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This is a great album, American Boy is a really catchy song, but I am a big 'Shine' fan too.

Rating: 5 out of 5

After recently listening to this album I can honestly say that this is only 1 out of 2 albums that I can listen to and absolutely love every song! (the other being Amy Winehouse - Back To Black)

Estelle had already made her mark in the UK with The 18th Day but Shine definately puts her out there for the rest of the world and she deserves all the success she is getting (#1 in the UK charts right now with American Boy)

Its a shame that she had to go to USA to get an album that she'd be recognised for world wide but she still keeps her LDN roots close to her and this is expressed with the various slang used in her songs so she hasnt totally sold us out *cough* joss stone *cough*.

All in all this is a classic album and even reminds me of a Lauryn Hill album (kind of a co-incidence seen as though Wyclef Jean produces some of the tracks on Shine) and I hope it takes Estelle far!

Rating: 5 out of 5

I bought this album because of Estelle's comments about the treatment of black British music artists in the UK today. I agree. I hadn't heard her no. 1 single. It's a rare double for me nowadays but I bought this blind AND listened to this album all the way through. I've just finished. I never got bored. Every track is different and yet the album flows nicely. Every track is strong and melodic. This woman is a star so 'Shine' is the right title. I've just ordered her last album.

Some of the hooks are borrowed and they show great taste: from Screaming Jay Hawkins through to Bob Marley and Love Unlimited. Wow! Eclectic or what? She's got some of the best producers on this album, she has a writing credit on all the songs. John Legend is the executive producer and he guests along with Kanye West and a sweet voiced guy named Ce-Low (sounds like the great Eddie Kendricks to me). This woman knows what she's doing.

As soon as I heard Estelle's London accent I thought of Ben Watt's Buzzin Fly track 'Pop a Cap in Yo' Ass' - that's my favourite Buzzin' Fly track. I had to dig it out and I was right - it's Estelle speaking my favouite track. So now I've caught up with her, I know we've produced another young talented super-star. There's only two so far - both multi-cultural in taste and talent. Estelle and Amy. Shine on, Estelle. Why is this album not available as I write this? I hope it's because of the rush to buy and there's a special edition on the way. Go, Girl!

Rating: 5 out of 5

I have waited for a new CD by Estelle for ages and just listening to this now and its better then the first. I love this CD

Rating: 5 out of 5

From the first time I heard the track `wait a minute', I went and wrote a review and I said in my review that if the rest of the album is anything like this first single, then we are in for a treat. And to say I was right would be an understatement.

Move to the states
First things first, I think it was a good move for her to go to the states coz it would have been much harder as a female UK rnb/hip-hop artist to commercially break through and go as far as getting a number 1 single. You could argue that it was coz of Kanye West that she got the number 1 spot but that would just be plain silly coz Kanye don't even produce the number one single `American boy'. So props to her for doing what it takes to get her much deserved recognition coz she has been slept on for too damn long.

The album
This album is right on so many different levels. I listened to it at work, in my car and at the gym just to get a feel of it and I have to say that it is seamless as it just plays through so nicely. The choice of songs e.g. subject matter, beats, production etc is just on point. I have to say the album has got that John Legend-esc feel to it but that's expected as JL worked a lot on this album. Its almost perfect because it has songs that are suitable for almost every mood, from the number single `American Boy' with Kanye that just gets you to bump your head to the mellowed out "more than friends". From the very first song "wait a minute", the album just sounds really good and if you like up tempo "shine" as well as mellowed out music "come over", then this is the album for you. This album is like a blend of John Legend's Once Again "no substitute love, Back in Love", Lauren Hill's Miseducation "so much out the way" and Estelles own first album and you just know that's a good combination. With every song, the melodies are just so sweet and easy going and then before you know it, Estelle comes through with the London twang that does not sound over the top, it s beautiful. I can imagine she/they carefully picked the tracks for this album and that's why there are only 12 tracks, no fillers at all, each song with its intended purpose. Its nice coz you get that John Legend mellow-ness and then you get that Estelle brush London witty thing going on with her clever and sometimes funny rhymes. This album shows real maturity on her part and I think she has raised the bar not only for herself but for all the other artists out there both male and female and also on both sides of the Atlantic.

If you also look at the production as well as the features on this album, you can tell she meant business coz even the samples she uses are classics, from Bob Marley to Paul Simon and then she solicits the help of heavy hitters like Wyclef, Cee-lo, Kardinal Official, Kanye West. Well what more can I say.

Best part
The best part of this album is that it does not fit into one genre of music at all, it sort of transcends them. In only 12 songs, she manages to do a bit of everything in an exciting way that works. She has tracks with a hint of reggae, tracks with a hint of rnb, tracks with a splash of hip-hop etc. You not only get good lyrics, but you get good beats and interesting subject matter although it revolves around love, it is done in an interesting way, not your typical damsel in distress or man hating (opposite of a misogynist) type. It is an interesting album and it is about time she got her props coz she is a smart young lady who has worked hard. So you can applaud her for doing more for UK artist abroad and also for just being so creative and relentless. You might say it sound a bit American but that cant be helped seeing that it was made in America but when Estelle spits her rhymes, you remember that she is reppin Britain for sure.

Big up Estelle.


Rating: 5 out of 5