Lily Allen on ‘Sheezus’: “I did what I thought pop stars should do, and it was very wrong”

The singer says she was having an identity crisis during the making of her previous LP

Lily Allen has discussed her dissatisfaction with previous album ‘Sheezus’ – saying that her upcoming record ‘No Shame’ is a response to its “bad” and inauthentic marketing.

The ‘LDN’ singer is set to return with a new LP next month. Ahead of its release, Allen has shared three tracks – ‘Trigger Bang’, ‘Higher’ and ‘Three’.

As we edge closer to the album dropping, Allen has reflected on her 2014 record – and revealed how it’s inspired her to move away from the “traditional way” of releasing new material.

Advertisement

With producer Greg Kurstin producing ‘Sheezus’ and Allen’s previous albums, the singer said she felt the urge for change this time around: “I think a big part of me also wanted to make a good record that wasn’t produced by Greg Kurstin,” she told Stereogum. “I wanted to know I could do it without him.”

Asked how much of ‘No Shame’ is inspired by the making of ‘Sheezus’, Allen replied: “The whole thing.”

Lily Allen
Lily Allen

“I think that the idea going into ‘Sheezus’ was really well-intentioned,” she continued. “I think I was suffering from postnatal depression when I started writing it, and I think I was having an identity crisis, that I did not know I was a new mum.

“I felt like I needed to be a pop star to pay my bills, and I didn’t feel like that, so I did what I thought pop stars should do, and it was very wrong.”

Advertisement

Allen added that she doesn’t think the musical content of ‘Sheezus’ is “that bad”, but regrets some of the artistic decisions made during its surrounding campaign.

“It was more the marketing and the way that I looked, the clothes that I was wearing and the stage design. It was like a sort of weird Alice In Wonderland, but bad.”

She added: “But I can’t blame it on anyone. I OK’d it, I approved it. But because I didn’t have a sense of self at the time, I was looking to other people to guide me. And I’ve always done it myself, which is, I think, what translated to people before. The sense of honesty. I think I just felt like I couldn’t sell it, ’cause I didn’t know who I was.”

Last month, Allen spoke out on her ‘isolating’ stalker experience. “I cut off from everybody,” she said. “I was spending all of my time at home. I slept a lot, I cried a lot.”

 

You May Also Like

Advertisement

TRENDING

Advertisement

More Stories