With the first album, I wanted to do so many different things, and I was fighting with myself to try and see if I was worthy enough to do it. – Estelle
With my music, I don’t have to stay in one lane. One day I’m in Motown, and the next day I’m in reggae. – Estelle
You know, sometimes you fall in love and you get treated badly, sometimes you get treated well. – Estelle
I have to live authentically at all times. And that’s part of what makes me an artist. I’m not scared to do that. – Estelle
I remember being, like, the age of 7 and just always being in control of something or someone, a baby somewhere. I had lots of cousins and brothers, and we were all taught that’s how you are, you know. Things don’t just run themselves; you have to make them run. – Estelle
Some days I might be wearing a little dress, and some days I might be wearing something with wings on it and be confusing. – Estelle
A lot of scarves are made to stand out and therefore not appropriate on your head, say, at work. – Estelle
I am a black British female artist, so I must be like Ms Dynamite, I must be like Shystie, I must be like Jamelia, but we’re all different. – Estelle
I’m the female Jay-Z. I never compared myself to other women artists. I compared myself with the best, and the best is Jay-Z. – Estelle
I started writing an album on flights to Africa and Brazil, but it was crazy because I left the notebook on the plane. It had seven or eight songs in it. After that, I’m not writing any more songs on notebooks – and I keep my Blackberry close! – Estelle
BMG has been an awesome partner throughout my career, and with New London, we plan to continue bridging the gap between soul, pop, London, and New York – uniting them through music. – Estelle
I love singing, so I want to see how far I can take it. I love the challenge, and I won’t be happy until I have a wall full of gold discs and seven huge world tours under my belt. – Estelle
Why should you stay in one place and one country if they’re not offering you a job? It doesn’t make sense! – Estelle
A lot of big whoever producers, they come with a song and they say, ‘Sing this,’ and I’m not that girl. – Estelle
I’m just excited that I get to put out the music I love versus music just for the sake of it. – Estelle
People like the shows I do. I want to be real, to have fun, even when I dance on stage… it’s a buzz. – Estelle
Luke James has this mystique about him that’s not something you can explain; you can only experience it. He’s got a whole D’Angelo feel to him as well. – Estelle
In order for me to write, I have to experience life. I write the songs based on real life, and I perform them from a very real place. – Estelle
Lesson one, introduce yourself to everyone when you walk into a room. Don’t act like you’re too bougie to say, ‘Hello.’ – Estelle