22 (Lily Allen song)

Last updated

"22"
22 (Lily Allen song).jpg
Single by Lily Allen
from the album It's Not Me, It's You
Released24 August 2009
Genre
Length3:06
Label Regal
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Greg Kurstin
Lily Allen singles chronology
"Fuck You"
(2009)		"22"
(2009)		"Who'd Have Known"
(2009)
Music video
"22" on YouTube

"22" is a song by British recording artist Lily Allen from her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You . Written by Allen and Greg Kurstin, the song was released as the fourth international single of the album, but the third in the United Kingdom. It was released to the music market on 24 August 2009 by Regal Recordings, though a different version called "22 (Vingt Deux)" was released in France.

Contents

Contemporary critics were mixed in their reviews of the song, some complimenting the rousing sound and the lyrics, which hide her maturity. The single peaked inside the top twenty of the charts of the UK Singles Chart, in Ireland, the Netherlands and Australia, giving the singer her third consecutive top 20 hit in both countries. The accompanying music video portrayed a self-reflection theme, Allen taking a view over her past-self in the mirror and realising her life was wasted on superficial matters. The song was performed live as part of Allen's 2009 concert tour. "22" appears on the international soundtrack to the Brazilian soap opera Viver a Vida . [1]

Background and composition

While describing the album, Allen said that "we decided to try and make bigger sounding, more ethereal songs, real songs". [2] She chose "22" as a single from the album, and later declared that, lyrically, the song describes a near thirty-year-old woman realizing she's at the end of her prime. [3] The singer commented on the song's meaning:

It's more about girls that haven't figured out what they want to do with themselves. Especially really pretty girls. They can rely on their looks to an extent: people will pay for their dinners and drinks and they don't really have to think. And then suddenly it hits them that they're not doing anything with their lives and it's too late. And, yes, it's about a specific person. Most of my songs start like that and then become more general. [3]

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"22"
A 30 second sample of "22", in which Allen sings the chorus.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Musically, the song is set in the time signature of common time and in the key of C minor, with a metronome of 132 beats per minute. [4] It has a basic sequence of A♭—E♭/G—Fm—G7—F7 as its chord progression, while piano, synths and percussion are used for the background music, with occasional flourishes from harpsichord and organ. [4] The single distributed in France includes a duet with French singer Ours, called "22 (Vingt Deux)", [5] which is also present on the Paris Live Session .

Critical reception

"22" received mixed reviews from music critics. Jody Rosen from Rolling Stone called the song "rousing" and single-worthy, [6] while AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that Allen may feel more mature than her age and rather than directly suggest it, "puts it into the character sketch" of the song. [7] Mayer Nissim of the Digital Spy awarded "22" three stars and wrote that the song projects the life of a "Bridget Jones-type everywoman" and complimented the lyrics, but went on to say that Allen's "nursery rhyme melodies" are losing originality. [8] Lucy Davies from the BBC considered that if, in the singer's opinion, women who are single and approaching thirty are worthless to society, then she could be "an unreconstructed male in a young woman's body". [9] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine compared the song to Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine album. [10] A reviewer from The Canadian Press viewed the song as "nouveau-feminist ditty", which "swings on finger snaps and circus-sounding organ reminiscent of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ". [11]

Commercial performance

The single debuted at number 79 on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 14, [12] giving Allen her eighth top 20 hit there. Similar success came in Ireland, where it peaked at number 12 and charted for 10 weeks, becoming her third top 20 hit from It's Not Me, It's You in that country, [13] as well as in Australia, where it climbed to its highest position at number 12, [14] and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association for selling over 35,000 copies. [15] In mainland Europe, the duet with Ours managed to peak at number 23 in France, [5] while the original version had moderate success made it chart outside the top 40 in Belgium (Flanders) and Germany, and at number 34 in Belgium (Wallonia). [14] For this, the single reached number 43 on Billboard's Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. [16] Later peaks include New Zealand at number 28, number 18 on the Dutch Top 40 [17] and lower positions in Austria and Switzerland. [14] The song managed to debut at number 4 in Scotland, but fell 10 places the next week, & 20 more the next.

