I am blessed to have a song like American Boy

SINGER ESTELLE TELLS HANNAH ROBERTS AND CASEY COOPER-FISKE HOW HER 2008 SMASH-HIT SINGLE 'REMINDS PEOPLE TO LOVE EACH OTHER'

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NOW a Grammy Award winner 25 years into her career and with six studio albums behind her, Estelle still has a soft spot for her best-known song American Boy.

She says the track “reminds people to love each other”, 17 years on from its release.

The singer, 45, says the song, which features rapper Kanye West, inspires people to come together despite their differences, which she says is also the aim of her latest album, Stay Alta.

She explains: “That song, it brings so much happiness, and smiles, and joy, and people light up, and remember who they are, this is the point of this album.

“People light up and remember who they are when they hear that song. They remember that they're supposed to be fun and peaceful, and loving each other, and singing with each other, and being a part of a community of humans when they hear that song.

“No one sings American Boy and thinks, ‘I don’t like your hair,’ or, ‘I don’t like your skin colour,’ or, ‘I don’t like your race; or, ‘I don’t like your religion.’

“No one sings that and says, ‘I don’t like you,’ they sing it together, and to me.

“I’m just blessed to have a record like that, but also I think to myself, this is it, that's why we do this, so I’m grateful.

“May it keep running maybe [to the] 75th anniversary when my great grandkids [have] heard it.”

The song won Estelle the best rap/sung collaboration at the 2009 Grammy Awards, where it was also nominated for song of the year.