Lily Allen has ended a seven-year music hiatus with the surprise release of her fifth album, 'West End Girl', which details the breakdown of her marriage to US actor David Harbour. The 40-year-old singer has described the record as autofiction, telling British Vogue it references experiences from her marriage but is not entirely factual.
The album contains explicit allegations about Harbour breaking the terms of their open relationship, emotional manipulation, and sex addiction. Lyrics on the track 'Pussy Palace' reference discovering sex toys and condoms. Harbour has not responded to the album's contents.
Reviews have been largely positive, with The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Daily Mail awarding four stars, and The Independent giving five stars. Critics have praised the melodic tunes and the narrative of a woman trapped in her own head. However, The Times' review was headlined 'You almost feel sorry for David Harbour', and the Financial Times accused Allen of 'a hollow performance'.
Allen acknowledged the album would further stoke her tempestuous relationship with the media, telling Perfect magazine: 'I don't make it easy for myself, do I?' Fan response on forums like Popheads and Popjustice has been overwhelmingly positive, with one viral tweet comparing it to Lorde's 'Melodrama' for divorced white British women over 40.
Allen has not announced tour dates and has stepped away from her BBC podcast 'Miss Me?' to focus on the album. Her previous album 'No Shame' received similar acclaim but was her lowest-selling record.
