"Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world,
then it can only happen through music." – Jimi Hendrix
then it can only happen through music." – Jimi Hendrix
Lily Allen is back! You may or may not remember, but way back in May 2012, with my third post in this series, I wrote about Lily Allen and her fabulous song, F*ck You (Very Much). I am a big fan of Ms. Allen and her music. Sadly, it had been 5 years since Ms. Allen released a new album, having taken time off from performing to marry and give birth to two children. Somehow I missed the news that Lily was back in the studio recording and it wasn't until I saw her appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon a couple of days ago that I found out that she had released a new album, Sheezus. Yes, Lilly confirmed that it is "a little nod to Kanye West", who had released an album Yeezus in 2013.
Has marriage and motherhood mellowed this outspoken firebrand? Happily, no! She is as brash and in your face as she always was. I loved Lily's first two album (Alright, Still and It's Not Me, It's You), so I was hoping that this new one would be up to the previous releases. All I can say is "Whew". While my favorite album of hers is, and probably will always be, It's Not Me, It's You, Sheezus is certainly a worthwhile purchase. As typical for Lily, the songs all sound so light and bubbly until you pay attention to the lyrics which vary from criticism of modern culture to light songs about love to teenage angst. Another home run for Lily.
I had a hard time picking just one song to feature because there are so many great songs on the album, therefore I decided to feature two songs. In addition to the two songs I'm featuring, "Air Balloon", lyrically, is as light as helium and "Miserable Without Your Love" is another song for my catharsis playlist. "Close Your Eyes" has lyrics, which are full of Allen's trademark humor. Has anyone in pop music history ever urged their lover to ride them "like a bike"? "Life for Me" is a sincere, upbeat afro-pop sounding song. All are amazing songs!
The first song that I am featuring is the one Lily sang on The Tonight Show. "Hard Out Here" is a tongue-in-cheek response to the double standards faced by women in society, and, more specifically, the music/entertainment industry. The video is pretty out there and quite explicit. For anyone who finds the video uncomfortable, hypocritical or contradictory to the lyrics, that's part of the irony and sarcasm that is Lily Allen. Lily demonstrates how bad it has become for women in the industry, as well as the unrealistic and grotesque extremes of body image set for young girls. Additionally, she shows how ridiculous the gender roles have become and it's only going to get worse, as long as society continues to differentiate people based on their genitalia, and pigeonhole them into stereotypes and manufactured identities.
The first song that I am featuring is the one Lily sang on The Tonight Show. "Hard Out Here" is a tongue-in-cheek response to the double standards faced by women in society, and, more specifically, the music/entertainment industry. The video is pretty out there and quite explicit. For anyone who finds the video uncomfortable, hypocritical or contradictory to the lyrics, that's part of the irony and sarcasm that is Lily Allen. Lily demonstrates how bad it has become for women in the industry, as well as the unrealistic and grotesque extremes of body image set for young girls. Additionally, she shows how ridiculous the gender roles have become and it's only going to get worse, as long as society continues to differentiate people based on their genitalia, and pigeonhole them into stereotypes and manufactured identities.
The second featured song is a bonus song on the album. Last year, Lily released a cover version of the English band, Keane's song, "Somewhere Only We Know" (lyrics), which was recorded for the John Lewis 2013 Christmas advert (below). This song has been a favorite of mine for a decade when it was originally released in 2004. It's rare that I find a cover version to be as good as the original, but this song is in that category.
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