Lily Allen almost didn’t share ‘West End Girl’ with the world: “An act of desperation”
Lily Allen has confessed that, for a long while, her latest album, West End Girl, was not intended for public consumption.
The surprise album, which details several specific moments in her relationship with Stranger Things actor David Harbour through a quasi-fictional lens, has been a huge hit. As a result, Allen has announced two sets of tour dates around the UK.
However, Allen has now admitted that this might have never happened, as it was only later in the album-making process that she realised she wanted to share her ruminations with the world.
Speaking to CBS News, the star shared, “At the time I wasn’t really thinking about it as a commercial endeavour, it was just, it was an act of desperation actually.”
She added, “While I was writing it I wasn’t really sure whether it was going to see the light of day up until relatively close to its release.”
Allen mused, “I was always thinking, ‘Is this something I want to share with the world?’ But not when I was writing it because the writing was very much… I hate the word – I don’t hate it but I feel like we hear the words ‘catharsis’ or ‘therapy’ in relation to music [quite a lot].”
For the ‘Smile’ singer, this led to a deeper reflection on the emotional crises humanity is facing. She added, “It’s an odd idea and an odd question that if you consider yourself an artist that you might think, ‘Should I really be sharing what’s going on in my brain as part of my art?’”
Ending with a confession, she shared, “That’s kind of messed up, that that is where we have got to as human beings.”
Adding to this notion in another recent interview, Allen shared that the album is not mean-spirited. She added, “At the time, I was really trying to process things and that’s great in terms of the album, but I don’t feel confused or angry now. I don’t need revenge.”
The star will soon appear on the late-night talk show Saturday Night Live on December 13th.
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