Latest news with #AmericanBoy
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I don't have any regrets... we made magic, reveals singer Estelle live on Loose Women as she discusses Kanye West collaboration American Boy after being probed about 'controversial' rapper
Estelle says she doesn't have any regrets about working with under-fire Kanye West and believes they 'made magic' while collaborating on one of her biggest hits. The singer, 45, collaborated with the controversial rapper on her 2008 single American Boy - a number one hit in the United Kingdom and various other countries across mainland Europe. Promoting her new album Stay Alta on Thursday's instalment of Loose Women, Estelle was asked for her views on West. The rapper has courted criticism over recent months for a series of inflammatory stunts, among them conducting an interview while dressed as a Ku Klux Klansman, praising Nazi figurehead Adolf Hitler and airing unsavoury anti-semitic views. Anchor Kaye Adams, 62, was keen to find out what she thought about West and asked her: 'One of the people you have collaborated with, you mentioned John Legend, is Kanye West, who has proved to be quite a controversial figure. How do you reflect on that?' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop Estelle said: 'I don't. In a nice way. He was on his journey before me. 'My song is my song. We made magic. We made a record that people's grandkids, you cannot feel joy when you hear this record. I feel like that is the point. 'It's my record, we've performed it 4/5 times together, I don't regret it. 'People's grandkids love this record and you see their children dancing and they don't know.' She continued: 'Even if they like rapping along to his verses, it's still just the joy in the moment. 'I prayed for a record like this. I literally prayed for a record like this. It's here. I feel like it would be a slap in the face to say... 'No, this is my record. It's a beautiful song. It makes me happy. ' Estelle shot to fame in the 2000s and has had a successful career over the years. 'My song is my song. We made magic. We made a record that people's grandkids, you cannot feel joy when you hear this record. I feel like that is the point,' said Estelle Although American Boy is one of her most popular songs, she's also released the likes of Freak, Stronger Than You, Come Over and Conqueror. The star has worked in film and TV industry. Earlier this month, West revealed that he has done a full 180 following substantial backlash to his new song Heil Hitler (Hooligan Version), which dropped two weeks ago. 'I am done with antisemitism,' the disgraced 47-year-old - who boasts 69.4M social media followers - announced on X Thursday. 'I love all people.' The rapper - who was raised Christian - continued: 'God forgive me for the pain I've caused. I forgive those who have caused me pain. Thank you God.' The 24-time Grammy winner explained the reason behind his rejection of his Nazi persona was because 'I simply got a FaceTime from my kids and I wanna save the world again.' West had been complaining about not seeing his six children - daughter North, 11; son Saint, 9; daughter Chicago, 7; and son Psalm, 5 - from his six-year marriage to Kim Kardashian, which ended in 2021. 'With all of my money and fame I still don't get to see my children,' the Atlanta-born Chicago native rapped in Heil Hitler. 'N*****s see my Twitter but they don't see how I be feeling / So I became a Nazi, yeah b****, I'm the villain.' His controversies started back in 2022 when he tweeted he was going 'death con 3 on Jewish people'. He was then dropped by his agency CAA, production company MRC, Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga.
Metro
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
EastEnders confirms unexpected Kat and Alfie twist that will delight 00s TV fans
Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) is taken aback in upcoming EastEnders scenes when long-time love Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) pops the question. The couple, who have had their fair share of heartbreak and joy throughout their two decades in the Square, reunited last year following a turbulent time for their family. Kat had been assaulted by son Tommy (Sonny Kendall), whose violent behaviour spiralled out of control around the time in question, with social services subsequently intervening. Alfie was right by Kat's side throughout the ordeal and, following a breakthrough meeting with a social worker, sparks flew for the former couple once more. After contemplating the prospect of a future together, Kat and Alfie ultimately decided to give things another go, sharing a kiss against the backdrop of a fireworks display. Nearly a year on and the couple are perhaps more solid than they've ever been, which prompts Alfie to take a chance on love in upcoming scenes. With a new limo business on the cards for the pair, Alfie suggests doing a wedding photoshoot as a way to promote it. And discussion of weddings leave him with food for thought as he gets down on one knee to ask Kat to marry him, suggesting that they be the bride and groom in the picture shoot. More Trending No, you're crying. The question is: will Kat say yes to Alfie's proposal? New pictures from the scenes in question see Kat smiling as her man in the Moon gets down on one knee so we're keeping our fingers crossed for a positive outcome. View More » EastEnders airs weeknights at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on BBC iPlayer. If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: Music industry pays tribute to agent Dave Shapiro after death in San Diego plane crash MORE: Estelle: 'Everyone wants the next American Boy but I don't care' MORE: TV fans beg writers to 'come up with something new' as reboots take over
