From the opening “Wait a Minute (Just a Touch),” London-born rapper and R&B singer Estelle shows off sensual, soulful pipes as well as some solid hip-hop chops. In the club hit “American Boy,” she and Kanye West playfully weigh the party-time benefits of L.A., Brooklyn, and London, while “Magnificent” heads to Jamaica for inspiration. Estelle is also into old-school grooves, sweet-talking John Legend in the ballad “You Are” and getting all Diana Ross-like for “Pretty Please (Love Me).” Shine‘s title tune closes the disc, doubling as an invitation to listeners and remixers alike to join her on the dance floor.
This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2008.