By Joseph Akahome
- Estelle at BET’s Rip the Runway 2012, February 29
Singer Estelle has revealed that her career as an R&B artiste in the United Kingdom was headed nowhere prompting her move to the United States.
The 32-year-old singer who just released her sophomore album titled ‘All of Me‘, described the experience of performing as an R&B artiste in Europe as ‘too tough’ and ‘frustrating’.
‘It’s so … hard for British artists to be taken seriously as R&B artists‘, she told The Washington Post.
‘It’s frustrating‘, continued Estelle, who has now relocated to the United States.
‘I get a lot of (people saying), ‘Yo Estelle, you can’t sing R&B and be out here and make money’. This is crazy’ and I’m looking at them like, ‘I know. That’s why I’m not there doing it.’
She claims British UK singers have trouble performing R&B ‘because No. 1, you’re not American.’
Estelle, a Grammy Award-winner garnered international exposure with her 2008 hit single, ‘American boy‘ which featured rapper Kanye West.
Explaining why it took her a while to release an album after her debut ‘The 18th Day‘ back in 2004, she says ‘I always say there’s a difference between cooked food and McDonald’s‘.
‘Your mom’s homemade dinner — you enjoy this more than you enjoy the fast food that comes along and goes, and I strive to make homemade dinner every time I put out an album‘, she said.
Her latest album features collaborations from some of the industry’s leading lights including Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Rick Ross, Nas, Ne-Yo and Janelle Monae.
