Hotly tipped for great things and with her debut album in the shops Estelle is out to prove her supporters right and achieve her ambition of a number one album. From her performance last night it definitely feels like she is on the right track.
While at times her chat to the audience betrayed her nerves no one could fail to be struck by the determination and confidence that she possesses, her songs speaking powerfully for themselves about what this young Londoner is bringing to music, a powerful talent.
In a set that started slowly Estelle and her band ran through a collection of songs that opened up many more dimensions to her sound than have previously been on display in the two excellent singles 1980 and Free.
With songs that show influences of the past forty years of pop music Estelle provides a strong reminder that true talent and lasting success will not be built on simply being good at the current vogue, her success lies in the depth of her talent, which shows in the quality of her singles to date.
Those singles light up the room as the audience throw themselves into the performance but do not, which just proves Estelle’s pedigree, stand out head and shoulders form the rest of the performance. The whole set, with maybe the exception of two average slow love songs at the start, is both powerful and memorable confirming that Estelle has more ammunition to follow up her two popular singles.
Estelle’s talent as a singer is without question and her skills as an MC make her into an artist that sails effortlessly above the tide of manufactured X factor ‘stars’ that currently litter the airwaves. Her younger sister backs her vocal talent, the two siblings combining in a harmonious wall of sound that reeks of class.
On stage with her band Estelle is the complete package and as her confidence grows with her stature and profile in the charts she looks set to prove that the many years she has taken to reach this point have been more than worth it for both her and us.
