Artist of the Week- Lily Allen

Lily Allen has never been afraid of speaking her mind, and many times, she’s all too quick to speak freely. This week was no laughing matter as the UK’s Pop Princess suffered a terrible loss.

Allen is no stranger to the public eye. Her father was a well-known UK comedian and her mother was a film producer. Allen’s father left her at an early age but Joe Strummer of the Clash was considered her Godfather. Although he influenced her as a child, his musical influence did not affect her until after his death.

In 2006, Allen exploded onto the music scene with her smash hit “Smile.” It helped launch MySpace Music and was also a hit on college radio stations around the world. Alright, Still was released soon after “Smile” hit the airwaves. Alright, Still was highly influenced by Ska and Reggae and it quickly gained attention amongst music enthusiasts. When you first hear it, it feels like an “in your face” view from Allen. After hearing it over and over again, you realize that there is meaning behind many of her songs. Songs like “Alfie,” and “Smile” give you an interesting look into the life of this pop star. his album undoubtedly spawned off such acts like Kate Nash, Amy Winehouse and Lenka.

In 2009, Allen shifted direction with her music and released her sophomore album, It’s Not Me, It’s You. The album was a big shift in her musical direction after her first release. The album had a more Electro-Funk/Pop sound. The album was produced by one half of The Bird and the Bee, Greg Kurstin, which is just fine in my book.

Never one to hold back on her thoughts, Allen tackles everything from terrorism, sex, life, drug addiction, and homophobia. “Fuck You,” is a song that lets the listener know exactly how she feels about the topics she covers, while “It’s Not Fair,” was a complete 180 for Allen. The song had a complete Pop/Country feel to it, but lyrically it sounded like an Allen song. She talks about a lover that is good to her, but is less than stellar in bed. The album was both praised and ignored by the critics. Personally, I found it interesting on how she felt about several subjects, like terrorism. Lyrically, Allen was at the top of her game when she released the record.

Allen became politically involved in the UK and announced that she was retiring from the music industry. Of late, Ms Allen has been in the news after suffering her second miscarriage six months into her pregnancy. While this must be a dark moment in her life, Allen is not one to feel sorry for herself. I have a strange feeling that this is not the last time we’ll hear from this talented singer/songwriter. Our thoughts are with Ms Allen in this dark time of her life!

Top 5 Songs

1. It’s Not Fair

2. Smile

3. Alfie

4. Fuck You

5. Never Gonna Happen

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