Shining: Estelle is at the top of the charts for another week with her song American Boy

Her music spans hip-hop, soul, reggae and pop - and she is equally adept at whatever genre she turns her attention to.

Even by her own daredevil standards, though, the decision to abandon her beloved West London and cross the Atlantic to live in New York a year ago seemed like a huge gamble.

"It was really a practical move," sighs the 28-year-old, taking a break from rehearsals for tonight's Later With Jools Holland show. "I'm signed to a U.S. label, and I didn't enjoy the 3am phone calls. I'm not a great sleeper, so I didn't enjoy being woken up.

"Moving to New York did leave me in a state of culture shock, though. Things are completely different over there. The Americans have a team mentality, whereas we are encouraged to think more individually.

"If I don't agree with something, I let people know, and it occasionally leads to tension. But I usually iron things out."

If Estelle was taking a chance in moving to New York, the risk has paid off handsomely.

Having become the first signing to U.S. singer John Legend's HomeSchool label, she now sits at No. 1 in the UK charts with her house-meets-pop single American Boy.

Her new album, Shine, is on course to hit the Top Five on Sunday.

A year in the Big Apple might have given Estelle's music a distinctive American swagger, but the singer herself is essentially the same homegirl who left London last May.

Living abroad has worked wonders for her self-confidence, but she hasn't started talking with a mid-Atlantic twang just yet.

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Perfect soulmates: Estelle and rapper Kanye West

Estelle's creative partnership with Legend, a key player in American R&B, came about after a chance meeting in an LA restaurant.

After spotting rapper Kanye West at a table, the forthright Londoner wasted no time in introducing herself.

"I recognised Kanye, but I didn't even realise that John was with him at first," she admits. "I went over to Kanye and asked if he could introduce me to John Legend some day. He did it on the spot."

After Estelle supported soul-man Legend on his worldwide Get Lifted tour, the two became firm friends, with the American offering artistic advice and eventually signing Estelle to his label.

With Legend an encouraging mentor, Estelle also found herself fast-tracked to the heart of Stateside R&B, with a host of A-List collaborators on hand.

While the likes of Will I Am (of The Black Eyed Peas), Mark Ronson, BeyoncÈ producer Swizz Beatz and former Fugees man Wyclef Jean all make sterling contributions to Shine, however, Estelle comfortably holds her own alongside the cream of American music.

Switching effortlessly between her sly raps and more conventional singing, she is a witty lyricist who still manages to put a distinctly British stamp on her American beats.

"I didn't want a record that sounded just like Will I Am or Wyclef," she says. "I wanted a record that was me. Wyclef was quite surprised when I turned up for a session with a song completely arranged. I sat down and showed him where every part went. He found himself taking orders from me."

Legend's LA dining partner Kanye West also makes a typically slick cameo appearance on Shine, lending a trademark rap to American Boy. Kanye is known for his ego, but Estelle insists he is a joy to work with.

The second of eight children, Estelle was raised in a strict, church-going household by her Senegalese mother and West Indian stepfather.

Like so many great soul vocalists, she began singing in church, although early exposure to her stepdad's reggae singles - plus a fondness for Eighties pop duo Mel And Kim - helped to fashion her eclectic taste.

"For four years, my mum allowed only church music in the house," she says. "But she probably suspected that my sisters and I were sneaking out to gigs, so she wasn't really that strict.

"Me and a cousin had about 20 different groups as we were growing up. That was the first time I got seriously into music. We'd practice all the moves. We still do whenever we meet up."

Having built a strong reputation on London's urban music scene, Estelle came to wider attention four years ago with her debut album, The 18th Day. Despite winning an award for best newcomer at the MOBOs, however, she became frustrated at the inability of her original record label, V2, to push an accessible record further into the pop mainstream.

"They saw me as an anomaly. It wasn't even because I was a black artist. They simply didn't know which lane to put me in, and I wasn't going to give them that opportunity."

It was only after months of soulsearching and that chance meeting in LA that Estelle was able to plan her next move.

Her problems now behind her, Estelle has her gaze fixed on pop's glittering prizes. And, with her American Boys on hand to help, she could hardly have had a better start.

"I love singing, so I want to see how far I can take it. I love the challenge, and I won't be happy until I have a wall full of gold discs and seven huge world tours under my belt.

"At the same time, I'm not going to get lost in music. I had three years away from all of this, and that served as a real wake-up call. I'm now much more comfortable with myself."

• Shine is out now. Estelle appears on Later With Jools Holland tonight on BBC 2 at 11.35pm. She tours in late spring. Dates to be announced.