Self Esteem, stage name of Rebecca Lucy Taylor, a British musician known for her bold, emotionally honest, and genre-blending pop music.
Originally one half of the folk duo Slow Club, Taylor launched her solo project under the Self Esteem moniker in 2017, taking a sharp turn from her indie-folk roots into a more experimental, pop-focused R&B influenced sound.
Her debut solo record, Compliments Please was released in 2019. An experimental declaration of independence exploring themes including mental health, expectations of womanhood and identity with inventive and confessional lyrics.
She followed up with 2021's critically-acclaimed Mercury Prize-nominated, Prioritise Pleasure, which offered up empowering anthems about self-worth and feminism, including tracks I Do This All The Time and Moody.
From September 2023 to March 2024 she performed the lead role of Sally Bowles in the West End productions of Cabaret.
In February 2025, Self Esteem announced A Complicated Woman Live, a unique and theatrical presentation of her forthcoming new album at the intimate Duke Of York’s Theatre in London for a strictly limited and unmissable season in April. This was followed by the news she will continue to celebrate the upcoming release of her third album, A Complicated Woman with a headline tour in September & October.
Ahead of these mega dates, we've picked our 5 favourite Self Esteem songs…
The lead single from Taylor's second album, the gut-wrenchingly honest, spoken-word style hit has the same impact on its 50th listen, as it does it's first; as brutal as it is beautiful. Plus, what's a powerful song without some well-needed home truths: “don't send those long-paragraph texts - stop it, don't."
If you’re new to Self Esteem, this is the track to start with.
If Not Now It’s Soon was partly inspired by Taylor’s years before her rise to fame – a time of hypersexuality, booze and self-destruction that precipitated the creation of Self Esteem.
Prioritise Pleasure is a mantra disguised as a banger. It confronts guilt, shame, and internalized misogyny, flipping them into a personal rebellion. It’s about unlearning the idea that you have to make yourself small to be liked, instead focusing on choosing joy, honesty, and pleasure without apology.
Taylor said the song stems from her experiences as a woman being told she's ‘too much, too loud, too emotional, too difficult’. This track is her answer: "I am all of those things, and that’s powerful."
Strap yourself into the emotional rollercoaster of Moody - a track exploring someone who’s not always easy to love, and learning not to apologise for it anymore. It’s funny, bitter, self-aware, and relatable for anyone who's ever sent a text they regretted 30 seconds later. If you're feeling mardy… that's OK, turn this up and own it.
A desperate, aching expression of not feeling good enough, in love, life, or self-worth. The Best is like hearing someone's internal monologue when they’re spiraling, yet trying to convince themselves they're still worthy of love.
One of the earliest and emotionally raw Self Esteem tracks. It’s brutal, not an empowerment anthem like Prioritise Pleasure or Moody. It’s the before moment. The raw, scared version of Self Esteem who's still figuring it all out.
See her live on her upcoming A Complicated Woman tour in September and October 2025.
Listen to the Self Esteem's whole discography (so far):
