Esthero
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Esthero ( ; born Jenny-Bea Englishman on December 23, 1978 in
Stratford, Ontario Stratford is a city on the Avon River (Ontario), Avon River within Perth County, Ontario, Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, with a 2021 Canadian census, 2021 population of 33,232 in a land area of . Stratford is the County seat, s ...
) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who lives in Los Angeles, California. The name ''Esthero'' refers both to the singer and formerly to the two-person team of herself and producer Doc McKinney. Esthero is a
portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.
of "Esther the hero"; she claims to have gotten the name by combining the name of the heroine (Esther) and last line ("If I am to be the hero, then I cannot fly from darkness") of the film from Sylvia Plath's novel '' The Bell Jar''. Esthero's sound characteristically features her voice over a mix of mellow bass lines, jazzy trumpets, Spanish guitar and hip-hop. She is sometimes compared to artists
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
, Portishead,
Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...
, and Sade. She has co-produced the majority of the material she performed. Later female artists who count Esthero among their influences include Res, Fergie and fellow Canadian
Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado ( , ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 45 million records, including 35 million in album sales worldwide, making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. Critics have noted ...
. Esthero's brother, Jason Englishman, is also a musician.


Career


Early life

At the age of sixteen, Esthero moved from the small town of
Walkerton, Ontario Walkerton is a town in the municipality of Brockton, Ontario, Brockton, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. It is the site of Brockton's municipal offices and is the county seat. Walkerton is located on the Saugeen River, at the junction of Highway 9 ...
on her own to
Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, where she began singing at open-mic nights while supporting herself by working at different jobs. She was seen singing at the Free Times Cafe by manager Beau Ovcaric who set up a showcase for his partner Zack Werner. They introduced her to EMI Publishing Canada president Michael McCarty, whom she charmed so well during their first meeting that without hearing her sing a single note he set up and paid for recording sessions with Martin "Doc" McKinney, a Producer, songwriter, guitarist, programmer and engineer.


1997: ''Breath from Another''

The young duo quickly began recording together, and six demos in were being courted on the presidency level by almost every major label in the US. Thanks to then EMI publishing US president Rick Krim their demo's reached the ears of the heads of the Work Group (a subsidiary of Sony). Their debut album, '' Breath from Another'', was released to critical acclaim in Spring 1998.


1998–2003: Collaborations and success

Following the dissolution of the WORK label, Esthero was released from her contract. She signed with Reprise in 2000. In 1998, after a remix of one of her songs ("Country Livin'") was used included on the soundtrack for " Slam", Esthero received attention from many hip-hop and rap artists, with many requesting collaborations with her. Some such collaborations were fruitful, such as her work with the
Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...
on " Weekends", which was an international hit. In 2001, Esthero collaborated with German producer Ian Pooley on " Balmes (A Better Life)", which reached the Top 75 of the UK Singles chart and gave Esthero her first entry on the US Dance charts.


2004–2005: ''O.G. Bitch'' and ''Wikked Lil Grrrls''

On April 20, 2004—without Doc's assistance—Esthero released ''O.G. Bitch'', a standalone EP featuring six alternate remixes of the title track, plus the
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
"I Love You". The song topped the club charts in the US. The following year, she released a second EP, titled '' We R in Need of a Musical Revolution''. The EP spawned a hit of the same name and led the way to Esthero's 2005 full-length album on the
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
label, '' Wikked Lil' Grrrls'', seven years following her debut album, to mixed critical reaction. The album features contributions from
Sean Lennon is a British-American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tige ...
, André 3000, Jemeni, Jelleestone, and Cee-Lo Green of Goodie Mob.


2007–2011: Split from record company and collaborations

In 2007, Esthero amicably parted ways with Venus Management. She continues to have a familial bond with Zack and Beau. Esthero is currently self managed. 2008 was an eventful year for Esthero, with a number of high-profile collaborations including the viral sensation " Yes We Can", a song (with accompanying video) inspired by a speech delivered by
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
and produced by will.i.am. Esthero also provided the voice of the spaceship J.A.N.E. on
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
's Glow in the Dark tour and appeared on his album ''
808s & Heartbreak ''808s & Heartbreak'' is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West, released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 24, 2008, having been recorded earlier that year in September and October at Glenwood Stud ...
'', on which she co-wrote three tracks under her real name. 2008 also saw her take on the role of producer for a track from Dangerous Muse's debut album and a co-writer on Brandy's album ''
Human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
''. She is featured on
hip hop music Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...
producer
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
's 2009 album '' Shock Value II'' on the songs "Can You Feel It" and "Undertow" with band
The Fray The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut studio album, '' How to Save a Life'' (2005) was released by Epic Records and received quadruple platinum certific ...
. The latter entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 100, giving Esthero her first and only Hot 100 entry in the US.


