Arriving on the scene by way of MySpace popularity in 2006 with the fabulously biting, estrogen-infused single, “Smile,” British pop tart Lily Allen received substantial attention for her first album Alright, Still. With more than two-and-a-half million records sold, the controversial tabloid queen gained an expansive and eager audience, ready to eat up whatever concoction of sugar-coated, man-hating goodness came next. They still have no need to fear, either, as the appropriately titled It’s Not Me, It’s You will satiate any enthusiast of the sharp-tongued lass. That’s right, she stole your line.
With more of an electro-pop feel than Alright, Still, one cannot help but notice some distinct differences in Allen’s second effort. Known for dabbling in a variety of musical flavors under the influence of mixer extraordinaire Mark Ronson, Allen opted to use Greg Kurstin — from indie group the Bird and the Bee — resulting in a noticeably darker sound. Instead of incorporating many hip-hop and ska elements, It’s Not Me proves to be a more mature, scrambled variety of tracks that are easy to dance to.
One thing Allen will never lose in her music is her amazing honesty. Her hilarious frankness is what makes her more appealing than any run-of-the-mill pop star, and it is evident she lives to entertain and create a unique masterpiece of bubble-gum-dripped one-liners. Who else attempts to tackle the big man upstairs, the fam and sexual inadequacy all on one album?
“The Fear,” the hit single that has likely infiltrated mainstream radio by now, has great shock appeal with lines like, “And I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless / ‘cause everyone knows that’s how you get famous.” Clearly aware of the fame game, Allen more than understands her place in an industry that involves competition with the likes of underwear-lacking, head-shaving former mousketeers.
What Allen does have on her side is a great sense of humor. Songs like “F*** You,” a lovely serenade for former President Bush, are classic Allen, reminiscent of tracks like “Everything’s Just Wonderful,” which was from her first album. It’s a little humorous to put out a hate song about, well, haters, but somehow Allen makes it work. Discussions of male inadequacy also do not seem like they will end anytime soon, but it is part of why fans, myself included, love her. One song of great note is “Not Fair,” a hilariously honest confession of an unsatisfying sex life, reminding listeners of her classic “Not Big”. Beware all ye who dare date Ms. Allen. All the world will know about you.
If you doubt that Allen holds romantic sentimentality, though, listen to “Who’d Have Known” or “Chinese,” sweet tracks about the endearingly awkward beginnings of relationships, with appropriate references to PDA moments in front of friends.
From the rejection of a guy in the tell-off “Never Gonna Happen” or strained relationships with family members in the jazz-infused “He Wasn’t There,” Allen’s music is incredibly relatable and appealing on a wide scale. Her uncompromising honesty is what makes her compelling. Love her or hate her, she is going to be sticking around for a while and she has quite a few things to share. An accurate description of her nonchalance is shown when she boldly states, “Now I’m not a saint, but I’m not a sinner / now everything is cool as long as I’m getting thinner.”
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
