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Music News: Lily Allen's new album is receiving RAVE reviews
Member Since: 8/14/2007
Posts: 29,341
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Lily Allen's new album is receiving RAVE reviews
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Pop review: Lily Allen, It's Not Me, It's You
Garry Mulholland
The Observer, Sunday 18 January 2009
It's been two-and-a-half years since the release of Allen's 2.5 million-selling debut album Alright, Still. The girl exploded onto a grateful pop scene like a female Mike Skinner with catchier tunes, spawned a slew of largely dreadful snotty girl imitators... and then appeared to spend two years trying to be Jade Goody. Those of us who suspected she was one of the great pop singers and lyricists of her age began to wonder if she was too busy being yet another embarrassing celebrity to do the hard work of making music again.
Yet Allen kept insisting that she was just taking her time to get the difficult second album right, and, for once, the delaying tactic has paid off. It's Not Me, It's You is a wonderful record, and, better than that, a pop album brave enough to have a go at defining the times. If Allen wanted to dodge the inevitable backlash about her lack of working-class authenticity and play it safe, the worst possible thing she could do was write songs about George W Bush (**** You), drugs (Everybody's at It), celebrity (The Fear), God (Him) and her father (He Wasn't There). She went right ahead and did it anyway. This is heroic pop star behaviour.
The album's first single, The Fear, is the state-of-the-nation hit that Britain deserves. As the country cringes in the face of recession, Allen's simple connections between celebrity, consumerism and a culture that feels aimless and scared capture the moment, as classic pop is meant to do. It's followed by the best example of her other side, the dirty, personal-political joke. Not Fair sees producer Greg Kurstin invent electro-bluegrass, and deals with the dilemma of meeting the perfect caring, sharing boyfriend, who, unfortunately, is rubbish in bed. "I look into your eyes I want to get to know yer/ And then you make this noise and it's apparent it's all over," Lily deadpans as the song linedances jauntily. It's Not Me, It's You is buoyed by Kurstin's bravura blend of unlikely musical styles - music hall, country, tango, klezmer, Eurovision - and Allen's dismayed and amused take on the perennial modern life is rubbish theme. It's all agreeably reminiscent of peak period Madness, while the dreamy deftness of the more electronic moments echoes Abba and the Pet Shop Boys.
Elsewhere, **** You is an anti-Nazi rant in the style of the Carpenters; Him is a faux-naive pondering of God's character which features the line that his favourite band is Creedence Clearwater Revival; He Wasn't There forgives her dad, Keith Allen, for crimes past over synthetic swing; and the stunning 22 is the kinder twin of Amy Winehouse's **** Me Pumps, in its take on a woman who parties away her twenties and then has nothing better to aim for than getting a man.
Like Winehouse, Allen embodies a post-feminist feminism that young working-class girls might understand on an instinctive rather than intellectual level. Nothing on the album is really aimed towards men, unless they're the butt of the joke or the object of desire. And in the latter category, Who'd Have Known and Chinese are lovely evocations of the simple pleasures of the beginnings of love affairs. (Parents be warned, though: much of this record will prove too rude for Lily's many pre-teen fans.)
The best thing about It's Not Me, It's You, though, is Allen's voice. Frankly, I don't give a damn if she learnt cockney at the feet of Dick Van bloomin' ****, because it's the balance between the earthiness of her accent and the creaminess of her tone that is the killer element in her pop arsenal; the natural sad smile in her voice lends sincerity to sentiments both cruel and kind. And when our obsession with the aspirational looks increasingly like a global joke, a voice that sounds like we really talk and feel, and makes that sound beautiful, is just the ticket. Lily Allen is the perfect pop star for these crumbling times, and this album is the proof.
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The Guardian
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Member Since: 8/14/2007
Posts: 29,341
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Attitude
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Member Since: 8/14/2007
Posts: 29,341
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Lily's own review of the album
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Lil Belter
POP superstar Lily Allen has proved she's Alright, Still with a superb new album.
11/01/2009
POP superstar Lily Allen has proved she’s Alright, Still with a superb new album.
In fact, Lily gets a lot off her chest in this new record, It’s Not Me It’s You, including her take on drugs and the problem with bad sex.
The smile star — whose debut album Alright, Still was a smash hit in 2006 — also speaks her mind about sexism in the music industry and making up with her actor dad, Keith. Here, Lily talks Rated through each song on her the new album, where we also hear about God’s take on tax-dodgers and Lily’s pulling technique . . .
EVERYONE’S AT IT: This is based on me just observing things, getting annoyed about hypocrisy within our society. Drugs are such a taboo subject — I haven’t got a right to tell people to ease off on their views, or that taking drugs is a bad thing or a good thing. All I can do is observe what I see.
