Self Esteem delivers inspirational speech after accepting University of Sheffield honorary doctorate

‘Dr Taylor will see you now,’ singer told fans after ceremony

Self Esteem delivered an inspirational speech after accepting an honorary doctorate at the University of Sheffield.

The contemporary pop musician, whose real name is Rebecca Lucy Taylor, spoke to graduates on Monday (19 July) after being honoured for her success in music as well as her championing of inclusivity and diversity.

Taylor, who was born in Rotherham, said that while her journey of self-belief is “never over”, she remained determined to find success in a career “where male music reigned supreme”.

“Every patio or patch of land was a stage to me – my nanny and grandad were adoring, Wembley-sized crowds,” she told graduates of her childhood, adding: “My pogo-stick was my microphone stand.”

Taylor, who was formerly part of folk duo Slow Club before going solo in 2017, released her debut record, Compliments Please in 2019 and her follow-up Prioritise Pleasure at the end of 2021. The record was nominated for the Mercury Prize, and The Independent named it the best of the year.

During her acceptance speech, Taylor said she originally thought Self Esteem was just “a cool artist name”, but that “over the last seven years it has been exactly what standing up for myself, staying true to myself, and never compromising my vision has given me”.

She said: “Every time I wasn’t quiet just to keep the peace, every time I said no because I meant no. Every time I let my emotions show, every time a bloke online attacked my appearance and (I) accepted that he is just a product of his lived experience and to reply would be futile.

“Every time I remind myself I’m not difficult for being passionate about the details – I’m not a show-off, I’m a committed artist. Every time I allow myself to be too much, I’ve done right by that wacky, loud, bonkers, blonde little girl singing into a pogo-stick to the adoring reception of the back garden wall.”

Taylor added that despite her outlook, she was nervous to speak in front of graduates as she “wasn’t Beyoncé or Stanley Tucci or Michelle Obama or James Blunt”.

“This morning when I looked in the mirror and I didn’t know if I looked good enough, I realised the journey is never over,” she said.

Self Esteem receives honorary doctorate from University of Sheffield (Instagram)

“Everything I said about believing in myself doesn’t come easily or naturally. It’s a lifelong practice. I have to wake up and commit to it. You all committed to something, whether it came easily or naturally, whether it was a struggle, or it was boring or really, really hard.”

The musician stated: “You committed when you weren’t sure if you would make it through to the end and you’re here, achieving, believing, committing and choosing what’s good for yourself.

“You are now at the bottom of a new mountain and the top of the mountain is the end of your life. And you and I are just constantly going to be going up it.”

Celebrating the doctorate, Taylor wrote on Instagram: “Dr Taylor will see you now! Completely overwhelmed to have been given an honorary doctorate from @theuniversityofsheffield.”

Additional reporting from Agencies