0
0
Twenty-one-year-old overnight Brit pop sensation Lily Allen is one of those people that the Brits love to hate. Or perhaps they hate to love her. One of the two. Since Alright, Still was released last year, Lily’s been nominated for a handful of Brit Awards. And British mag NME named her the third coolest person of 2006. But NME also awarded her their “Worst Dressed” award. And BBC3 named her the 10th most annoying person of 2006. And, well, she’s done a brilliant job of offending people in all corners of the world, publicly insulting, well, pretty much everyone.
But while the jury’s still out across the pond, it took me approximately 20 seconds to come to a very strong and very decisive conclusion about her. I love her. In fact, she’s more than welcome to come out in some magazine and publicly insult me. I’ll still love her.
Allen’s debut album, Alright, Still is, to put it plainly, smashing. The songs have simple melodies and memorable lyrics that will latch onto your brain and refuse to let go. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night with one of them in my head—or I’ll burst out singing another one in the shower. But while Allen has a wonderfully sweet voice, she’s not just another fluffy pop princess. And once you take a closer listen, you’ll realize that there’s more to her than just catchy reggae-pop tunes and a cute, crystal-clear voice. Beneath all that, Allen is smart and feisty. She’s skeptical yet optimistic. And she’s brilliantly observant. The songs on the album cover everything from taking pleasure in an ex-boyfriend’s heartbreak (Allen’s first single, “Smile”) and seeing through a two-faced friend (“Friend of Mine”) to getting revenge after a breakup (“Not Big”) and potential girl fights at the club (“Friday Night”). There are also tributes to her stoner little brother (“Alfie”) and to the underbelly of her favorite city (“LDN”), complete with pimps, crack whores, and petty crooks. It’s hard to say which song on the album is my personal favorite—since there’s only one song on the album that I don’t totally love. But I’d have to say it’s “Knock ‘Em Out.” It’s the perfect theme song for Girls’ Night Out—filled with great responses to bad pick-up lines (ranging from impending nuptials to venereal disease).
Allen takes a look at the world around her—the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything little thing in between—and turns it into a song that you won’t be able to stop singing. She’s as fun and poppy as Sophie Ellis Bextor, only more cynical and prone to bar fights. I wouldn’t recommend picking a fight with her at a club (especially not after she’s had a couple of drinks), but I highly recommend picking up a copy of her spectacular debut album.
