Midweek Quick One - Top 5 Lily Allen💿

Let’s start here: Lily Allen does not get the recognition she deserves for her contribution to British music. I know that’s subjective, as it’s my opinion, but I feel it so strongly, to me it feels objective. There’s no two ways about it. Anyone who has the pleasure of knowing me really well knows I can get quite animated, and I can wholeheartedly say it’s one of those where, if we were out for dinner or sat in a café across from one another, I would be slamming the table. I feel really quite strongly about it.

I feel so strongly about it, in fact, that I took myself for a beach walk and listened to her best albums - No Shame and Alright, Still - from front to back, no skips, and rightly so. They are both no-skips albums. For this reason, I had a bloody great time doing my ‘research’ for this midweek quick one. My original intention was to do just a straight-up ‘Lily Allen Top 5,’ but I think these albums are both so good that I couldn’t possibly, so I did a Top 5 from each album. Naughty, I know, but guess what? I make the rules. Alright, Still was Lily’s breakthrough album released in 2006, and No Shame was her fourth studio album released in 2018, so they are verrrry different but both fantastic bodies of work (no skips, my G’s, no 👏 skips 👏).

The lack of commercial success No Shame received is borderline criminal, so if you haven’t had a listen to it yet, I’m hoping this puts you on to something fantastic that you didn’t know you needed. I also highly recommend reading Lily’s memoir, My Thoughts Exactly, alongside No Shame, as they really do go hand in hand in my head. I listened to the audiobook of the memoir when I was in Sicily last year, and I have such fond memories of me dilly-dallying around Palermo trying to get my bastard steps in to offset all the arancini and granita. I had so many ‘aha moments’ when listening to the memoir, as it just intensified the texture to a lot of the songs on the album when I had the backdrop so clearly set up. I also included my favourite lyrics from each song because I think Lily is a fantastic lyricist. She says some of the wildest things, but because she kind of sings everything like it’s a lullaby, it just works - and maybe that’s the main ingredient in her secret sauce?

Anyway, here we go, my loves, before this Quick One turns into a Long One:

No Shame

5. Cake
If I could go back
See myself as a child
I'd say stick to your guns girl
In fact go get that rifle

4. Come On Then
You should really hush your mouth
And keep your distance if you see me when you're out
Won't forgive you twice
I'll tell you all about your miserable life

3. Trigger Bang (feat. Giggs)
Everyone knows what cocaine does
Numbing the pain when the shame comes, hey

2. Higher
Rest that mind, give yourself some time
You might like what you find

1. Everything to Feel Something
I can't tell you what I do it for
Nothing really moves me anymore
*(Deeply ironic as this song is number one because it always moves me to tears)

Alright, Still

5. Everything’s Just Wonderful
“I wanna be able to eat Spaghetti Bolognese and not feel bad about it for days and days and days”

4. LDN
“There were people from the city having lunch in the park
I believe that is called al fresco”

3. Littlest Things
Sometimes I find myself sittin' back and reminiscing
Especially when I have to watch other people kissing

2. Knock ‘Em Out
"If you insist, I'll have a White Wine Spritzer"
"Sorry, love, but you ain't a pretty picture"

1. Smile
When you first left me, I was wanting more, but you were fucking that girl next door, what you do that for?

I know there will probably be some haters who want to chat about The Fear or other projects, but I’m sorry, my friends - this is Grace’s Top 5, you know? That said, drop me your fave Lily songs in the comments if you fancy it. I hope I’ve inspired a mini Lily renaissance in each and every one of your hearts. Loadsa luv, G xxx

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