Pop star Self Esteem has said she will be supporting Scotland during the men’s World Cup because her great-grandfather comes from the country.
The 39-year-old was part of the Hope FC team of singers – including Melanie C, Olivia Dean and Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell – who recorded Call Me A Lioness for the England women’s team’s 2023 World Cup campaign, but she said her loyalties would be different for this year’s men’s tournament.
She will be on stage when England take on Croatia on Wednesday, as part of two concerts to launch the new British Airways Arc venue at Kensington Olympia in June 16 and 17.
The singer, whose real name is Rebecca Lucy Taylor, told the Press Association: “I’m a Scottish men’s football fan, I’ve decided.
“I’ll keep an eye (on England) on my phone, I do love watching the football, and I am sad I’ll be on the stage.
“I just decided this morning, my great-granddad was Scottish, and I thought, ‘oh, I can identify Scottish now’, obviously, I’ll be supporting England as well. I just love calling it men’s football.”
Self Esteem has previously spoken about her great-grandfather playing for the club side she supports, Sheffield Wednesday, in the 1920s.
It comes after Scotland won their first game at the World Cup, which is being held across the USA, Canada and Mexico, beating Haiti 1-0 thanks to a goal from Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn.
Speaking about becoming the first artist to headline the Arc venue, she added: “I’m really excited, it’s so nice, I’ve spent my whole career playing really unclean, horrible venues.
“It’s like my complaining has finally been solved by, ‘OK, here’s a venue no one’s ever been in, you’re going to be happy with this one’, but yeah, it’s gorgeous.
“The whole of the Olympia-like complex is just really beautiful and a nice place to be, which, as a touring musician, that’s rare.”
The London gigs come as part of a number of tour dates in support of her 2025 album A Complicated Woman, ending with a performance at Forwards festival in Bristol on August 29.
After the gigs, Self Esteem plans to take a break following a busy year, which has also seen her perform in the West End production Teeth ‘N’ Smiles.
She said: “It’s amazing, I can’t believe I’ve achieved everything I set out to do, which has come at a massive cost on me personally, but I was really proud of myself, it’s against all odds, I got there. I didn’t have that step up that most people working in this industry have.
“I hope that’s inspirational, and I hope other people persevere in the same way I have, because those stories need to be told as well.
“I’m ready to make another album, but I want to take my time and really think and research and grow and learn and see something new. Those first couple of albums, you’ve got so much to talk about and then you tour them.
“And then there’s people employed to make sure I don’t forget to do things, which is amazing, but it takes you away from reality a bit, and I want to just go and live and reconnect to myself a bit, and also just knock about with my mates.
“Honestly, I don’t see anyone, I don’t hang out, and I go to nobody’s things, so I’m hoping to be able to go to people’s things and actually be a human being again.”
Self Esteem has also played Sally Bowles in a production of Cabaret in 2023, and achieved a UK top 10 album with her second studio album A Complicated Woman, while her debut record Prioritise Pleasure reached number 11.
Tickets for the singer’s performances at the Arc are on sale now from the venue’s website.
