The debut album from London native Estelle, 2004's The 18th Day, stalled at number 40 on the U.K. chart. Uneven and tentative but not without a handful of major standouts -- like the wistful and animated "1980," where she displayed her MC'ing chops, and the Mary J. Blige-worthy slow groove "Dance with Me" -- it wasn't enough to further her label's support. Estelle proposed a John Legend-produced follow-up, which V2 did not approve, so she relocated to the U.S. and secured a deal with Atlantic through Legend's Homeschool boutique label. Capping a cunningly punitive turn of events orchestrated by a once-shunned artist (i.e., "How ya like them apples?"), "American Boy" -- a flirty disco-funk track featuring Kanye West and production from will.i.am, who re-heated the beat from his own "Impatient" -- took a swift route the top of the U.K. pop chart. When Shine was released, just after the chart feat, the song had yet to make as much of a splash in the States; regardless of how the single or the album fares from a commercial standpoint, Estelle can at least be proud of having made a second full-length that builds upon and far outstrips her first. Wyclef Jean and will.i.am produce two songs each, while the remainder is divided between a wide-ranging cast including Mark Ronson, Jack Splash, and Swizz Beats, all of whom produce one track. Through it all, Estelle is the main attraction and is never upstaged or out of her depth, whether she is trading lines with Cee-Lo or Kanye West, switching between singing and rapping on "More Than Friends," or swapping out blissful rocksteady reggae for nerved-up glitz-pop. Most impressive is "So Much Out the Way," where she does the work of at least three vocalists of varying modes, all over a Wyclef concoction that alternates between tautly snapping jazz-funk (courtesy of Louis Johnson's bass from Grover Washington, Jr.'s "Hydra") and Wall of Sound soul (transformed from Bob Marley's "So Much Things to Say"). Not many vocalists could possibly navigate all this terrain without losing a beat, but Estelle has no trouble pulling it off with her versatility and easy-to-like personality. Her second act is ceaselessly enjoyable, one of the finer R&B albums to be released in 2008. [The 2008 European edition included bonus tracks.] ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
Dylan Margerum (Engineer), John Legend (Keyboards), Noemi Farkas (Photo Illustration), Jack Splash (Keyboards), Wilner Alexandre (Assistant Engineer), Wyclef Jean (Producer), Rachelle Dupéré (Design), John Legend (Executive Producer), will.i.am (Engineer), Eric Wong (Marketing), Jack Splash (Bass), Steve McKie (Engineer), Craig Kallman (Executive Producer), Jack Splash (Horn Arrangements), will.i.am (Keyboards), Gary Noble (Mixing), Paul Samuels (A&R), Steve McKie (Producer), Matty Green (Assistant Engineer), Rob Gold (Art Manager), Jerry Duplessis (Producer), Keezo Kane (Bass), D. Williams (Horn), will.i.am (Synthesizer), Adam Blackstone (Keyboards), Jack Splash (Drums), Mike "Nyte" DeSalvo (Vocal Engineer), Dave Jutch (Mastering), Conley Whitfield (Bass), Dave Clews (Vocal Programming), Jack Splash (Engineer), Keezo Kane (Drums), Jack Splash (Percussion), Caleb Speir (Bass), Pamela Simon (Package Manager), Dominic Morley (Engineer), Jack Splash (Producer), Jerry Duplessis (Arranger), Joshua Skubel (Package Manager), will.i.am (Drum Programming), Mike Houge (Assistant Engineer), Ben ONeill (Guitar), Graham Marsh (Engineer), Jack Splash (Vocal Arrangement), Keezo Kane (String Programming), J. Christian King (Horn), will.i.am (Producer), Rachelle Dupéré (Art Direction), Wyclef Jean (Arranger), Anthony Bell (Assistant Engineer), Brian Summer (Engineer), J. Torres (Horn), Steve McKie (Drum Programming), Swizz Beatz (Producer), Wyclef Jean (Vocals), Rohan Onraet (Assistant Engineer), Elvis Aponte (Assistant Engineer), Derek Pacuk (Engineer), Mike "Nyte" DeSalvo (Engineer), Drew Dixon (Executive Producer), Jack Splash (Performer), Drew Dixon (Management), Ryan Bussey (Keyboards), Keezo Kane (Producer), Jack Splash (Arranger), John Legend (Vocals), Neale Easterby (Management), David Kutch (Mastering), Anthony Bell (Piano)
![Shine [European Bonus Tracks]](http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/amg/pop_albums/cov200/drl900/l984/l98441cuku1.jpg)
