Estelle, American Boy | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the 2^nd edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024), we highlight “American Boy” performed by British R&B artist, Estelle, featuring Kanye West. 

“Ireally want to come kick it with you / You’ll be my American boy.” ‘Merica 🇺🇸! It only takes ONE hit to solidify a musical legacy 💯! On 1 Hit WONDERful, we highlight songs that were the SOLE hit by a given musician.  To be fair, it is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, it’s that ONE hit that earned them recognition. So, in the 2^nd edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024) we dive into “American Boy”,  the one hit wonder by British R&B artist, Estelle.

“He said, ‘Hey, mister, really, really nice to meet ya’ / I just met this five-foot-seven guy who’s just my type.” So, Grammy-winning British R&B artist Estelle (Estelle Swaray) is into short guys? Nothing wrong with that! Seriously, though, Swaray has one multiplatinum, top-10 hit (peaked at no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100) to her name: “American Boy”. To be fair, Estelle has charted three times on the pop charts with “Conqueror” (alongside the Empire Cast and the disgraced Jussie Smollett), and “Thank You”.  Neither song hit the top 40, nor spent more than two weeks on the chart.  What I’m saying is, Estelle, you exemplify the characterization of one hit wonder. Of course, “American Boy” performed so well on the pop charts because it was the sugar honey iced tea – among the crème de la crème of 2000s music! It was produced by will.i.am who was in his heyday.  The backdrop features a sickening groove and exuberant synths. Kanye West appears as a featured guest,  long before becoming far too controversial. Swaray penned this gem from 2008’s Shine alongside West, will.i.am, Caleb Speir, John Legend, Josh Lopez, Kanye West, Keith Harris, and Kweli Washington. 

Mr. West appears on the intro, gassing up the British musician for her big moment.  “This is a number one champion sound / Yeah, Estelle, we ‘bout to get down,” he asserts, adding, “Who the hottest in the world right now? / Just touched down in London town.” Beyond that gas, what’s the premise? Estelle is all-in on boys stateside – The United States. “Like the way he’s speakin’, his confidence is peakin’ / Don’t like his baggy jeans, but I might like what’s underneath them.” Damn! You could say she wants a ‘foreign,’ as the rappers might put it.  Ultimately, “American Boy” is an energetic, fun cut with a great beat – infectious to the nth degree.  Estelle sings beautifully, will.i.am drops the perfect backdrop, and West provides a nice lift. “American Boy” remains lit at it approaches two decades in age.

Appears in 🔻:

• 50 Awesome Boy or Girl Songs (2021)

🎙 Estelle • 💿 Shine • 🏷 Woah Dad! • 📅 2008

Estelle, American Boy: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 2 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Woah Dad!; Elias Souza from Pexels; OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]