Music video

The 'older' Allen, as seen in the music video for "22". LilyOld.jpg
The 'older' Allen, as seen in the music video for "22".

The music video was shot in east London on 1 June 2009 and was directed by Jake Scott. The Daily Mirror reported that Allen was wearing a chocolate coloured dress, sporting her new short hairstyle and performing with twenty trained dancers. [18] During filming, a source stated that, "Lily is in fantastic shape and was keen to show off her curves. As with most of her videos, there are quite a few surprises in store. Lily was keen to try different things and is never afraid to poke fun at herself".

The video begins with Allen walking into a women's bathroom of a nightclub and joins other women in putting on make-up. While she sings the first verse, she stands out from the rest of the women, by seeming confused and having sloppy hair. As the refrain begins, she puts lipstick on and stares into the mirror, where her former, younger self is doing the same, in form of a reflection. Then, the 'younger' Allen carries forward with the song, as the 'older' one continues to put make-up on. During the second verse, the camera moves to the other persons in the bathroom, who are either vomiting or adjusting their clothes. As the chorus approaches again, all the women from the room gather around the mirror, with Allen in the centre, and join her in singing. The scene suddenly changes, seeing 'young' Allen alone in the same bathroom, this time with a man with whom she dances around the central sink unit, while the bridge to the song is coming to an end. She walks alone to the mirror, singing the final refrain, and sees the 'older' Allen in her reflection. Considering that she could be like that in the future, she leaves the real bathroom scene in disgust.

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Charts and sales

Related Research Articles

Geggy Tah is a band initially composed of writer/singer Tommy Jordan and keyboard/guitarist Greg Kurstin. Each of them has a younger sister who was unable to pronounce her brother's name when very young; "Geggy" and "Tah" were the baby girls' mispronunciations of their brothers' names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lily Allen</span> English singer-songwriter and actress (born 1985)

Lily Rose Beatrice Allen is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public on Myspace and the publicity resulted in airplay on BBC Radio 1 and a contract with Regal Recordings. Her first mainstream single, "Smile", reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in July 2006. Her debut record, Alright, Still, was well received, selling over 2.6 million copies worldwide and bringing Allen nominations at the Grammy Awards, the Brit Awards, and the MTV Video Music Awards.

<i>Alright, Still</i> 2006 studio album by Lily Allen

Alright, Still is the debut studio album by English singer Lily Allen, released on 13 July 2006 by Regal Recordings. After being rejected by several record labels, Allen signed to London Records, who eventually lost interest in her, leading her to meet production duo Future Cut and sign to Regal Recordings. Recording for the album began in 2004 with sessions between Allen and Future Cut, and Allen's work garnered publicity on the internet as she posted demos to her MySpace account before they were officially released. Allen later travelled to the United States to work with Greg Kurstin and Mark Ronson, to complete the final half of the album in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smile (Lily Allen song)</span> 2006 single by Lily Allen

"Smile" is the debut single by British recording artist Lily Allen from her debut studio album Alright, Still (2006). It was written by Allen, Iyiola Babalola and Darren Lewis, while sampling the Soul Brothers' "Free Soul". The song was released as the lead mainstream single of the album in July 2006. After signing a contract deal with Regal Recordings and gaining popularity on the social network website Myspace with demo songs, Allen released a limited edition of "LDN" to promote her work and afterwards announced the release of "Smile".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Littlest Things</span> 2006 single by Lily Allen

"Littlest Things" is a song by English singer Lily Allen from her debut studio album, Alright, Still (2006). Written by Allen and Mark Ronson, the song was released as the third single of the album on 11 December 2006 by Regal Recordings. It incorporates a piano sample from Pierre Bachelet and Hervé Roy's music from the softcore pornography film Emmanuelle, for which they were credited as co-writers, as the lyrics tackle the singer dealing with the departure of her boyfriend, while reminiscing about their time together. The song was created in a New York studio, after Allen had met Ronson, who was impressed by her previous work and offered her different samples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfie (Lily Allen song)</span> 2007 single by Lily Allen