THE FEAR: This song is about how sad I get to think of young kids reading celeb mags and gossip websites — and thinking that’s what they should aspire to. I know from being on this side that it isn’t all as fun as it looks.
22: This is about being a young female in a professional environment. People assume that singers like Duffy, Adele, myself and Amy Winehouse, are puppets being run by powerful men. Equal rights have come a long way, but I still think there is an undertone of sexism everywhere.
IT’S NOT FAIR: There’s some humour in this one. I can get on with someone really well but if they’re no good at sex, it upsets me. I think: “Here’s someone I’d like to spend forever with, but I can’t face having bad sex for the rest of my life.” You’ve either got it or you don’t!
I COULD SAY: This is about a relationship I had. I felt that person was holding me back a bit and the arguments that we had were almost childish, and without that person in my life I felt like I wasn’t having those childish thoughts.
GO BACK TO THE START: I wanted some faster songs on the record and this one is about my sister. We had a stormy relationship for years but now know we can’t argue like teenagers any more. This is like my olive branch to her.
NEVER GONNA HAPPEN: Here I’m watching people in the early hours, when the party really should be over. “What am I doing up? You lot are idiots. I’m going to bed.” I can’t bear watching the sun come up.
F*** YOU: This is like something I did on Smile and LDN — countering positive, bouncy music with something dark, real, hurtful and unjustified. That’s a lot of what making music is about for me.
WHO’D HAVE KNOWN: This is about getting with someone. I’ve never been good at kissing in public. It would be me orchestrating going back to someone’s house, taking my clothes off, jumping in their bed and pretending to be asleep. That’s the only way I’ve been able to pull!
CHINESE: This one is really important as it’s the only way I could write about my mum without it being really nauseating. What I love about her the most is her ability to make me feel like I’m at home.
HIM: When I got my first car, double yellow lines meant nothing to me. I was like: “God didn’ t make the world so I couldn’t park there!” This song is about, if God really exists, would he be ashamed of petty crimes, like people evading their tax, or . . . you know, what political party would He vote for.
HE WASN’T THERE: It’s just a song about my dad. He wasn’t there a lot — but we’re now very, very close and very good friends and that’s what this tune is about.
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News Of The World
This woman is fantastic 
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Member Since: 12/6/2007
Posts: 8,865
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Wow!
I love 'The Fear' is on of my jams now 
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Member Since: 3/2/2008
Posts: 14,823
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164 78 LILY ALLEN The Fear Capitol 78 14 64 0.413
Possible hit?! 
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Member Since: 8/14/2007
Posts: 29,341
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This is a critical acclaim success thread. Take your radio stats to a commercial success thread. Thanks.
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Member Since: 6/25/2008
Posts: 20,616
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She deserves it !
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Member Since: 3/16/2006
Posts: 24,384
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awsome reviews. But thats what she deserves, i just hope she will stop being an attention *****...actually i take that back, thats the best about her, her bitchness
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Member Since: 9/7/2006
Posts: 8,163
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i hope the fear and her entire album becomes a hit!
when does the album come out?? i loved "alright, still" and i cant wait to get "its not me its you"
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Member Since: 6/21/2008
Posts: 2,497
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I honestly don't like her because of her attitude and her way of life, but I'm liking the new album based on the clips. Personally I hated Alright, Still
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Member Since: 3/2/2008
Posts: 14,823
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Quote:
Originally posted by danitykanelover
i hope the fear and her entire album becomes a hit!
when does the album come out?? i loved "alright, still" and i cant wait to get "its not me its you"
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February 10 in the US 
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Member Since: 4/16/2007
Posts: 30,963
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Lily Allen <333
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Member Since: 2/9/2008
Posts: 32,819
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Quote:
Originally posted by kvnrblnd
I honestly don't like her because of her attitude and her way of life, but I'm liking the new album based on the clips. Personally I hated Alright, Still
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You have Paris Hilton in your avatar.
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Member Since: 5/31/2008
Posts: 11,688
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I can't wait to hear her new album! It already sounds good.
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Originally posted by eli's_rhythm
You have Paris Hilton in your avatar.
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Member Since: 12/14/2008
Posts: 3,450
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This album will be AMAZING,... I've listen the preview a lot of times... and I'm so excited for "Not Fair" OMG!
Lily deserves good reviews... if she don't have good sells, at least good reviews!
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Member Since: 12/22/2007
Posts: 9,193
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i want that album in my hand next month.
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Member Since: 4/16/2008
Posts: 69
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^ I want it also... I think the album would be amazing...
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Member Since: 10/22/2007
Posts: 5,601
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Lily.
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Member Since: 8/15/2008
Posts: 2,061
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Sounds amazing
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Member Since: 4/16/2008
Posts: 69
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I'm happy other people are starting to realize how talented Lily Allen is...
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