To be a bit stunned by Lily Allen’s new album

[AngeloMysterioso]

Oooofff. I mean it might as well be called Fuck You David Harbour, You Cheating Bastard. Safe to say she’s set a new bar for diaristic songwriting. I feel so sad for her, I know she’s not everyone’s favourite person but it’s always been clear that all she wanted was to love and be loved and she seemed so happy with him- he popped up on her podcast with Miquita Oliver a few times and seemed so genuine in the way he spoke about her… for it to all collapse in such spectacularly public and hideous fashion must have been awful to endure, so I don’t blame her for working through it by going back to what she does best but still… blimey. I feel like I’ve been spying in their bedroom or something after listening to it!

Its an amazing album. Shes an artist. Best of all shes a woman bullied for being a woman and not fitting into patriarchal stereotypes or whatever social media finds acceptable and she did it anyway. Full respect to her.

bullied for being a woman and not fitting into patriarchal stereotypes or whatever social media finds acceptable

Intrigued about this part. In what was does she not fit in to patriarchal stereotypes or whatever social media finds acceptable?

Same. I’ve finally had a chance to listen to the album and it’s amazing. But she needs a huge amount of help - I feel very sad for her daughters knowing all of these details and I’m actually not sure that they should be with her rather than their Dad… not because of all the stuff in this album necessarily, but because I’m not sure that she can actually take care of herself. Her judgement is clearly not brilliant if she moved her kids across the Atlantic for this bin bag of a man and it’s imploded after only five years… I don't know, this feels like victim blaming and I’m literally just writing as a stream of consciousness after listening to the album, but whilst I feel terribly sorry for her, I feel more sorry for her daughters.

What a fucking mess.

No - going from what I picked up on album & him
being ten years older etc.

“Bin bag of a man”. 🤣 I chuckled at this - but the wider landscape of this situation is obviously not funny.

One tiny silver lining: what with the tarting up of their brownstone, I read they’re set to do well when it sell. Tho, judging from the AD piece, the buyer will likely have to have deep pockets to rip all their decor out and start again because…well…let’s just say, it’s not to everyone’s taste.

One need not embrace a symphony in neutrals to have a stylish home: One can be colourful AND tasteful, rather than embracing a full-on zane-fest.

@SwingTheMonkey Intrigued about this part. In what was does she not fit in to patriarchal stereotypes or whatever social media finds acceptable?

Easiest way I can think to explain this is -imagine LA was a man and then imagine whether she would have received the same level of hate / vitriol/ mockery/ negative reaction to her art, addictions, body shape and lifestyle choices.

She is staunchly middle class and her living now and again on council estates was due to parental refusal to acquire a " proper", regular income yeilding job, as opposed to pursuing artistic careers in the knowledge that their connections would have them eventually coming up roses.
A luxury that working class parents with kids do not have....financially or socially.

Any argument otherwise pertaining to the privileged upbringing of Lily Allen is not intellectually honest.

Why waste your time on the internet moaning about a woman you hate? No one is forcing you to listen to her music. Why not just leave her alone and get on with your own life?

This is a thread about Lily Allen on a social media site. It will naturally attract posts from those who like her and those who don’t. Are you new to mumsnet?

Ugh. What a horrible woman.

Suddenly there appears to be pics of DH and the kids, and LA is also softening her stance. I reckon hes had a word and reminded her that this bad press can really impact his career. That said, Stranger Things is ending soon plus his niche isn't exactly romantic comedies.

Fantastic post: absolutely spot on.

My God, you're right. By briefly taking part in a discussion about a singer about whom I have opinions, I had been neglecting my husband, my kids, my career and my social life. I wasted my life and so much time and energy and I could weep when I see such constructive, insightful, original posts like yours coming in two days later. A post that definitely isn't someone moaning about something they weren't forced to consume and not leaving it alone and getting on with their own life! And with a clever ironic username because no way are you bored!

(Are you the person who likes to tell us in Telly Addicts that players don't really get murdered on The Traitors? Thanks for your service there too!)

I don't think it's any of these things it's about talent at the end of the day. I think it's hard to be innovative in music when you are older, I feel like it is the reserve of the young, I have late teens so can hear some great stuff being played like Wunderhorse, their song 'Teal' is more up my street as not a literal slog of a song like LA!

And personally the lead singer of Wunderhorse has an amazing singing voice, I don't like the colloquial tone of LA.

I have never watched traitors so no it isn’t me.

Fancy taking a shot at a stupid username which isn’t even meant to be ironic or meaningful. It’s just…a silly username. I’m not a writer like LA.

But your post makes me laugh because now you are not only shooting down LA but also targeting me. What’s the point?

Have you actually listened to the album?

I take your point but I find it a bit annoying as I would love to hear from people who listened to the album and hear what they think about it. Sadly the thread has become a castigation of Allen and I personally find it awful that a woman who was abused and damaged when young and who overcame the consequences of that through her talent is treated like that on a forum dominated by women.

And for those who hate her for the abortions I think the poor woman has been punished enough by giving birth to a stillborn.

That is why her album is so great. It is innovative and fresh. And mature.

Also, we don’t really know that older people in music are less innovative in general because that industry is so ageist that we hardly ever get to hear work put out by older people. In the other arts like literature or the visual arts older (elderly even) artists produce incredible work.

Well once again, you targeted me, so I responded. That's what's happening yet again now, in case you didn't notice. You also don't appear to have noticed that plenty of other people have also commented that they don't like Allen. That's because, as has been explained to you, it's a public online discussion about her, so you're going to hear from people who say the stuff you want to hear and also from people who don't. I think even Allen herself would understand and accept that, and not be so befuddled about "but I don't understand whhhyyyy" (she's slagged off enough people in her time for not liking their music or image) so I am sure you can too.

Are you ok?

Listen to LA’s album. It might help you.

Are you ok?

Yes, of course.

I’ve given the album another couple of listens as I thought my opinion of LA might be clouding my opinion of the music so I tried to listen objectively.

But… I just don’t get it. It’s wishy washy, overly auto tuned and boring musically. I read somewhere it was written and recorded in 10 days, and honestly it sounds like it was. It feels half finished.

I’ve gone back to listening to Lily’s older music.. like 22, Alfie, Smile. Such nostalgia for me as I listened to this in my teenage years in sixth form and in my bedroom at home while getting ready to go out clubbing 🤍

Her sound reminds me of other Indie music at the time that have this sort of monotone sound to it - it was very synonymous for the time. Almost its own genre.

She loves Pulp & The Streets re: song writing. Jarvis the master here.

How is it possible to listen objectively if you actively dislike someone? You don’t have to like the album by the way. It’s great to hear all opinions. So much more interesting to hear people diss the album rather than LA herself.