London based Cameroonian Kiwi artist, producer and DJ Estère follows last month’s enchanting ‘Obsidian’ with her new single ‘Corduroy Jeans’, arriving after her debut appearance at this year’s Boomtown.
Built around an elastic bassline and an instantly infectious groove, ‘Corduroy Jeans’ is playful, witty and knowingly self-deprecating. Estère, who describes herself as a ‘thriftshop siren’, compares herself to a pair of corduroy jeans waiting to be picked, worn and chosen. Beneath the humour, though, sits something slightly more bittersweet. As she puts it, the track is “tongue in cheek but it’s also a bit tragic”, capturing the awkwardness of trying not to appear desperate when you very clearly are.
It’s a fitting introduction to an artist who has carved out her own lane through what she calls ‘electric blue witch hop’. Blending electronic production with Afro fusion, R&B and experimental textures, Estère creates immersive, emotionally charged worlds as a beat maker, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist.
Since moving to London in 2024, she has continued to build an impressive catalogue and creative network, collaborating with Jordan Rakei, Oddisee and Deva Mahal, while placing in the top 10 of Stones Throw Records’ global beatmaking competition. She also joined forces with Nightmares On Wax to reimagine his 1999 track ‘Finer’, released through Warp Records.
Her live reputation is equally strong, with sold out shows across the UK, France and New Zealand, alongside support slots for Grace Jones, Erykah Badu, Peaches and Hiatus Kaiyote. Festival appearances have included Glastonbury, Afropunk Paris, WOMAD and, most recently, Boomtown.
Away from her own music, Estère is also a co-founder of DiaxXpora, a London based collective and event series celebrating diasporic music and creatives.
With ‘Corduroy Jeans’, Estère once again demonstrates an ability to turn vulnerability into something fun, infectious and unmistakably her own. Beneath its playful exterior is a song about wanting to be wanted, wrapped up in a groove that is very difficult to sit still to.