When Lily Allen answers her phone, sheâs on her way out of a meeting with her record label in London. It takes roughly three reschedules to get ahold of the British pop starlet for this interview, so Iâm wholly unsurprised to find that when we finally do cross cellular paths itâs during a jam-packed schedule, wedged right between an exec conference and a VIP stop to watch Beyonce perform at O2. After all, Allen is a busy girl these days: mother to two, doting wife, owner of a record label imprint, tabloid darling, Chanel muse, and, of course, one of the most infamous pop stars and pop culture commentators in the world.
In 2009, Allen announced an abrupt hiatus from her blossoming and brash pop career which, at the time, spanned two solid albums, including 2006âs bratty ska-infused âAlright, Stillâ and 2009âs glistening electro-pop follow up âItâs Not Me, Itâs Youâ. For fans, the break came as a bit of a shock, but for the artist, putting the music on pause was the only way to regain a bit of her sanity in a world gone mad.
Now, five years later, the mouthy, no-holds-barred pop princess is back with a shiny new album and is ready to reclaim her crown. Sheâs stepping back into the ring â and she wonât be going down without a fight.
When did you decide you were ready to pop back into the studio?
Well, itâs funny you should ask. It definitely wasnât like I woke up one morning and thought, âI want to be a pop star again!â I got pregnant and had my first daughter – who is one of the most wonderful human beings to walk the earth, aside from my second daughter. But she was quite sick when she was first born and had to have a couple of operations. It was quite emotionally exhausting dealing with her illness and it took a long time. I think she was about 7 months old when she was finally started getting better. I was so exhausted by the whole thing that I just felt I needed to get out of the house for a little bit and do something else. I didnât really know anything other than writing songs. It wasnât like, âI have to go make an album!â I just got back into the studio and wrote. Then I had my second baby, wrote some more songs, and then here we are! It made me wake up and realize how lucky I am. Every second of every day is so valuable.
Your new album is titled âSheezus.â Whatâs the story behind that? Are you a fan of Kanyeâs work?
Well, you know, I think that in the record industry right now, itâs all up in the air; we donât have any control over it anymore, and no one really knows whatâs going to happen. So Iâve approached this whole concept as trying to have fun and have a bit of a laugh. And I love Kanye West. I love his music but I also love him as a person and as a figure of modern pop culture. I love that he stands up for what he believes in. I really respect that. I loved that he called his album âYeezusâ and I just thought it was funny.
How has the industry changed if at all now that youâve returned since stepping out of it?
It has definitely changed. I think, you know, just like the world itself, the music industry is ever evolving and adjusting to the internet. Thereâs definitely a lack of control in how people consume music. Itâs quite interesting how dramatically things have changed.
When you dropped âHard Out Here,â it became a somewhat polarizing modern pop feminist anthem. What really inspired the track for you?
Do you mind telling me the lines, and then working backwards? [Cackles.] You know, I read the comments on my Twitter and on Youtube, and itâs funny how people attach visuals to songs so much that they let it consume the song. They think the song is all about the music industry, which it isnât. Itâs about being a woman in todayâs world, and the difficulties we face across all industries. Itâs just saying that itâs hard, you know? Weâre not there yet, at all. I see that every day when I walk into my record company. There arenât many female executives. Itâs not equal yet, and I guess itâs maybe because I am approaching thirty that itâs usually this point in oneâs life that my friends, I hear, are moving up to the next levels in their jobs and careers. And I definitely see the men are progressing faster than the women. Thatâs something I find disappointing and feel I want to vocalize in my music.
What do you think is the state of women in pop right now?
There are women doing things their own way and owning it that I really appreciate. Two of those people would be Beyonce and Miley Cyrus. I also love Rihanna and I love Adele. I think we like to put women into boxes. And if youâre sexy, people want to call you a slut. Thatâs not okay. Where I have a problem with sex in the music industry is when you see a person who has been pushed into it and is not entirely comfortable with it. Miley – I donât think weâre under any other impression than that sheâs having fun and enjoying herself. She owns it! Beyonce is obviously very comfortable with the way she looks, and Rihanna⊠theyâre all sexy and beautiful women, but I donât think they use their sex to sell their music. And I think people find it difficult to stomach sometimes. Itâs like, we donât live in the 50âs anymore!
Musically, what has inspired the sound of this album?
