With her first album "Compliments Please", Rebecca Lucy Taylor, who became known through the indie folk duo Slow Club, established herself as a solo artist under the name Self Esteem in 2019, and with her second work "Prioritise Pleasure" two years later, she caused a veritable storm of enthusiasm among music critics. The British newspapers "The Guardian" and "The Sunday Times" named it the best album of 2021. A standout song on the album is certainly "I Do This All The Time", which the "Guardian" voted the best of the year. Did the Brit dream of such success when she released her first Self Esteem single "Your Wife" in 2017?
Listening to her music, one gets the impression that commercial success is not what Self Esteem is primarily about. Taylor seems to be pursuing higher goals than high chart placements. This is not always the case in pop music, but singles like "You Forever", "Moody" or "How Can I Help You" show that pop songs can be meaningful at the same time and still invite you to party and dance. For the tracks on "Prioritise Pleasure" are nothing less than what is commonly referred to as "bangers".
Self Esteem advises: "Prioritise Pleasure"
In her lyrics, Rebecca Lucy Taylor deals with important topics such as toxic relationships or the independence and self-esteem (English: self esteem) of women. With Self Esteem, the musician expresses openly and directly what is on her mind, without censoring or apologising. And with it she speaks from the soul of many women, for example those who put or have put their own needs behind those of other people. To these women she advises: "Prioritise Pleasure" - think of your own pleasure first for a change. "I Do This All The Time" is the perfect anthem to this attitude.
With statements of this kind, packed into experimental, intense pop music, Self Esteem hits the nerve of the time. Musically, almost anything seems possible, which makes it incredibly exciting to follow the development of this extraordinary artist. Unlike Slow Club, the solo project offers Taylor every opportunity to develop freely. And that should not only make the singer and drummer herself happy, but all those who appreciate powerful pop music like that of Self Esteem.
