At the age of sixteen, Esthero moved from small town Harriston, Ontario on her own to Toronto, where she began singing at open-mic nights, a journey that in 1997 led to a meeting with the president of EMI Publishing Canada, whom she charmed so well during their first meeting that without hearing her sing a single note he was moved to set up and finance recording sessions with Doc, a guitarist and studio engineer. Their debut album, Breath from Another, was released to critical acclaim in 1998 and is widely seen as one of the more accessible albums of the trip-hop genre.
Though she remained active following the moderate success of the debut album, featuring on tracks by such artists as Nelly Furtado and The Black Eyed Peas, it would take over 7 years for a proper follow-up to be released (due to a confluence of factors that included a lengthy creative process, the closure of the WORK record label and marketing delays) in the form of 2005's Wikked Lil Grrrls, an album that crossed genre boundaries with its heavy debt to jazz and hip-hop. The album was preceded in 2004 by a pair of EPs, The O.G. Bitch Remixes (with the title song reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart) and We R In Need of a Musical Revolution, which served as a preview of the full length album.
After the release of Wikked Lil Grrrls, Esthero devoted an increasing amount of time to songwriting and production, with her work featuring on albums by Brandy and Kanye West (most prominently on West's single Love Lockdown).
2012 saw the release of Esthero's third full-length album, Everything is Expensive (Universal Music Canada), preceded by the release of Never Gonna Let You Go as the lead single and video. The album was partially funded through a campaign on PledgeMusic in which backers could choose from exclusives such as artwork by the singer. Everything is Expensive debuted on Billboard's Heatseeker chart at #13.
Official Websites
www.esthero.net
That Girl
Esthero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You already think about yourself
And I don't believe all the lies coming out of my mouth
Try to forget all the things that I did to myself and in time I see it fading
One of these these things just doesn't belong here
And look at that girl
Oh, I just don't belong here
Aphrodite tonight
She's lifting up her dress and child
Her stomach was so tight
And she feels herself fading
One of these these things just doesn't belong here
And look at that girl
I just don't belong here
And look at that girl
And I'll try to catch my own vibe
Leave behind the countryside
Who I'll be?
What I'll be, 'cause it's my right to love design
One of these these things just doesn't belong here
And look at that girl
I just don't belong here
And look at that girl (look at that, feel bad)
In Esthero's song That Girl, the singer seems to be struggling with self-doubt and insecurity. In the first verse, she acknowledges that she is not the type of person who typically fits in or feels comfortable in her surroundings. She also admits that she has made mistakes in the past and is trying to move on from them, despite the fact that they continue to haunt her. There is a sense of frustration in her voice as she realizes that she cannot simply forget about her past and move on with her life.
The chorus of the song repeats the lines "one of these things just doesn't belong here, and look at that girl" several times. It seems that the singer is comparing herself to another woman, perhaps someone who is more confident, outgoing, and self-assured than she is. She feels like she doesn't belong in the same world as this woman, and the comparison only serves to reinforce her feelings of inadequacy.
In the final verse, the singer seems to be trying to find a way to embrace her uniqueness and accept herself for who she is. She talks about catching her own vibe and leaving behind the influences that have shaped her in the past. She wants to define herself on her own terms and embrace her own sense of style and individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bottom, I
I feel like I'm in a low place
You already think about yourself
You're self-absorbed
And I don't believe all the lies coming out of my mouth
I know I'm not being honest with myself
Try to forget all the things that I did to myself and in time I see it fading
I'm hoping that by moving on, my past mistakes will no longer define me
One of these things just doesn't belong here
I feel like I don't belong
And look at that girl
I envy the confidence of other women
Oh, I just don't belong here
I feel out of place
Aphrodite tonight
I feel like a goddess
She's lifting up her dress and child
I'm feeling sensual and carefree
Her stomach was so tight
I feel confident in my body
And she feels herself fading
I worry that this feeling won't last
And I'll try to catch my own vibe
I'll focus on finding my own sense of self
Leave behind the countryside
I'll let go of my past and embrace change
Who I'll be?
I'm still figuring out who I am
What I'll be, 'cause it's my right to love design
I have the freedom to explore my creativity and express myself
And look at that girl (look at that, feel bad)
I'm comparing myself to others and feeling insecure
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Anthem Entertainment
Written by: Esthero, M. Mckinney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mimosa27
Did I stumble on a magical late 90s music video?
@senortittywiggles8713
Yes. Yes we did.
@kaskaperi9665
I did 4 years ago by an accident, and this was one of the first accidents i didnt regret
@xmichaelwood
This is my favorite song from I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. I remember having to go to the store to look at the soundtrack and not seeing this song on it. I had no idea what the song was. This was before lyric websites and even Amazon. It took me years to find out the name of the song LOL. 20 years later, here I am. Just watched the movie again and it's still awesome. and I STILL LOVEEEE THIS SONG!!!
@sakinahashmi9017
Hey...I watched it recently again too. Love dat movie and this song.
@princess8950
im watching it again, i still know what you did last summer brought me here too,
@patriciadebride7809
+Rachel Croft (snowflake) watching also😆
@OmarScruggs
one of my fav songs of all time. i worked at the Gap when i wad 19 and they played it non-stop. love that time of my life and this song instantly takes me back there. plus i was in love with Brandy n Jennifer Hewitt in that movie
@anthonyrucker9072
Omar Scruggs I worked at Banana republic and of course it was on the store CD, and it played again and again and I loved it, sometimes I would rewind it back to hear it again! It helped listening to this tune, it made the folding and sizing of t-shirts almost bearable!!! it was and is one of my favorite tunes, in fact many songs that I loved came from the playlist each month at Banana Republic!!
@lalalanidani
Esthero is SO underrated.