All of Me is the third studio album by British rapper and singer Estelle. It was first released on 24 February 2012 in Ireland, 28 February in the United States and 12 March in the United Kingdom.
Background
Estelle confirmed her third album would be entitled All of Me in 2009. The album was originally led by the single "Freak" featuring Kardinal Offishall and produced by David Guetta. The video premiered on her website on 26 February 2010. The original second single from the album was announced as being "Fall in Love", which featured versions featuring Nas and John Legend. Due to the underperformance of both "Freak" and "Fall in Love", both songs were ultimately left off the final track listing for All of Me. However, "Freak" was featured on both the Step Up 3D soundtrack and the reissue of David Guetta's album One Love, entitled One More Love. In the US, both "Freak" and "Fall in Love" featured on the iTunes digital deluxe edition of the album.
In 2011, it was announced that "Break My Heart", featuring Rick Ross would be released as the new lead single from All of Me. It was released on 26 April 2011 and sent to US urban radio stations on 17 May 2011. The song peaked at number 33 on the U.S. Hip-Hop/R&B, the week of 2 July 2011. The following week the song rose to 37. Dual second singles were released in the US and UK. In the US, the second single was announced as being "Thank You" whereas "Back to Love" (not to be confused with "Back in Love" from Shine) was issued in the UK. "Wonderful Life" was released as the third single from the album in the United States on 14 February 2012.
Composition
Songs and lyrics
The series of skits that weave through All of Me involve a loose, wide-ranging conversation among several friends about relationships, education, family, careers and more. According to Jon Caramanica from The New York Times, "even with the light soul-jazz in the background (produced in part by Questlove of The Roots), they have the feeling of intimate home recordings, modest and almost accidental."
Estelle said that she wrote "Wonderful Life", in part, to help her appreciate her lot when she got sick of performing "American Boy". "Speak Ya Mind" is a self-affirming boom-bap, while "Break My Heart" featuring Rick Ross and produced by Don Cannon, is a modern hip-hop soul. On the song, Ross glides smoothly over the beat, while Estelle sings about how she's unsure about committing to a new man because she just got out of a relationship and doesn't want to get hurt again. "I just wanna love you baby, I don't wanna waste no time," she sings. "I wanna be your only one baby, please don't break my heart." The song "International (Serious)" featuring Chris Brown and Trey Songz is about Estelle's living the life as an international jet-setter. The clunky, apocalyptic track finds her dipping into patois, while the guests Brown and Songz get to dabble in rapping. "Cold Crush" is a slice of 1983-style R&B, all drum-machine snares and synthetic guitars.
She bounces back-and-forth from rapping and singing on "Speak Ya Mind" and "The Life", informing listeners that she hasn't missed a step since her last album a few years ago. "Speak Ya Mind" finds Estelle singing "I just want them to pull out 'The Miseducation' again," referring to Lauryn Hill's debut album. All of Me also includes a funky Janelle Monáe collaboration called "Do My Thang" and the bouncy "Back to Love". The fast-paced track "Do My Thang", which is an ode to individuality and uniqueness, also works as a girl power anthem, with each singer strongly declaring her independence: "You don't know where I'm going and so you think I'm lost, I ain't on your page, okay, so to you that means I'm off," Estelle sings, before Janelle chimes in with the line: "When I dance, I dance to the beat of a drummer you don't hear and can't see ... the problem must be you, and not me." "Wonderful Life" is a positive jam, as Estelle sings about trying to find the simple pleasures of life during a rocky day.
Singles
"Break My Heart" was released as the lead single from All of Me, featuring American rapper Rick Ross. It was released on 26 April 2011 and sent to US urban radio stations on 17 May 2011. The video was shot in L.A, Malibu and was directed by Iren Brown. The song peaked at 33 on U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.