Canadian singer/songwriter Esthero has released three studio albums, two extended plays, and seven singles as a lead artist. Her debut album, Breath from Another, was released with Doc McKinney in 1998.[1] The album initially unsuccessful, though it eventually managed to sell more than 110,000 copies in the US and more than 50,000 in Canada.[2] The record spawned three singles: "Breath from Another", "Heaven Sent", and "That Girl". "Heaven Sent" went into moderate rotation on MTV and peaked in the top 5 on the Hot Dance Breakouts Single Sales chart.[3][4]Breath from Another received a nomination at the 1999 Juno Awards, in the category of "Best Alternative Album."[5] However, it lost to Rufus Wainwright's eponymous debut album.[6]
After her label, Work Group, was consumed by a larger label, Esthero was released from her contract;[2] in the years between her dropping from the label and the release of her next EP, she provided guest vocals for songs by a variety of artists, including Ian Pooley, Nelly Furtado, and Black Eyed Peas.[7][8][9] Her Black Eyed Peas collaboration, "Weekends," gave her her first chart entry in the US; it peaked at number 64 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart.[9] Her Ian Pooley collaboration, "Balmes (A Better Life)", was a top 75 hit on the UK Singles Chart;[7] it also gave her her first top 40 hit on the US Dance Club Songs chart.[9] She also recorded a solo song, "O.G. Bitch", which was released in 2004 and topped the US Dance Club Songs chart.[10]
In 2004, she released an EP titled We R In Need of a Musical Revolution. The EP was met with praise from critics[11][12][13] and spawned a single of the same name; the video went into rotation on MuchMusic Canada. The following year, she released her sophomore album, Wikked Lil' Grrrls, which spawned the hit single "Fastlane", which earned Esthero a second top 5 hit on the Dance Club Songs chart. After the release of the album, Esthero continued to provide guest vocals, and wrote music for other artists, including Kanye West[14] and Kidz in the Hall.[15] She finally returned with solo material in 2012 with Everything Is Expensive, which she funded using pledges from PledgeMusic.[16] The album spawned one single, "Never Gonna Let You Go", which was a minor hit in Canada, earning her her first chart entry there.[9]
