Estelle Meets An American Boy (And It’s Kanye)
British R&B singer Estelle’s “American Boy” is a bloke-crazy travelogue across the fifty nifty–even if she seems more interested in checking out the scenery than the local singles scene–with a fur-draped Kanye stopping by for two check-cashing guest verses shameless enough to rhyme “U.K.” with “you, K.” Five years ago, the song’s house-style backing–a vaguely French-style confection too chill for prime time clubbing but perfect for an Ibiza-themed, bikini-bedecked comp–would have meant the song was dead in the water commercially on the Europhobic side of the Atlantic. After West’s own “Stronger” and the recent spate of 4/4 -friendly R&B and pop, its U.S. crossover commercial fortunes are less of a given, but Estelle’s delivery might still be a little too prim for us downmarket R&B fans who prefer belters to the cool composure of the continental club diva. [YouTube]
