American Boy is a 2008 single by British singer Estelle featuring American rapper Kanye West, from her second album Shine. Produced by will.i.am, the track uses the instrumental from his song Impatient and lyrically follows a breezy cross Atlantic romance. It blends R&B with disco-funk and runs about 4 minutes in the album version. Released as Shine’s second single, it became Estelle’s international breakthrough, topping the UK chart for four weeks and reaching number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, while earning a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2009. The music video features numerous celebrity cameos and helped cement the song as one of Estelle’s signature hits.
Key facts
- Original artist: Estelle
- Year of release: 2008
- Album: Shine
- Genre: R&B, disco-funk
- Producer and sample: will.i.am; uses Impatient by will.i.am
- Featuring: Kanye West
- UK peak: number 1 for four weeks
- US peak: number 9 on Billboard Hot 100
- Awards: Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (2009)
- Notable: considered Estelle’s breakout international hit; video earned several nominations and features many guest appearances