Metro
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Estelle: 'Everyone wants the next American Boy but I don't care'
If you were around in 2008, there was no way to avoid the all-consuming success of American Boy — but singer Estelle couldn't care less. As she releases her first new studio album in seven years, named Stay Alta, Estelle reflects on the expectations to produce another chart topper. She told Metro: 'I'm not pleasing [everyone], I'm gonna live my life. I have all these records that do well in whatever space they do well in, but they do well because they're truthful to me in that moment, and that's all I care about. 'When people like it, most times they do because it's authentic.' Estelle, 45, shares that she is all about living in the moment and being joyful, rather than looking back and overanalysing her highs and lows. '[American Boy] is my biggest song,' she says with a shrug. 'It is what it is.' The 00s track, featuring Kanye West, has become a cultural touchstone — partly thanks to Gavin and Stacey — and remains the best-known track by the London-born singer. While she recognises that American Boy may have 'shone brighter' than her other music, she's never chased the hit as 'lightning isn't going to strike twice'. We've teamed up with SXSW London to give away two pairs of Music Festival Wristbands valid for 2-7 June 2025. Headliners include Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Tems, Brit Award-winning artist Mabel, Crystal Castles's Alice Glass, and East London-based R&B artist NAO, plus emerging talent set to perform at showcase acts around Shoreditch. Click here to find out more about SXSW London's incredible events and how to enter to be in with a chance to win, or simply enter your details using the form below. *T&Cs apply. You have until midnight on Sunday 25th May 2025 to enter. Good luck! * Open to legal residents of Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) aged 18 or over. Promotion opens at 06:01 BST on 13 May 2025 and closes at 23:59 BST on 25 May 2025. The promotion is free to enter; however internet access is required. Entrant must visit and when prompted by the form, submit their name, email, telephone number, date of birth and postcode. Acceptance of the terms and conditions (by ticking the relevant checkbox) is necessary to enter the promotion. 1 entry per person. 1 prize available per person. There will be two (2) winners. Each winner will win two (2) Full Week (6 days) Music Festival Wristbands (each such wristband worth £99) granting secondary access to Official SXSW London Music Festival showcases valid from 2 until 7 June 2025. Proof of age and photographic ID is required for entry (18+). The prize, including entry and attendance at SXSW, is subject to and governed by the SXSW's full ticket terms and conditions here. Full T&Cs apply, see here. Her feelings about the track's legacy are a little mixed, but the iconic Gavin and Stacey moment let her know that she had 'hit certain points in culture'. Estelle shared: 'If everyone had their way, I'd have had to make 10 more 1980s. And that's my annoyance with people, you have short-term memories because remember when American Boy came out and you were like 'Well, it's no 1980'.' She jokingly banged the table in frustration, and added: 'Now everyone's like, 'Well it's no American Boy'. I don't care!' Fans demanded a sequel at the time, so she caved and put out Fall In Love, which, according to Estelle, is functionally a rewrite of the smash hit single. 'Somebody wrote that record again and said, 'Here', and you guys asked me to sing and I said, 'Okay', and you don't want it,' she laughed. After 20 years in the business, the Thank You hitmaker is well aware that songs are going to be compared to each other, so she's done trying to pander. 'I think every other album has felt like — to a degree — I did it for everybody else, family, friends, for the expectation for a version of me that got me here,' she shared. 'I no longer need this version, [I am] who I am today and who I hope to be.' The Grammy winner sees her post-pandemic self as 'wildly different' to the Estelle we knew in 2018 when she was last releasing a studio album. Her transformation started when she 'got help' and began seeing a therapist and decided to be 'intentionally happy'. 'I don't have to be anything other than who I am,' the Conqueror singer said. 'This album says all of that, and I feel like there are so many more people who will identify with that.' Stay Alta has actually been in the works since 2012, but the timing was incredibly important for Estelle. She doesn't believe in releasing music for the sake of it, explaining that she 'lives the music'; every song is a part of her story. Estelle said: 'When I put music out, I want to care about it. It's important that this music isn't something that's just for the sake of like, 'Oh, she's putting out an album out', it's none of that. 