Estelle

Born in London in 1980, Estelle Fanta Swaray developed a musical style at the crossroads of R&B, hip‑hop, soul and reggae, grounded in British influences including grime and American Black music. Estelle emerged in the early 2000s on the London hip‑hop scene after a spell at the record shop Deal Real and collaborations with local figures such as Skitz, Blak Twang, Rodney P and Roots Manuva. Her debut album, The 18th Day, was released in 2004 and established a sound that blends singing with rap phrasing. Meeting John Legend proved a turning point: Estelle joined his Homeschool label and expanded her audience with Shine in 2008, which features 'American Boy' with Kanye West. She went on to release All of Me in 2012, True Romance in 2015, Lovers Rock in 2018 — more focused on a reggae and lovers rock aesthetic — and Stay Alta in 2025. Between London and the United States, Estelle has also worked with Nas, will.i.am and Rick Ross, while developing an acting and voice‑over career, notably as the character Garnet in Steven Universe.