Sheezus
Lily Allen
Sheezus is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Lily Allen, released on May 2, 2014 via Parlophone — her first album in five years following a hiatus during which she married and had children. Produced primarily by Grammy-winning songwriter Greg Kurstin (who had also helmed much of her previous album It's Not Me, It's You), the 14-track, 49-minute record arrived preceded by lead single "Hard Out Here," a sharp anti-misogyny tirade released in November 2013 that set expectations for a return to Allen's characteristically barbed, socially observant pop. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart — Allen's second consecutive number one — and reached number 12 on the Billboard 200, going Gold in the UK. Its title track opens the record with a sarcastic, self-aware pop power move, name-dropping Rihanna, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Lorde, and Lady Gaga in the chorus while angling for the metaphorical pop crown: "Gimme that crown, bitch, I wanna be Sheezus."
Critical reception was mixed but broadly engaged. Digital Spy praised its "diverse mix of vibrant pop hooks, snappy commentary and a fearlessly perceptive outlook," while The Guardian's Alexis Petridis found Allen "timid lyrically" in places, calling the album "far from terrible — indeed, in parts it's very sharp." The tracklist ranges across bubblegum synth-pop ("Air Balloon," "Our Time"), glitchy electronics ("L8 CMMR," a love song to her husband), Warren G-tinged funk ("Insincerely Yours"), pointed social commentary ("URL Badman," skewering misogynistic internet culture, and "Silver Spoon," pushing back at critics who attribute her success to privilege), a soul-baring miscarriage ballad ("Take My Place"), and a closing cover of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know." The album remains a somewhat contested entry in Allen's catalogue — sharper in places than its reputation suggests, but seen by many fans and the artist herself as falling short of the consistent wit and distinctiveness of her first two records.
Sheezus
Lily Allen
Sheezus is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Lily Allen, released on May 2, 2014 via Parlophone — her first album in five years following a hiatus during which she married and had children. Produced primarily by Grammy-winning songwriter Greg Kurstin (who had also helmed much of her previous album It's Not Me, It's You), the 14-track, 49-minute record arrived preceded by lead single "Hard Out Here," a sharp anti-misogyny tirade released in November 2013 that set expectations for a return to Allen's characteristically barbed, socially observant pop. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart — Allen's second consecutive number one — and reached number 12 on the Billboard 200, going Gold in the UK. Its title track opens the record with a sarcastic, self-aware pop power move, name-dropping Rihanna, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Lorde, and Lady Gaga in the chorus while angling for the metaphorical pop crown: "Gimme that crown, bitch, I wanna be Sheezus."
Critical reception was mixed but broadly engaged. Digital Spy praised its "diverse mix of vibrant pop hooks, snappy commentary and a fearlessly perceptive outlook," while The Guardian's Alexis Petridis found Allen "timid lyrically" in places, calling the album "far from terrible — indeed, in parts it's very sharp." The tracklist ranges across bubblegum synth-pop ("Air Balloon," "Our Time"), glitchy electronics ("L8 CMMR," a love song to her husband), Warren G-tinged funk ("Insincerely Yours"), pointed social commentary ("URL Badman," skewering misogynistic internet culture, and "Silver Spoon," pushing back at critics who attribute her success to privilege), a soul-baring miscarriage ballad ("Take My Place"), and a closing cover of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know." The album remains a somewhat contested entry in Allen's catalogue — sharper in places than its reputation suggests, but seen by many fans and the artist herself as falling short of the consistent wit and distinctiveness of her first two records.