2012–present: ''Everything Is Expensive'' and "Baby Steps"

On June 5, 2012, Esthero released a new single titled " Never Gonna Let You Go", which was co-written and co-produced with Adam Bravin ( She Wants Revenge). The song was featured in the February 21, 2013 episode of the ABC medical drama ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...
'', titled "This Is Why We Fight". The song reached number 72 on the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...
, giving Esthero her first entry on the chart. On October 30, 2012, Esthero self-released a new album titled '' Everything Is Expensive''. It debuted at number thirteen on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Top Heatseekers The Heatseekers charts were "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales b ...
chart in the US. In Canada, the album was released through Universal Music. In 2016, "Breath from Another" was nominated for a Polaris Heritage Prize, for best album from 1996 to 2005. The album lost, however, to
Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Jeremy Gara. The band's touring line-up includes former core ...
's "
Funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...
" (which won the public vote) and Lhasa de Sela's " La Llorona" (which won the jury vote). In 2019, Esthero was featured in Black Eyed Peas song "4ever", and was in the accompanying music video which was published on February 1, 2019. Via social media, Esthero announced the song "Baby Steps" on February 3, 2019.


Chart history

Esthero's singles typically perform well in North America. She has had three songs enter the US
Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart (" Balmes", with Ian Pooley; " O.G. Bitch"; and " Fastlane", with Jemeni & Jelleestone); two of the songs reached the top five of the chart and one, "O.G. Bitch", reached number one. She has also had two entries on the US Dance Singles Sales chart ("O.G. Bitch" and "Fastlane"), both of which reached the top ten. She has had one chart entry in the UK ("Balmes", which broke the Top 75), and one chart entry in her native Canada ("Never Gonna Let You Go", which reached number 72 on their Hot 100 chart).


Appearances on television and soundtracks

Esthero has appeared on the '' Chris Rock Show'', '' Video on Trial'', '' Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', as well as ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...
'' and ''Farmclub'' with
The Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...
. She has also contributed songs to the films '' I Still Know What You Did Last Summer'', '' Go'', '' Bounce'', '' Zero Effect'', '' I Think I Love My Wife'' and ''
Down With Love ''Down with Love'' is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Peyton Reed. It stars Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor and is a pastiche of the early-1960s American "no-sex sex comedies", such as '' Pillow Talk'' and ''Lover Come Back'' (both ...
'', as well as the video game '' 007: Nightfire''. Collaborations in which she has participated have appeared in '' Love & Basketball'' and '' Slam''. Her song "Wikked Lil' Grrrls" has also appeared in the film '' Miss Congeniality 2'' and in commercial spots for ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO, based on Sex and the City (newspaper column), the newspaper column and 1996 book by Candace Bushnell. It premiered in th ...
'' and ''
Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Marc Cherry, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a tota ...
'', on the TV show ''
Boston Legal ''Boston Legal'' is an American legal comedy drama television series created by former lawyer and Boston native David E. Kelley, produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3, 2004, to Decem ...
'', ''
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'', and also on the TV show ''Las Vegas'' and its soundtrack, and the film '' John Tucker Must Die''. The song "Black Mermaid," features prominently in the 2018 film '' Nappily Ever After,'' a
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
starring Sanaa Lathan, in which Lathan's character sings a verse from the song (at approximately the 55-minute mark), with Esthero's recording appearing in the following scene. The end credits state that "Esthero appears courtesy of her beautiful mother and her own damn self."


Discography

* '' Breath from Another'' (1998; The WORK Group) * '' Wikked Lil' Grrrls'' (2005; Reprise) * '' Everything Is Expensive'' (2012; Universal Music Canada)


See also

*
List of number-one dance hits (United States) ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine has published Billboard charts, charts ranking the top-performing dance music songs in the United States since 1974. Originally a top-ten list of tracks that garnered the largest audience response in N ...
*
List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...


References


External links

*
Esthero's personal blog

BackPocketMag.com Artist Profile
, Feature on Esthero by Matthew Stroul * {{Authority control 1978 births Living people Canadian contemporary R&B singers Canadian dance musicians Canadian electronic musicians Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Canadian women jazz singers Canadian jazz singers Canadian women pop singers Canadian women singer-songwriters Canadian indie pop musicians Canadian sopranos Canadian women in electronic music Downtempo musicians Experimental rock musicians Canadian women rock singers Canadian feminist musicians Jewish Canadian musicians Jewish singers Canadian LGBTQ rights activists Musicians from Stratford, Ontario Singers from Ontario Reprise Records artists Trip hop musicians 20th-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian women singers Jewish women singers 20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters