Self Esteem Announces Third LP ‘A Complicated Woman’

by | Jan 23, 2025

Self Esteem – AKA Rebecca Lucy Taylor – has announced her eagerly anticipated new album A Complicated Woman, due for release on 25 April. The album is the follow up to the hugely acclaimed BRIT and Mercury Prize-nominated 2021 album Prioritise Pleasure – an album of the year everywhere from the Guardian to the Sunday Times.

Self Esteem @ Hammersmith Apollo

Self Esteem @ Hammersmith Apollo (Kalpesh Patel)
Self Esteem @ Hammersmith Apollo (Kalpesh Patel)

A Complicated Woman contains all Taylor’s musical thumbprints – complex thought processes unfolding in real time, an effortless knack of exposing the feelings women are required to labour under – but set on a larger, brighter landscape that is nothing short of exhilarating. Running through the album is a jubilant choir constructed of dozens and dozens of mostly female voices – “a community of people. I want you to hear and feel the connection” – including close friends, her band and collaborators, that includes – but is not limited to – singer-songwriters Nadine Shah, Moonchild Sanelly and Sue Tompkins from Life Without Buildings; a personal hero, the drag queen Meatball and a bona fide Lancaster legend, the actress Julie Hesmondhalgh.

A Complicated Woman is about taking control of your life, summed up in the astonishing first single Focus Is Power. Inspired by words Taylor wrote on a sticker, working from her mum and dad’s shed during the pandemic – “You see, it wasn’t up to me but now it could be / But now I see it clear with every passing of each year / I deserve to be here…” – the lyrics become an incantation when shared between the choir, something the accompanying music video (shot by long time collaborator Piers Dennis) echoes in its community hall performance.

One of the UK’s most exciting breakout stars of the past decade, Self Esteem emerged from cult favourite status to mainstream hero following the huge success of her empowering, truth-telling 2021 single I Do This All The Time. The song resonated intensely as a perfect example of Taylor’s affectionately termed ‘trojan horse’ or ‘salad and chips’ approach, fearlessly packing important, emotive messages into witty, resonant pop music.

Self Esteem’s wildly acclaimed second album Prioritise Pleasure quickly followed, tackling the hypocrisies and joys found in her experiences of modern day womanhood across dating, friendship, comparison culture, self love, women’s safety and sexual assault and much more. Prioritise Pleasure received Mercury Prize, BRIT Award, Sky Arts and NME Award nominations, was crowned The Guardian and Sunday Times Culture’s Album of the Year, while I Do This All The Time was also named The Guardian’s #1 song of 2021.

Quite the opposite of an overnight success, Taylor spent a decade as one half of indie duo Slow Club before adopting the pop star persona she’d always dreamed of. She released her first Self Esteem album Compliments Please in 2019, featuring fan favourite singles The Best, Girl Crush and more.

Self Esteem @ Hammersmith Apollo

Self Esteem + Seraphina Simone, Marged Siôn & Levi Heaton @ Hammersmith Apollo (Kalpesh Patel)
Self Esteem + Seraphina Simone, Marged Siôn & Levi Heaton @ Hammersmith Apollo (Kalpesh Patel)

Gathering a passionate and vast legion of fans ever since, Taylor has appeared on The Graham Norton Show, Celebrity Gogglebox, Friday Night Live, performed three times on Later… With Jools Holland including his infamous NYE Hootenanny, graced the covers of magazines from Grazia to NME to Sunday Times Style, and is one of a handful of artists to have been playlisted across BBC Radio 1, 2 and 6 Music simultaneously.

Having reached new heights of acclaim, Taylor has continued to grow, diversify, and create in 2024. Branching out into the world of acting, she starred in a regular role in the Sky series Smothered, before completing a run playing Sally Bowles in the multiple Olivier Award-winning production of Cabaret At The Kit Kat Club in London’s West End. Starring alongside Jake Shears, lead singer of Scissor Sisters, as Emcee, the pair’s time on stage was extended due to popular demand, and showcased the sheer range of talent in Taylor’s repertoire. A one-off collaborative single with Moonchild Sanelly, Big Man, was released in the summer of 2024.

Self Esteem Brings Pop Mastery To Hammersmith

Skunk Anansie @ Glastonbury Festival 2022 (Kalpesh Patel)

Skunk Anansie Unveil Powerful Visual For Deeply Personal New Single ‘Shame’

British rock legends Skunk Anansie have released a striking new video for their latest single Shame, a raw and emotional track that sees frontwoman Skin dive deep into her own past, confronting complex family dynamics and personal identity with unflinching honesty.

Sabrina Carpenter @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Jordan Curtis Hughes / Alfredo Flores)

An Explosive Sabrina Carpenter Show Keeps Drenched London Warm At BST Hyde Park 2025

“Hey London, how you doing? My name’s Sabrina — what’s your name?”. There is a daft cacophony of replies, that shows...
Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam @ BST Hyde Park 2022 (Simon Reed)

Matt Cameron Departs Pearl Jam After 27 Years Amidst Wave Of Drummer Changes In Rock

After nearly three decades behind the kit, Matt Cameron has announced his departure from Pearl Jam. The legendary drummer, 62, shared the news via social media on 7th July, marking the end of a 27‑year tenure that began in 1998. His departure comes in the wake of the band’s Dark Matter World Tour, which concluded earlier this year.

Sydney Rose @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Sydney Rose Shines In Mid-Afternoon Magic On The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

While headliner Noah Kahan was preparing to command the Great Oak Stage later in the evening, over on the Rainbow Stage a quieter but equally stirring performance was unfolding under the soft mid-afternoon sun. Georgia-born singer-songwriter Sydney Rose brought her headline tour to a moving finale, wrapping her journey in heartfelt lyrics and gently fierce vocals that captivated a festival crowd seeking intimacy amid the day’s growing energy.

Gigi Perez @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Gigi Perez Captivates London With Raw Emotion And Rising-Star Power At BST Hyde Park 2025

At just 25 years old, Gigi Perez has already carved out a reputation as one of indie-pop’s most compelling new voices — and her late afternoon set on the Great Oak Stage at BST Hyde Park proved exactly why. Supporting headliner Noah Kahan and following a string of breakout moments this year, the Hackensack, New Jersey native delivered a deeply affecting performance filled with vulnerability, power, and soaring vocals

Paris Paloma @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Paris Paloma Brings Barefoot Magic To The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

In a festival rich with soaring choruses and star power, it was Paris Paloma’s barefoot grace and gothic romanticism that carved out one of the day’s most mesmerising sets. Taking to The Rainbow Stage on a golden midsummer afternoon, the Derbyshire singer-songwriter captivated her growing legion of fans with an intimate, emotionally charged performance that felt part séance, part storybook.

FINNEAS @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

FINNEAS Warms Up London With Heart And Humour Before Noah Kahan’s Headline Set At BST Hyde Park 2025

It’s not every day that a support slot feels like a moment of main event magic, but FINNEAS — the GRAMMY®-winning songwriter, producer, and solo artist — brought just that to the Great Oak Stage at BST Hyde Park on Friday. Performing ahead of headliner Noah Kahan and main support Gracie Abrams, the 27-year-old delivered a slick, emotionally charged set that balanced heartfelt sincerity with tongue-in-cheek charm.

Noah Kahan @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Northern Attitude In London: Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams & Friends Light Up BST Hyde Park 2025

It was, as the name requires, the perfect summer's day for British Summer Time Hyde Park on Friday. The sun was...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing