The multi-talented Rebecca Lucy Taylor, higher identified by the stage identify Self Esteem, is an actual rising star – and she or he’s been retaining herself very busy of late.
She just lately appeared in an extremely long-running manufacturing of Cabaret within the West Finish. Taylor performed Sally Bowles in Rebecca Frecknall’s scorching ticket revival on the Equipment Kat Membership in London: to rave opinions.
The manufacturing began in September 2023 and was attributable to end on 20 January 2024, however prolonged its run to 9 March 2024 to deal with excessive demand.
Much more just lately, tonight (25 March) she’s set to look on well-liked BBC quiz present Richard Osman’s Home of Video games. Speak about no relaxation for the depraved. However what else can we find out about Taylor? Right here’s her story thus far.
What band was Rebecca Lucy Taylor in?
The 35-year-old singer launched her solo profession as Self Esteem in 2017 with the one Your Spouse after changing into first often known as one half of the band Sluggish Membership.
Sluggish Membership was fashioned in Sheffield in 2006 and included each Taylor and Charles Watson on guitars and vocals, plus Watson taking part in piano and Taylor taking part in drums.
The indie-folk duo launched 5 albums collectively, in addition to a documentary about their final tour in 2016. Within the movie, Taylor stated: “Nothing horrible has occurred. However for me anyway… it simply doesn’t really feel proper and pleased anymore.”
She advised VICE that being a part of Sluggish Membership was “extra of a task” she might play and that she couldn’t put her musical tastes into the duo as a lot as she might with being Self Esteem.
“Self Esteem sounds extra like what I really like, which in flip makes it actually enjoyable to play dwell. I really like each little bit of it,” she stated.
As Self Esteem, Taylor received the 2021 BBC Music Introducing Award and her second solo album, Prioritise Pleasure, was nominated for the 2022 Mercury Prize.
How did Rebecca Lucy Taylor get into music?
Taylor grew up in Rotherham and credit her music instructor Anthony Wright with instructing her to sing.
“He went above and past as a music instructor and at all times handled us like we had been his equal. He was by no means snobby in regards to the truth I couldn’t learn music and I can’t stress sufficient how a lot this man set me on the trail I’m nonetheless on,” Taylor wrote in an Instagram put up, posing with Wright at her old fashioned.
Taylor was additionally a “choir nerd at college”, one thing that has influenced her music to at the present time: “Sonically, that’s my favorite texture. I believe it’s cool that you just get this soundscape of girls.”
However, Taylor’s dad was additionally an beginner musician and was in a band when he met her mom, which supplied loads of her curiosity in music.
“My entire childhood was based mostly very a lot round music and dancing to it,” she stated in an interview final yr. She defined that she would watch VHS tapes of Queen and Peter Gabriel, main her to develop into “obsessive about efficiency but in addition the sweetness and drama you possibly can make with sure notes or beats”.
The Spice Ladies had been additionally an enormous affect on her: “[They] discovered me once I wanted them.”
How does Taylor’s sexuality relate to the music she places out as Self Esteem?
Taylor identifies as bisexual and has put this id into her music, significantly the music Woman Crush, which she has described as a “bi-bop”.
Lots of her songs are about love, relationships, hook-ups and Woman Crush is not any completely different.
“Been considering ’bout you always / However I’m not a vacation / It’s as much as you to make the transfer,” she sings.
Taylor defined to the BBC that the music is linked to non-public expertise: “I’m bisexual and I’m fairly female however I’m additionally fairly tall, so I’ve at all times discovered that drunk straight ladies gravitate in the direction of me in a membership or a celebration or no matter. For years, as a result of I used to be drawn to them, I’d associate with it. However then I’d be like, ‘There’s nothing on this for me.’ I’m only a good story for individuals.”
In truth, Woman Crush is the antithesis to different bops like Rita Ora’s Ladies or Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Woman.
“I imply, I really like Katy Perry, however I Kissed A Woman is every little thing that’s fallacious with every little thing, and it set individuals like me again so much. So I simply wished to do an anti-I Kissed A Woman music. Simply so individuals comprehend it’s not very enjoyable for the queer woman on this scenario. It’s a bi-bop, we name it. There’s not sufficient of them,” Taylor stated.
Taylor additionally has plenty of performing credit
Her look as Sally Bowles within the West Finish manufacturing of Cabaret was removed from her first foray into performing.
Within the early years of her profession, Taylor acted in sketches for the comedy group Seldom Differ, however has extra just lately moved into extra conventional roles.
She appeared in collection two of I Hate Suzie alongside Billie Piper, in addition to taking part in the character Farrah within the Sky TV collection Smothered in 2023 and Film4’s Layla, which can be launched later this yr.
Plus, in addition to Richard Osman’s Home of Video games, she has additionally appeared on plenty of leisure reveals, equivalent to Later… with Jools Holland, the Graham Norton Present, The Late Late Present with James Corden, Taskmaster (the place she got here joint second to winner Sir Mo Farah), By no means Thoughts The Buzzcocks, and Celeb Gogglebox.
We will’t wait to see what she does subsequent.