Early life At the age of sixteen, Esthero moved from the small town of
Walkerton, Ontario on her own to
Toronto, Ontario, where she began singing at open-mic nights while supporting herself by working at different jobs. She was seen singing at the
Free Times Cafe by manager Beau Ovcaric who set up a showcase for his partner Zack Werner.
1998–2003: Collaborations and success Following the dissolution of the WORK label, Esthero was released from her contract. She signed with Reprise in 2000. In 1998, after a remix of one of her songs ("Country Livin) was used included on the soundtrack for
Slam, many hip-hop and rap artists requested collaborations with her. In 2001, Esthero collaborated with German producer
Ian Pooley on "
Balmes (A Better Life)", which reached the Top 75 of the
UK Singles chart and gave Esthero her first entry on the US Dance charts. The EP spawned a hit of the same name and led the way to Esthero's 2005 full-length album on the
Warner Bros. label, ''
Wikked Lil' Grrrls'', seven years following her debut album, to mixed critical reaction. The album features contributions from
Sean Lennon,
André 3000,
Jemeni,
Jelleestone, and
Cee-Lo Green of
Goodie Mob.
2007–2011: Split from record company and collaborations In 2007, Esthero amicably parted ways with Venus Management. She continues to have a familial bond with Zack and Beau. Esthero is currently self managed. 2008 was an eventful year for Esthero, with a number of high-profile collaborations including the viral sensation "
Yes We Can", a song (with accompanying
video) inspired by a speech delivered by
Barack Obama and produced by
will.i.am. Esthero also provided the voice of the spaceship J.A.N.E. on
Kanye West's Glow in the Dark tour and appeared on his album
808s & Heartbreak, on which she co-wrote three tracks under her real name. 2008 also saw her take on the role of producer for a track from
Dangerous Muse's debut album and a co-writer on
Brandy's album
Human. She is featured on
hip hop music producer
Timbaland's 2009 album
Shock Value II on the songs "Can You Feel It" and "Undertow" with band
The Fray. The latter entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 100, giving Esthero her only Hot 100 entry in the US. In 2010, she provided backing vocals for the song "indecision" on Steven Page's album Page One.
2012–present: Everything Is Expensive and "Baby Steps" On June 5, 2012, Esthero released a new single, titled "
Never Gonna Let You Go", which was co-written and co-produced with
Adam Bravin (
She Wants Revenge). The song was featured in the February 21, 2013 episode of the ABC medical drama ''
Grey's Anatomy'', titled "This Is Why We Fight". The song reached number 72 on the
Canadian Hot 100, giving Esthero her first entry on the chart. In Canada, the album was released through Universal Music. In 2016, "Breath from Another" was nominated for a
Polaris Heritage Prize, for best album from 1996 to 2005. The album lost, however, to
Arcade Fire's "
Funeral" (which won the public vote) and
Lhasa de Sela's "
La Llorona" (which won the jury vote). In 2019, Esthero was featured in Black Eyed Peas song "4ever", and was in the accompanying music video, which was published on February 1, 2019. Via social media, Esthero announced the song "Baby Steps" on February 3, 2019. ==Chart history==