Self Esteem’s favourite song by the Eagles
Rebecca Lucy Taylor, now known more commonly as Self Esteem, has had a career like no other. After starting out in the folk scene with Sheffield-born Slow Club, Taylor decided to pivot to pleasure-fuelled pop under the new moniker of Self Esteem. She’s been using the name for almost a decade now, but the project really came into its own in 2021 with the release of Prioritise Pleasure.
Garnering a Mercury Prize nomination and the eager enthusiasm of young women who saw themselves reflected in her lyricism, Prioritise Pleasure was certified pop perfection. The record was more than catchy hooks and danceable instrumentals, though. It charted the everyday experiences and anxieties of womanhood in contemporary society, from leaving ex-lovers on read to barking at men making unwanted advances.
Enhanced by her unparalleled stage presence, Self Esteem became one of the most important names in modern pop. But Taylor has never abandoned her roots. For those who know her as the polished voice of Self Esteem, it might come as a surprise that she’s a fan of more classic rock genres, but Taylor’s childhood and time with Slow Club was marked by the sounds of those who preceded her.
While picking out some of her favourite songs in a conversation with The Line of Best Fit, Taylor explained the early impact of the Eagles’ song ‘Desperado’ on her childhood and growing artistry. Growing up, Taylor was exposed to the sounds of prog and “really disgusting, horrible music” due to her father’s tastes. While she couldn’t get into most of it, Eagles were one band that did win her over.
“The Eagles was the one band my dad would play a lot in the car that I liked,” she explained. Years later, when she was seeking inspiration for her work with Slow Club, Taylor turned to a fresh take on an Eagles classic for inspiration. “I knew this song really well and around the third Slow Club album I was trying to find a way to have an angle in that band, that would scratch the itch I had to perform, but still be in keeping with the vibe the band had – which was folk and whatever,” she explained.
That angle came from the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Linda Ronstadt, the latter of whom popularised the Eagles’ ‘Desperado’ with her take on the track in 1973. It was this version that would further impact Self Esteem. Over soft piano, subtle percussion and rising strings, Ronstadt brought new depth to the song. Taylor was particularly enthusiastic about her polished vocals, explaining, “Her version of ‘Desperado’ is a real example of singing really w I was really, really into just singing the absolute best I could.”
The song allowed Taylor to accept this penchant for polished singing and its rightful place within that genre. Though she has since pivoted into pop, that clean vocal preference remains, as does her love for the guitar stylings she grew up on.
Listen to Linda Ronstadt’s take on the classic Eagles track below.
