Estelle - Diva Or Breath Of Fresh Air?
This week has seen Estelle vying for the number one spot in the UK single charts with the queen of pop, Madonna, and the so called new Amy Winehouse, Duffy.
Estelle is fully expected to pip the two to number one with her first American lead release, American Boy, which also features Kanye West.
I really like the single, as I said so in my review on Killed By The Video Star, but a comment she made while talking to The Daily Star has prompted me to question whether she’s becoming a first class diva after a small amount of success, or actually a breath of fresh air to the bitchy music industry.
She told the newspaper’s music columnist Kim Dawson:
“The worst thing about me is that I just focus on myself rather than taking any notice of what’s going on around me.”
“All I know of Duffy is that she sounds like Dusty Springfield with a little bit of Lulu thrown in.”
“When people ask me about other singers, I just don’t really – what’s the word – care.”
“I’ve been working on my own record for such a long time that I don’t want to take away from it by talking about or dissing other artists.”
That sort of comment, especially the one about not caring enough to even discuss other artists, could be taken two different ways, and I’m having a hard time deciding which is true.
On the one hand, I wish artists would keep their mouth shut about other singers and groups, instead of taking potshots all the time in an attempt at garnering publicity for themselves.
But on the other, by saying that she doesn’t care, is Estelle disrespecting those same artists by default anyway?
I want to think the best of her, and will do unless she makes some other stupid comment to make me change my mind. If she starts showing signs of being another Joss Stone, and thinking because America loves her, she is something special, then sorry, I’m out.
Tags: American, American Boy, Amy Winehouse, Brit, British, Duffy, Dusty Springfield, Estelle, Joss Stone, Kanye-West, Lulu, Madonna, UKRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Charts, Estelle, Gossip, Industry, News, Op Ed, R'n'B
4 opinions for Estelle - Diva Or Breath Of Fresh Air?
Estelle - ‘1980′ Music Video Review | Estelle Before The Americans Loved Her
Mar 24, 2008 at 9:28 am
[…] no doubt she’s come a long way since this single came out, but I thought it would be a good time to trace her career back. Good […]
Gerard
Mar 26, 2008 at 3:33 am
Hi Dave. I’m in two minds about Estelle. I love the song. But the real talent behind it is Kanye West and will.i.am. I think I’ll wait until the second and third singles before deciding how much credit to give Estelle.
As for the comments to The Star - it sounds like she stuck up for herself to someone angling for a soundbite. Which is why the wires aren’t buzzing with “Estelle thinks Duffy is a two-bit copycat” headlines. If she says she doesn’t care, then she’s probably being a lot more honest than her peers.
I think the short answer is, let’s wait and see.
Ricardo
Aug 14, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Estelle thinks she’s a diva… she sounds so bad live
when i saw american boy on jools i was scared :(
Dave Parrack
Aug 15, 2008 at 4:59 pm
You might be right Ricardo. Then again, there are a lot of big acts who can’t sing live for toffee!
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