Seven years since her last release, and in the wake of her break-up with Stranger Things actor David Harbour, Lily Allen has dropped her fifth studio album, and it is making waves on social media.
West End Girl is the title of her record, with the opening track having the same name. The album was recorded in Los Angeles over sixteen days in December of last year. The entire album lyrically reflects on the undoing of Allen’s marriage to actor Harbour, and how she processed his alleged acts of infidelity, with tracks such as Pussy Palace and 4chan Stan making direct references to his rocky behaviour.
West End Girl has been noted for its narrative arc, with Allen stating that the lyrics draw on real experiences from her marriage, but that the album “could be considered autofiction”.
The Independent awarded West End Girl five stars, describing it as “a brutal, tell-all masterpiece”.
Hannah Ewens of the Independent said: “This musical of deceit and suffering puts her in the starring role, seizing control of her narrative and holding little back. Those distinctive, creamy vocals sound sad and deflated, as if she’s processing in real time. Seven years since her last album, this intense story-driven format lets her sound sharper, smarter, and more clear-eyed than before.”
On a Mumsnet thread titled “To be a bit stunned by Lily Allen’s new album”, many have been commenting on the album, and there appear to be a lot of mixed reviews.
Variety, however, praised the album and said: “These 14 songs never offer the slightest relief from the intense emotionality of the breakdown of her relationship. But they’re so uniformly good, the fact that she doesn’t stray for a second from the subject of straying and its effects, but holds onto it like a dog with a bone, is… well, it’s a relief, actually.”
The Line of Best Fit gave the album 8/10 and said: “Written over an intense 10 days in Los Angeles, West End Girl is a quite literal outpouring of emotion, in every intricate detail – an outlet for the grieving of the relationship. The album details not just a break-up, but a shift in how relationships and human connections work in modern times. West End Girl is not only an example of pop brilliance, but also incredibly vulnerable, raw and honest, true to Allen’s form. Simply, the pop pioneer has created the break-up album for the modern generation.”
West End Girl is available to stream on Spotify.