"Alfie" is a song by British recording artist Lily Allen from her debut studio album, Alright, Still (2006). Written by Allen and Greg Kurstin, the song was released as the fourth and final single from the album, on 5 March 2007, by Regal Recordings. In the United Kingdom, it was marketed as a double A-side single, along with "Shame for You". While the melody incorporates a sample of Sandie Shaw's "Puppet on a String", the lyrics directly describe Allen's real life younger brother, actor Alfie Allen, criticising him for laziness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Kurstin</span> American record producer and songwriter

Gregory Allen Kurstin is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2017 and 2018, and written and produced four songs that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lily Allen discography</span>

English singer and songwriter Lily Allen has released four studio albums, two extended plays, 23 singles, two promotional singles and 21 music videos. Allen's range of musical genres incorporates styles such as pop, ska, electropop and reggae fusion. She became well known through her Myspace account, on which she started posting demo songs in 2005. The increase of popularity led to a contract with Regal Recordings. Her debut single, "Smile", was released in 2006 and topped the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. Allen's first studio album, Alright, Still (2006), was released shortly after. The album was commercially successful, earning a three times platinum certification in the United Kingdom, and gold in the United States. The album was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 50th Grammy Awards. Follow-up singles "LDN", "Littlest Things" and "Alfie" did not repeat her early success, although they still sold well; "LDN" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Its Not Me, Its You</i> 2009 studio album by Lily Allen

It's Not Me, It's You is the second studio album by English singer Lily Allen, released on 4 February 2009 by Regal Recordings and Parlophone. It was produced and co-written by Greg Kurstin, with whom Allen had previously worked on her debut studio album, Alright, Still (2006). The album represents a departure from the ska and reggae influences of its predecessor, incorporating electropop with elements of jazz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fear (Lily Allen song)</span> 2008 single by Lily Allen

"The Fear" is a song by English singer-songwriter Lily Allen from her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You (2009). Written by Allen and Greg Kurstin, the song was released as the lead single from the album. Initially, "Everyone's at It" was announced to be the first single from the album. However, it was ultimately decided on "The Fear" to be released on 26 January 2009 by Regal Recordings, while Allen posted the demo onto her MySpace account in April 2008. The song incorporates electropop music as the lyrics articulate problems with celebrity lifestyles and include metaphors for recognised tabloid national newspapers such as The Sun and the Daily Mirror.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Fair</span> 2009 single by Lily Allen

"Not Fair" is a song by British recording artist Lily Allen from her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You (2009). Written by Allen and Greg Kurstin, the song was released as the second single from the album on 20 March 2009 by Regal Recordings. The song incorporates country music as the lyrics depict sexual frustration. Contemporary critics did not positively receive the song and its theme, some calling it a "pseudo-country track" and considering it a strange musical composition. The single peaked in the top 20 of the charts of some European countries and Australia, while scoring Allen's second consecutive top-five hit on both the UK Singles Chart and the Dutch Top 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuck You (Lily Allen song)</span> 2009 single by Lily Allen

"Fuck You" is a song by English singer Lily Allen from her second album, It's Not Me, It's You (2009), as her third international single. A maximalist EDM track, its lyrics dismiss and ridicule a bigoted antagonist, criticising their racism and homophobia. The song was a hit in mainland Europe, topping the chart in Flanders for three weeks and reaching number two in Wallonia and the Netherlands. It became a top-five hit in Finland, Norway, and Switzerland, reached the top 20 in several other European nations, and peaked at number 23 in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who'd Have Known</span> 2009 single by Lily Allen

"Who'd Have Known" is a song by English singer-songwriter Lily Allen from her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You. Written by Allen and Greg Kurstin, while interpolating Take That's single "Shine", the song was released as the fifth and final single from the album on 30 November 2009 by Regal Recordings. Contemporary critics complimented the song and Allen's warm vocals, while the music video portrays her as a groupie of Elton John.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">True Love (Pink song)</span> 2013 single by Pink featuring Lily Allen

"True Love" is a song by American singer Pink featuring English singer Lily Allen from the former's sixth studio album, The Truth About Love (2012). It was written by the artists, and producer Greg Kurstin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ours (singer)</span> French singer

Charles Souchon, better known as Ours, is a French singer and songwriter. He is the second son of Alain Souchon and the younger brother of singer Pierre Souchon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hard out Here</span> 2013 single by Lily Allen

