One Hit Wonders: Estelle’s “American Boy” is still a Timeless Dancing Anthem
While it seems like a standard dance song, the behind-the-scenes production and timing helped “American Boy” become an international sensation and a club scene classic to this day.
Written by Mahina Adams
Illustrated by Krista McLeod
“American Boy” by Estelle, featuring Kanye West, has remained a classic to this day, with club-goers around the world bouncing and bopping to the hit for 14 years. The song’s all-too-easily memorizable lyrics and catchy tune are the ideal combination to make a song perfect for every car ride, club outing, and karaoke night. Dance songs are a long-held tradition in the music industry, yet the rise of “American Boy'' over other tracks released at the same time raises the question: what about this song made it such a hit that it’s still recognizable — and played — today?
British singer Estelle, despite making her debut into the music scene in 2003, didn’t hit mainstream fame until she released “American Boy” in March 2008. The song went on to become her first UK chart-topper when it debuted at #1 on March 23, 2008 and continued to top the charts in the United States, Belgium, and Israel as well as earning Estelle and Kanye West a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.
“American Boy” is Estelle’s reflection on the romanticization of America and exemplifies all that fascinates non-Americans about life in the U.S. Estelle's version of the U.S.A. is sophisticated and hopeful as she addresses the most popular and hip places in the nation. “I heard that Cali never rains and New York’s wide awake,” she sings over an upbeat tempo. Her description of the United States also honed in on the cultural zeitgeist of the time. American optimism was at an all-time high as the nation geared up for its first Black president. For many, this election cycle was a source for positivity and a newfound sense of patriotism. With this in mind, the release of “American Boy” was perfect for the implications of the time period. As it focuses on the most recognizable parts of the U.S., it leads its American listeners to gain a newfound appreciation for their homeland with a joyful beat to match. The song isn’t defined by its relatability to a certain age group dominated in an industry filled with Timbaland features, Lady Gaga’s electro-pop, and more and more digital takeovers, as shown through Apple Music sales on iTunes rise to 27% in the U.S. from 2007.
The production of “American Boy” is interwoven with secrets for success. Estelle collaborated with mentor John Legend and under his sleek production, created the winning chorus. She signed to his record label, HomeSchool, at the time. Legend’s work on “American Boy” was also his first time creating house music. Legend’s music was previously influenced by mainly soul and R&B, and this worked perfectly with Estelle’s vocals, reminiscent of a soul-singing chanteuse.The album American Boy is featured on Shine, which was executively produced by John Legend and co-produced by will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. The rest of the album has more of soul influences, but “American Boy”’s clubby feel makes it the album standout. The entire production process was made up of people very close knit, and most of the men in the video are real people Estelle knew from her previous visits to the States. Some of these artists were A-listers like Kanye West, Swizz Beats, Mark Ronson and Cee Lo Green, which could have contributed to the song’s success. Both Estelle and Legend wrote the lyrics in only a couple of hours, and Estelle has described them as corny, but she still finds a way to make them sexy with her flirty vocals. Her lyrics are backed by a variety of instruments on the track, including drums, keys, synths, and bass, which help add to the song’s greatness as a dancing jam.
It’s also no argument that Kanye West’s prominent feature, including two verses at the beginning and middle of the song, helped it skyrocket to international fame. Estelle spoke about West's involvement to Blues & Soul Magazine, commenting, "Kanye basically just brought his own cheeky self to the track, his own sense of humor. At first he was like, 'How can you rap over a dance beat?' — and now he's done it!”
Kanye’s rap is interesting because it doesn’t really have to do with what Estelle is saying on the song either. Kanye’s verses stray from Estelle’s lyrics as he doesn’t take on the role of the American Boy or talk in a romantic sense either. Rather, he raps about he and Estelle blowing up as artists in the UK as well as his interactions with the British media and public. “Who’s the hottest in the world right now? / Just touched down in London town.”
The music video to this track also was a star-studded affair. In addition to Kanye, it featured John Legend posing with the likes of T.I., LL Cool J and Danger Mouse. The clip, featuring Estelle dancing as different American men pose in the background, received a nomination for Best UK Video at the MTV Video Music Awards of 2008 and was powerful for its time. Estelle expressed to her director she wanted the world to see a Black girl in fashion dressed to the nines and being free. She didn’t fit the stereotype of what she should have looked like, and who she should have been. She wasn’t hiding in anybody's shadows, her face was clear as day for everyone to see, and her skin tone was there. There was no hiding.
With the help of nostalgia resulting from the Internet’s influence, including James Corden and Sheridan Smith’s Gavin & Stacey rendition, multiple viral TikTok trends, and a Fortnite parody, “American Boy” remains in circulation. The memories of these songs are more tangible as streaming services repopularize music that once was harder to attain in the early 00’s and the “American Boy” TikTok dance trend has led to younger generations rediscovering the popularity of the song’s danceability and funky tunes Since the release of her hit single, “American Boy,” Estelle has continued to perform around the world and has voice acted for the character Garnet in the hit Cartoon Network show, “Steven Universe.”
“American Boy” continues to be remembered as a dancing classic still heard on the floors of clubs and in the spaces of karaoke bars. Although she hasn’t released anything new since 2015 and remains largely known for “American Boy," Estelle’s career is not over yet. After her time on “Steven Universe,” with the show ending in 2019, Estelle continues to perform around the world, most recently having a show in Vancouver, Canada.