'It's 'I've made a really great album. I'm so proud of it.'' This album in particular was one the singer felt she 'needed', as it is filled with 'light' and 'joy'. 'There's a lot of joy in a way that's not weak, but that's vulnerable and gives people permission to do something other than what they've been taught,' she explained. This need for joy was sparked when the alum really began to take shape in 2018, when the overall sound had a 'dark undertone' in Estelle's eyes. She didn't hear uplifting music on the radio or in the festival line-ups, instead, everything was 'pulling us into this crucible of dark'. 'Not to sound dramatic,' Estelle laughed and added that now, 'we are beyond ready to be happy.' Reflecting on funk in the 80s or punk and R&B in the 90s, the Steven Universe actress said this is where music is about to go again. She said: 'The world is telling us that everything is going to s**t but we have a choice. We have a choice as to whether our emotions and our heads go to s**t as well. 'I don't believe that we want that. I think we want joy and happiness and to be seen, heard, affirmed, and allowed. We want to be given permission to live.' As for the future, whether there's another huge runaway hit in store or not, Estelle plans to take the opportunities as they come – be that on the screen, the page, or in your headphones. Maybe even live from Worthy Farm as she joked that someone should 'sneak her on' for a mini set at Glastonbury 2025. More Trending For her bigger goals, after voicing Garnet in Steven Universe, she has her sights set on an Oscar, but is 'just putting things in the air' and seeing how things unfold. 'I just want to continue being joyful and being intentionally joyful and hope that wherever I step, wherever I am, joy is there.' Maybe 'there' could still be Worthy Farm this year, Estelle does have a song with Busta Rhymes after all. Estelle's new album Stay Alta is out now. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'Reboots never work' — TV viewers are fed up of watching the same shows MORE: Lizzie McGuire Movie's Italian heartthrob Paolo is unrecognisable 23 years on from teen movie MORE: Bianca Censori looks startlingly like Kanye West's ex Kim Kardashian in racy new photo
Black America Web
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
MFT: Estelle Takes Us Back To Her First Time In America
Jo Hale The allure from 'across the pond' has always made its way on the music scene here in America, be it Brit-soul divas like Adele and the late Amy Winehouse or respected lyricists like Skepta and Little Simz. Back in 2008, we saw it front-and-center on the R&B/pop scene with the rise of Estelle. Similar to the aforementioned Winehouse, who achieved hometown fame with her debut LP before embarking on an American takeover a few years later, Estelle went from a big win at the MOBO Awards with her 2004 debut, The 18th Letter , to going even bigger at the GRAMMYs four years later with her American top 10 hit, 'American Boy.' Virtually on every 'best of' list in reference to the 2000s, 'American Boy' by Estelle is still one of the best pop singles to make an international splash by way of the UK. RELATED: My First Time – Lee Vasi (Even With Hives!) Nailed Her First Audition This week on 'My First Time,' the London-born singer gives us her personal recollection of what it was like debuting in America as a fish out the pond. While we were jamming along to her tune about falling in love across the 50 states and then some, she was simply just trying to navigate getting lost in translation when it came to slang and other staples to American culture. From acting out her words in order to get people to understand what she was trying to say or on a more intimidating note coming off, as she put it, 'alarming' to those confused by a British Black female that sounded like her, it wasn't always easy getting acclimated on her way to the top. Thankfully, her overall charm (and strength to block out the haters!) soon won the masses over to be a respected international superstar. SEE ALSO Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
CairoScene
09-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Mike Pham Drops Tech-House EP ‘DJ Like This One' on DancIN'
The two-track record marks a new chapter in Mike's musical journey, where departs from the minimal sound he previously embraced. Feb 09, 2025 Cairo-based producer and DJ Mike Pham debuts a groove-heavy tech-house EP 'DJ Like This One' on Gawdat's MENA dance label, DancIN'. Known for his infectious blend of colourful house and minimal sounds, Mike has been keeping Cairo's top dancefloors on its toes over the past six years, sharing decks with prominent international artists like Marco Carola, Alex Wann, Stephan Bodzin and Sama' Abdulhadi. The two-track record marks a new chapter in Mike's musical journey, where he dabbles into the vibrant spectrum of tech-house sounds. The titular track is a refreshing dancefloor-ready mix of jazz and funk elements, energetic tech-house basslines and uplifting melodies. Meanwhile, on 'Kick It', Mike explores a quirky side of his music, diverging from the more minimal and mellow sound he previously embraced. The track features a sample from the famous 'American Boy' hit by British rapper Estelle and Kanye West, complimented by the vocals of the Cairene artist Lilly Farid, which add a more soulful texture to the song's structure.
