Self Esteem (musician)

Rebecca Lucy Taylor, known professionally by her stage name as Self Esteem, is an English singer-songwriter.[1] The inspiration for her stage name comes from the evolution of Taylor's confidence from her early 20s.[2]

Self Esteem
Self Esteem - XOYO - 22 October 2021
Background information
Birth nameRebecca Lucy Taylor
Born (1984-10-15) 15 October 1984
Sheffield, England
GenresExperimental pop, indie pop
Years active2017–present
LabelsFiction Records, Kick + Clap
Associated actsSlow Club
Websitewww.selfesteem.love

Career
Self Esteem, Brockwell Park, 2021

Taylor was previously a member of folk duo Slow Club, which formed in Sheffield in 2006. The band consisted of multi-instrumentalists Charles Watson and Taylor, with Watson on the piano, Taylor on the drums, and both performing guitars and vocals.[3][4] The band split up in 2017, following an extensive tour to support their last album, owing to differing musical interests and Taylor feeling unfulfilled.[5][6]

A big fan of Queen, she based her logo on Freddie Mercury's signature.[7]

2017–2020: Compliments Please

Taylor released "Your Wife", her first single under the Self Esteem moniker, in 2017. Her debut album, Compliments Please, was released on 1 March 2019 on Fiction Records.[8] The album was preceded by the singles "Wrestling", "Rollout", "The Best" and "Girl Crush".

Self Esteem completed a UK tour and played at festivals such as Glastonbury, British Summer Time and Latitude during 2019.[9][10]

2021–present: Prioritise Pleasure

In April 2021, Taylor released "I Do This All The Time", the first single from her second album as Self Esteem.[11] The single was praised by Tracey Thorn and by Jack Antonoff.[6] In July, she released the title track and announced that the record, Prioritise Pleasure, would coincide with a UK tour in October of the same year.[12] In August, Self Esteem released the third single, "How Can I Help You".[13] Taylor directed the music videos for those singles, filming all three at the Almeida Theatre.[13] In September, the single "Moody" was released.[14] The video for "Moody" was directed by Louise Bhose and features comedian Alistair Green alongside Taylor.[15][16] In October, Self Esteem released "You Forever", the final single preceding the album.[17]

Prioritise Pleasure was released on 22 October 2021. The UK tour started on 6 November 2021 in Edinburgh.[9]

The Guardian, The Sunday Times and Gigwise ranked Prioritise Pleasure as the best album of 2021.[18][19][20] NME ranked the album as the fourth best of 2021.[21] The Guardian named "I Do This All The Time" as the best song of 2021.[22]

Collaborations

Taylor released her first single as Self Esteem on Kick + Clap, a label run by Django Django member Dave MacLean.[23] Taylor then went on to feature on the Django Django track "Surface to Air", which appeared on the band's album Marble Skies.

She provided guest vocals for "Strangle of Anna," a song by fellow Sheffield act The Moonlandingz which appeared on their second album, Interplanetary Class Classics.[24] Taylor also performed with the band live.

Awards
Award Year Nominee(s) Category Result Ref.
Attitude Awards 2021 Herself Music Award Won [25]
BBC Music Introducing 2021 Artist of the Year Won [26]
Brit Awards 2022 British Breakthrough Act Nominated [27]
NME Awards 2022 Best Live Act Nominated [28]
Prioritise Pleasure Best Album In The World Nominated
Best Album By A UK Artist Nominated
Q Awards 2019 Herself Best Breakthrough Act Nominated [29]

Personal life

Taylor was born in Rotherham to a steelworker dad and secretary mum.[6] She has spoken about breaking into the industry in her 30s, stating she used to lie and say she was 25 and said it took her a "while to be proud" of breaking into the industry later in life.[6]

Taylor has been openly bisexual since 2013.[30][31]

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays
  • Cuddles Please (2020)

Singles
  • "Your Wife" (2017)
  • "Wrestling" (2018)
  • "Rollout" (2018)
  • "The Best" (2018)
  • "Girl Crush" (2019)
  • "I Do This All The Time" (2021)
  • "Prioritise Pleasure" (2021)
  • "How Can I Help You" (2021)
  • "Moody" (2021)
  • "You Forever" (2021)

Bibliography
  • Self Esteem (2021)[32]

References
  1. Savage, Mark (7 June 2019). "Self Esteem is better off on her own". Bbc.co.uk.
  2. Subscribe. "Self Esteem: Independent Woman, Part 2". diymag.com. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  3. "Slow Club: 'We feel like a different band'". The Independent. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  4. "Music Interview: Slow Club - The Verse". The Verse. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  5. Jones, Daisy (14 January 2019). "Self Esteem and I Cheered Each Other Up at Winter Wonderland". Noisey.
  6. Dean, Jonathan (12 December 2021). "Self-Esteem: 'I used to say I was younger but I can't pretend I'm 31 any more'". The Times. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  7. "Elis James & John Robins BBC Radio 5 Show". BBC. 1 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  8. Snapes, Laura (1 March 2019). "Self Esteem: Compliments Please review – sly, covetous pop". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  9. "SELF ESTEEM Gigography, Tour History & Past Concerts – Songkick". www.songkick.com. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  10. Digital, Pretty Good. "Glastonbury Festival - 2019". Glastonbury Festival - 21st-25th June, 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  11. "Self Esteem returns with powerful new song 'I Do This All The Time'". NME. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  12. "Self Esteem announces new album 'Prioritise Pleasure' and shares title track". NME. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  13. "Self Esteem takes aim at the objectification of women on new single 'How Can I Help You'". NME. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  14. "Self Esteem shares new single 'Moody' and announces 2022 UK tour". NME. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  15. "Self Esteem shares new video for 'Moody' featuring Alistair Green". NME. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  16. Self Esteem - Moody, retrieved 13 November 2021
  17. "Self Esteem shares empowering new track, 'You Forever'". NME. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  18. Helm, Dan Cairns, Jonathan Dean and Jake. "25 best albums of 2021". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  19. "The Gigwise 51 Best Albums of 2021 | Gigwise". www.gigwise.com. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  20. "The 50 best albums of 2021". the Guardian. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  21. "The 50 best albums of 2021". NME. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  22. "The 20 best songs of 2021". the Guardian. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  23. "Django Django's Dave MacLean Launches New Label". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  24. "The Moonlandingz's new 'Strangle of Anna' video is a greasy and surreal melodrama". NME. 20 March 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  25. "Self Esteem is shining a musical spotlight on the experiences of queer women". Attitude.co.uk. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  26. Stickler, Jon. "Self Esteem Crowned BBC Music Introducing Artist Of The Year 2021, Shares New Song You Forever - Stereoboard". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  27. "Brit Awards 2022: Full list of nominees". BBC News. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  28. "BandLab NME Awards 2022: Nominees". Nme.com. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  29. "Stormzy, Dave and Little Simz nominated for 2019 Q Awards". Evening Standard. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  30. "How Rebecca Taylor found her self-esteem". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  31. Team, Editorial (31 March 2018). "Seven queer artists to listen to right now". DIVA. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  32. "SELF ESTEEM, the debut book by Rebecca Lucy Taylor". YourShelf. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
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