Versions: Estelle/will.i.am

British R&B siren Estelle has been making a lot of noise in the U.S. with her latest album Shine (2008), thanks in part to the single "American Boy" with Kanye West:

Estelle - American Boy (featuring Kanye West).mp3

However, I was really diggin' on a primarily instrumental version by will.i.am called "Impatient" which appeared his album "Songs About Girls" (2007):

will.i.am - Impatient.mp3

I really didn't like "American Boy" when I first heard it, but it's grown on me. I'm just really attached will's version because of the way it caught my attention as a stand-out track on "Songs About Girls." The composition and layering of sounds are impeccable (to me anyway) and it makes me appreciate will.i.am as a producer just that much more. You lose a lot of the intricacies when you add vocals to the track, which is why "American Boy" didn't sit well with me at first. I'm just a sucker for the nostalgia and imagery that "Impatient" invokes, so don't mind me.