan Hendrickson.
The “backing track” so to speak was already complete and released a year earlier on will.I.am’s album Songs About Girls, under the name Impatient.
So how did Estelle end up rubbing shoulders with these superstars?
It all started in 2003 when she spotted Kanye West in an L.A. restaurant and simply introduced herself. Instead of asking to work with him, she enquired about John Legend.
This strategy worked as Estelle and John ended up working together around 2004, releasing a few songs with minor success.
They clearly clicked as in 2008, John had signed Estelle to his new record label and gathered Mark Ronson, Wyclef Jean, and even CeeLo Green to work on the album which would contain American Boy.
They say it takes ten years to create an overnight success, for Estelle, it took 5 after approaching Kanye, to find her American Boy.
Estelle | Related pages
American Boy
| Emaj9 | Cmaj7 |
Just another one champion sound (yea), yeah, Estelle, we ’bout to get down (get down).
| Am7 | Am7 Fmaj7/D |
Who the hottest in the world right now (ha), just touched down in London town (ha).
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