Self Esteem has surprised fans with the announcement of her third studio album, ‘A Complicated Woman’ set to be released April 25. The news came after Rebecca Lucy Taylor, known as Self Esteem, premiered the forthcoming album’s lead single on BBC Radio 1’s New Music Show with Jack Saunders Tuesday night (January 21), after teasing new music on her social media over the last week.
The lead single, ‘Focus Is Power’ was named Radio 1’s Hottest Record. Alongside this title Taylor was present in the BBC Radio 1 studio to provide commentary for the track whilst unveiling the news of her highly anticipated third album.
Focus Is Power.
Hottest record on @BBCR1 from 6:30PM. pic.twitter.com/m6XuMaMGrj— Self Esteem (@SELFESTEEM___) January 21, 2025
The first preview of ‘Focus Is Power’ arrived at the right time, Taylor provided a reflection to listeners on the necessity of its release, stating in her interview with Saunders: “we need to hear it today […] Unfortunately I’ve written a song that is coming out today and the week that we’re having in the news it’s horribly appropriate”.
‘Focus Is Power’ showcases Taylor’s ability to create a healing and empowering experience within her music. Still quintessentially ‘Self Esteem’ in nature, the power within the fusion of Taylor and the accompanying choir’s vocals leaves listeners with an outer-body experience intertwined with euphoria and hope. As the chorus prevails: “I deserve to be here / And every time I fall, I crawl back like an animal / My focus is powerful”, Taylor’s soulful message throughout is both heartfelt and uplifting.
If you have focus, you have power. The power to change, learn, educate, fight. Even it it’s just in the tiniest way. Find the small pockets of defiance, focus, and keep existing. — Self Esteem (@SELFESTEEM___) January 22, 2025
While speaking with Radio 1, the ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ songstress delved into her mindset for the single: “I wrote it a long time ago […] in the pandemic I wrote it on a piece of paper in my mum and dad’s shed and stuck it up […] I felt very hopeless, and the world keeps making it hard to be me, or my peers or anyone who’s not a certain demographic.”
As ‘Focus Is Power’ provides a precedent for the upcoming album, ‘A Complicated Woman’, the 38-year-old musician provided some context as to what fans can expect: “The whole album is like, ‘I’m defeated but I’m defiant’ obviously because I always will be”.
While being three albums deep into her ever-blooming career, Taylor recalled: “each album is like a time stamp of where I’ve got to, and me trying to make sense of it”.
Alongside ‘Focus Is Power’, there will be 11 other tracks for fans enjoy. Taylor referred to the upcoming LP as a “huge collaboration” not only with the various choirs present on the tracks but within her choice of collaborations. For instance, ‘Logic, Bitch!’ will feature Sue Tompkins, ‘Lies’ featuring Nadine Shah, while ‘In Plain Sight’ sees another iconic collaboration between Taylor and Moonchild Sanelly (who recently collaborated on ‘Big Man’ last June).
‘A Complicated Woman’ will release April 25 via Polydor Records. As anticipation builds for Self Esteem’s upcoming release, the LP is available to pre-order here.
