Ever since Lily Allen returned with the Giggs collab “Trigger Bang” in December, pop fans have been eagerly awaiting more from the singer who once gave us brash, swaggering singles like “Smile” and “Fuck You.” Finally, that hunger was sated on Friday (March 9), as Allen released two new songs and announced No Shame, her first new album since 2014’s Sheezus.
Allen’s a little more grown-up and chilled-out than she was a decade ago, and her new music is decidedly less snarky than her older material. That’s a good thing, because both new songs, “Hunger” and “Three”, show off her sensitive side in gorgeous fashion. The former is a soft, stripped-back confessional that opens with some punchy rhymes from grime rapper Meridian Dan. From there, Allen’s delicate voice takes center stage as she puts a “bad liar” in his place: “You know what you’re doing / I won’t listen to another excuse … You can’t seduce me / Now who looks foolish?”
“Three,” meanwhile, is a tender piano ballad that’s written from the perspective of Allen’s 3-year-old daughter, who just wants her mom to stay home and play instead of going on tour (I’m not crying, you’re crying).
No Shame includes all three of Allen’s recently released songs, and arrives on June 8. Speaking about the album to Beats 1’s Julie Adenuga, she said, “It’s the best album I can make. There haven’t been any outside sources telling me what’s right and wrong, what’s going to work for radio and what isn’t, so that’s really great. That also means when it comes out, it’s my fault.”
One person who’s already a fan of Allen’s comeback? Fellow Brit singer Sam Smith, who had only this to say:
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