I think Iâve been listening to a lot of hip hop and R&B. Itâs not like Iâm rapping, but thatâs the music I like to listen to. There are also little bits of country in there. But itâs perfectly me in the sense that itâs a variety of styles with running social commentaries.
Are going to be touring?
God, I hope so! Or else I wonât be making any money! [Laughs.] I definitely hope a tour comes into it somewhere. Festivals over the summer, maybe Australia, maybe JapanâŠ
Since this piece is for our Love issue, what or who are you really loving right now?
My little girls. Iâm working so hard at the moment that Iâm not doing quite as much with them as Iâd like to. I just find myself staring into my iPhone looking at pictures and videos of them. Iâm in awe of how amazing and beautiful they are, and how lucky I am to have them in my life. So yeah, my kids!
What advice would you give to them if they wanted to go into music?
Iâd say, âPick up a guitar and stand outside of the train station and sing!â Because itâs the easiest way to make money – and a lot less hard!
More of Lily in the next issue of LADYGUNN!
Sheezus Review
Itâs been quite awhile since Lily Allen has delivered a solid, single potential album for audiences to devour. Since 2009 we havenât heard much from the British pop star turned happy mother of two. Turns out sheâs been busier than we thought. And it only takes one listen to Sheezus to remind us how much weâve missed her.
After a 5-year hiatus Lily Allen returns with a new album reminiscent of her debut. The single heavy Sheezus gives us Allen at her best: catchy songs with thick feminist lyrics that make any girl with half a brain want to sing along as loud as she can, possibly when sheâs out with all friends, spending all her money on over-priced drinks, as the mellow, âOur Time,â details.
The long-awaited Sheezus gives fans a pleasant blend of her original ska sound with plenty of poppy electronica undertones. Songs like the fun loving drug experience themed âAirballon,â will call to mind Allenâs debut, Alright, Still, while others such as the sassy youâre-not-gonna-shame-me-so-donât-even-try âSilver Soon,â is more in line with the sounds of her second album, Itâs Not Me, Itâs You.
Allen still shines in the bad-girl-with-a-taste-for-expensive-things persona sheâs cultivated over the years. The title track of Sheezus embodies Lilyâs signature playful attitude stating, âIâm ready for all the comparisons/I think itâs dumb and itâs embarrassing,/Iâm switching off, no longer listening/Iâve had enough of persecution and conditioning.â She continues to explain, âIt makes me angry, Iâm serious/But then again, Iâm just about to get my period.â The songâs chorus includes a plethora of todayâs popular female artists call-outs ending with the proclamation âGive me that crown, bitch, I wanna be Sheezus.âAs always, Allen is able to show the difference between taking what youâre saying seriously, not taking yourself too seriously.
Per usual, Allen songs carry a deeper message beneath their poptastic surface. While Allenâs target demographic still seems to be the (mostly) young, single (by choice or not) ladies, donât count her, or the album, as light-hearted. Sheezusâ first single, âHard Out Here,â throws the misogyny of today right in your face: âIf youâre not a size six and youâre not good looking/Well you better be rich or be real good at cooking/You should probably lose some weight âcause we canât see your bones/You should probably fix your face or youâll end up on your own.â The songâs closing verse further clarifies, in cause anyone you missed the meaning so far: âInequality promises that itâs here to stay/Always trust the injustice âcause itâs not going away.â
Overall Allenâs lyrics certainly resound with feminist themes more often than not, but songs like âL8 CMMRâ and âClose Your Eyesâ remind us she doesnât hate men, she hates the status quo, making her all the more relatable to most modern-day feminists.
The interesting thing about Allen is sheâs able to say pack her songs full of heavy hitting lines, but still create a likable pop song. âHard Out Hereâ and âTake My Placeâ are prime example of this on Sheezus. Her intelligence and humor is what carries the songs through the heavier lyrics. The clever hooks and catchy choruses donât hurt either.
Itâs clear the time and tender, loving care Allenâs put into her third studio album has paid off, but will it be enough to make her a household name in the U.S.? While Allen has proven her worth in both album sales and critical acclaim with her former efforts, she hasnât yet managed the crossover success to of other British songstresses such as the late great Amy Winehouse, or the one and only Adele. But, there is no time like the present and with an album littered with potential singles, Allenâs got a stronger fighting chance than ever before to make her mark across the pond.
Allen will be promoting Sheezus later this year with an international tour, including U.S. dates in the Fall. This tour marks a return to the U.S. and (fingers crossed) a successful crossover story.
