Lily Allen has said that dating apps make people 'disposable' and that many young women no longer find marriage or long-term relationships attractive. The singer made the remarks as she releases her first album in seven years, 'West End Girl', following her split from actor David Harbour in February.
The 40-year-old's new record explores themes of cheating, gaslighting, open relationships and sex addiction. On the tracks 'Tennis' and 'Madeline', she references a woman named Madeline, whom she questions after spotting a text message on a partner's phone. However, Allen insists Madeline is a fictional character, a construct of several people.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Allen said: 'I just feel we are living in really interesting times - in terms of how we define intimacy and monogamy, people being disposable or not. Dating apps make people disposable, and that leads to the idea that if you are not happy, there's so much more to choose from - right in your pocket.'
The singer, whose parents divorced when she was four, added that while previous generations may have stayed together out of limited choice, that is no longer the case. 'Lots of people from my parents' generation stayed together forever and were miserable. You didn't have endless choice, so you may have worked at something harder. But now you don't have to.'
Allen also reflected on changing attitudes to intimacy, saying it is 'inherently messy' and that boundaries in relationships are becoming a 'grey area'. The album is described as 'a mixture of fact and fiction'.
