Music

Album Review: Lily Allen’s ‘Sheezus’

Image

Three and a half stars

Lily Allen Sheezus

Lily Allen has gotten plenty of attention by being provocative, but what sets her apart on her third album isn’t her willingness to call out fellow pop divas or bash celebrity culture; it’s her gleeful domesticity, her sincere celebration of the joys of marriage, motherhood and settling down. Sure, she’s as sharp-tongued as ever when name-checking pop rivals on “Sheezus” or cutting past artistic pretensions on the breezy “Insincerely Yours” (“Let’s be clear, I’m here to make money”). But her odes to her husband’s bedroom prowess (“L8 CMMR”), the comforts of married sex (“Close Your Eyes”) and the bliss of staying at home (“Life for Me”) are just as clever, and more unexpected. Working mostly with longtime producer and co-writer Greg Kurstin, Allen doesn’t really bother to catch up with pop trends of the five years since her last album. Musically and lyrically, Sheezus is all about Allen sticking to her own unique path.

Share
Top of Story