"Hard out Here" is a song by English singer Lily Allen, released on 17 November 2013 as the lead single from her third studio album, Sheezus (2014). Allen co-wrote the song with its producer, Greg Kurstin. Musically, "Hard out Here" is a synth-pop song with lyrics revolving around "body image pressures and misogyny in the entertainment industry".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Balloon (song)</span> 2014 single by Lily Allen

"Air Balloon" is a song by British musician Lily Allen. The song was premiered on BBC Radio 1 on 13 January 2014 and was released on 2 March 2014, as the second single from Allen's third studio album, Sheezus (2014). Allen wrote the song in collaboration with Shellback, who has also worked for Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift and One Direction.

<i>Sheezus</i> 2014 studio album by Lily Allen

Sheezus is the third studio album by English singer Lily Allen. It was released on 2 May 2014 by Parlophone. The album is Allen's first work since her musical hiatus in 2009, after the release of her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You (2009). In June 2012, Allen announced that she would be returning to music, revealing that she had been recording a new album and that she would be returning to the use of her professional name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Time (Lily Allen song)</span> 2014 single by Lily Allen

"Our Time" is a song by British singer Lily Allen. The song was released on 10 March 2014, as the third single from Allen's third studio album, Sheezus. The song is prominently featured on the OW Version of the Theme Park Playlist. With its increased popularity however, newer versions of the regular Theme Park Playlist contain the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheezus (song)</span> 2014 promotional single by Lily Allen

"Sheezus" is a song by British singer-songwriter Lily Allen, released as a promotional single from her third studio album of the same name (2014). It was released alongside its music video on 23 April 2014 ahead of its planned release date of 28 April due to it being leaked. Parlophone later announced that "Sheezus" would not be released as an official single.

References

  1. ↑ "Trilha Sonora novela Viver a Vida – CD Nacional e Internacional" (in Portuguese). Sempretops.com. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  2. ↑ Etz Jayprinz. "Lily Allen – Full Biography". YagiloadedNG. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  3. 1 2 Sawyer, Miranda (7 December 2008). "2008 Review: Comeback of the Year". The Observer . Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  4. 1 2 "Lily Allen: 22 Sheet Music". Music Room. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 "Lily Allen & Ours – 22 (Vingt Deux) (Chanson)". LesCharts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  6. ↑ Rosen, Jody. "It's Not Me, It's You: Lily Allen: Review". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  7. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "AllMusic ((( It's Not Me, It's You > Review )))". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  8. ↑ Nissim, Mayer (24 August 2009). "Single Review – Lily Allen: '22'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  9. ↑ Davies, Lucy (23 January 2009). "BBC Review It's Not Me, It's You". BBC . Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  10. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (3 February 2009). "Lily Allen It's Not Me, It's You Review". Slant Magazine . Archived from the original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  11. ↑ CP Reporter. "Lily Allen is back with 'It's Not Me, It's You'". The Canadian Press . vancouver.24hrs.ca. Retrieved 23 December 2009.[ dead link ]
  12. 1 2 "The Official Charts Company: Lily Allen – 22". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  13. 1 2 "Discography Lily Allen". Irish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Lily Allen – 22 (Nummer)". Ultratop . Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  15. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  16. 1 2 "22 – Lily Allen". Billboard . Archived from the original on 26 August 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  17. 1 2 "Top 40, 16 Januari 2010, Week 3". Dutch Top 40 . top40.nl. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  18. ↑ Lawler, Danielle (6 June 2009). "Lily Allen drags on a fag whilst shooting video for new single, 22". The Mirror . Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  19. ↑ "Lily Allen – 22 (CD)". Discogs . Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  20. ↑ "Lily Allen – 22 (CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  21. ↑ "Lily Allen en duo avec Ours – 22 (Vingt Deux) (CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  22. ↑ "Lily Allen – Twenty Two (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  23. ↑ "Chartverfolgung – Allen, Lily". Media Control Charts . musicline.de. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  24. ↑ "Charts Plus Year end 2009" (PDF). Charts Plus. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  25. ↑ "British single certifications – Lily Allen – 22". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 1 November 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.