How a 'choir nerd' from Rotherham transformed personal dissatisfaction into musical breakthrough
In short: Before she was a Mercury Prize nominee, Rebecca Lucy Taylor was a folk duo member feeling unfulfilled. Driven by the confidence of drag culture and the raw honesty of her own iPhone notes, she built a solo career defined by unapologetic self-criticism and cinematic sound.
The transition from the folk duo Slow Club to the solo project Self Esteem was born from a period of creative stagnation. Following an extensive tour in 2016, Taylor felt a lack of fulfillment, a struggle captured in the 2018 documentary *Our Most Brilliant Friends*. Seeking a way to channel her undiluted ideas without the compromises of a band setting, she began using the name Self Esteem for various artistic projects, including paintings and films, as early as 2015.
Her solo breakthrough arrived with the single 'I Do This All the Time' in 2021. The track's construction was remarkably literal: Taylor recorded the piece in a Sheffield studio by reading aloud notes from her iPhone. This raw, spoken-word approach earned praise from industry figures like Jack Antonoff and Tracey Thorn, and helped her second album, *Prioritise Pleasure*, earn top rankings from *The Guardian* and *NME*.
Taylor's artistry is deeply intertwined with her identity and social commentary. Her lyrics explore the complexities of feminism, mental health, and misogyny, often utilizing the direct, colloquial language of internet culture. Even her stage presence incorporates local tributes, such as a corset shaped like the domes of Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre. As she prepares for her major label debut, *A Complicated Woman*, in 2025, Taylor continues to expand her sonic palette, moving from the 'choir nerd' roots of her youth toward big, cinematic arrangements.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Self Esteem (musician)
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