Sheezus | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 2 May 2014 | |||
Recorded | March 2012 – November 2013 | |||
Studio |
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Length | 49:40 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Lily Allen chronology | ||||
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Singles from Sheezus | ||||
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Sheezus is the third studio album by English singer Lily Allen, released on 2 May 2014 by Parlophone. [2] The album was Allen's first work after a five year hiatus since the release of her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You (2009). Sheezus features production from longtime collaborator Greg Kurstin, along with the likes of Shellback, DJ Dahi and Fraser T. Smith. Upon release, Sheezus received generally mixed reviews from music critics. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Allen's second consecutive number-one album.
The album was preceded by the release of two singles. The lead single "Hard Out Here" was released on 17 November 2013 and entered the UK Singles Chart at number nine, giving Allen two simultaneous top-10 singles. "Air Balloon" was released as the second single from the album, peaking at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.
Allen released her second album It's Not Me, It's You in 2009, which saw a genre shift to electropop, rather than the ska and reggae influences used in her debut album Alright, Still (2006). The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and the Australian Albums Chart and was well received by critics, noting the singer's musical evolution and maturity. It spawned the commercially successful singles "The Fear" and "Fuck You", popular mostly in Europe. Allen and Amy Winehouse were credited with starting a process that led to the media-proclaimed "year of the women" in 2009 that saw five female artists making music of "experimentalism and fearlessness" nominated for the Mercury Prize. [3]
In 2009, Allen announced that she would be taking a hiatus from musical activities. The following year, she opened a fashion rental shop named Lucy in Disguise with her sister Sarah, [4] followed by the 2011 launching of her own record label. [5]
"Lily Allen has found it quite difficult and stressful trying to reconnect. And Lily Cooper is happy because she's not sitting at home playing with toys and speaking with two human beings that can't speak back. There was a void. I'm a creative person, I like to speak my mind. Making music is the perfect vehicle for that. It would be different if I was on Made in Chelsea —that isn't a vessel for creativity. I need somewhere to put my... stuff."
Allen, on her return to music. [6]
Allen said in October 2012 that she was in the studio, "throwing shit in the wall and seeing if anything sticks ... It's great to work at my own pace with no commitments other than to make music." [7] In February 2013, she performed live at a Paris fashion show produced by Mark Ronson in what she called her "mumback", and foreshadowed the release of a new album "inspired by her experiences of motherhood" by the end of 2013. [8]
In 2013, Allen revealed that she had begun working on her third studio album. On 20 June 2012, Allen tweeted that she was in the studio working with Greg Kurstin on new music. [9] [10] She changed her professional name from Lily Allen to Lily Rose Cooper. [11] In August 2013 she changed her professional name back to Allen and tweeted new music would be arriving "soon". [12]
Allen confirmed in an interview with BBC Radio 1 on 19 November 2013 that she was to perform at the 2014 Glastonbury Festival. [13] She also revealed that she wrote a song for the album inspired by a Twitter feud with Azealia Banks that happened in summer 2013. [14] Sheezus was predominantly produced by longtime collaborator Greg Kurstin, with whom Allen had worked on her first and second studio albums. Other collaborations came from DJ Dahi, who produced the album's title track, and Shellback, who produced "Air Balloon". [15]
Sheezus contains a "diverse mix of vibrant pop hooks, snappy commentary and a fearlessly perceptive outlook." [16] Allen's sound, aesthetic, and lyricism on the album has been described as a return to "the same firecracker who turned heads in the mid-'00s with eclectic, post-hip-hop tunes and bullshit-slaying lyrics". [17] The album's opening track "Sheezus" is a "sarcastic pop" song, containing "anti-pop" lyrics that namecheck artists such as Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Lorde. [18] "L8 CMMR" is a bubblegum pop and electropop song, [19] whose lyrics describe Allen's obsession with her male lover. [20]
"Air Balloon" is a bubblegum pop [21] song that was described by Billboard as "more of a loopy lullaby than a slice of social commentary", the song contains a toy piano arrangement and creaseless beat. [22] "Our Time" is song built over "synth pop swirls", described as having a "carefree attitude". [16] "Insincerely Yours" is a funk song that contains a "narrative of blunt truths and gutsy celeb culture sneers." [16] The track namechecks models Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn, as well as singer Rita Ora; [23] Allen stated that the song is "not about them, it's about the idea of them—how the media perceive them. It's about how the way[ sic ] the media perceive them as entities and how that actually has nothing to do with how they are in real life." [24]
"Take My Place" is a song that lyrically is about Allen's first child who she lost through a stillbirth in 2010. [16] "As Long as I Got You" revolves around the theme of married life and Allen's partying past. [16] "URL Badman" is a response to the controversy surrounding Allen's music video for Hard out Here. The song was described as "an astute slap across the faceless nature of the blogosphere". [16] On "Silver Spoon", Allen lambasts all the critics who continually attribute her success to her privileged upbringing, echoing the "snarky charm" of her previous albums, Alright, Still and It's Not Me, It's You. [16] "Hard out Here" is a "typically outspoken, sweary" synth-pop song. [25] Lyrically, it speaks about "body image pressures and misogyny in the entertainment industry". [26]
"Hard out Here" was released as the album's lead single on 17 November 2013. [27] Upon release, "Hard out Here" was met with critical acclaim, with critics praising the song's feminist themes. [28] The single debuted at number nine on the UK Singles Chart, selling 30,213 copies in its first week. [29] The song's accompanying music video was a subject of controversy, with Allen accused of being racist for its use of mostly black dancers in an allegedly "disapproving" manner. Allen responded that ethnicity was not a factor in hiring the dancers, and the video was a light-hearted satirical look at objectification of women in modern pop music. [30] [31]
"Air Balloon" premiered on BBC Radio 1 on 13 January 2014, [32] and was released on 2 March 2014 as the second single from the album. [33] The song reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart. [34] A video of "Our Time" appeared on 10 March 2014 to conincide with the tracklisting reveal. [35] The physical release appeared on the 27 April, [36] and peaked at number 43 on the UK Singles Chart. [37] The song was serviced to radio in the UK and Italy on 24 March and 14 April, respectively. [38] [39]
"URL Badman" was released on 13 July 2014 as the fourth single from the album. [40] "As Long as I Got You" was released on 24 August 2014 as the fifth and final single. The music video was filmed at the Glastonbury Festival 2014 and released on 24 July. [41]
"Somewhere Only We Know" was released on 10 November 2013 and was used as the John Lewis 2013 Christmas advertisement. "Sheezus" was released as a promotional single on 22 April 2014. [42] According to Allen, the song was not released as an "official single" due to its use of the word "period". [43]
In December 2013, Allen was announced as one of the newest signees at Warner Bros. Records, following Warner Music Group's acquisition of Parlophone from Universal Music Group in May 2013. [44] In an interview with Graham Norton on The Graham Norton Show on 21 February 2014, Allen confirmed that her third studio album would be titled Sheezus, saying that it is "a little nod to Kanye West", who had released the album Yeezus in 2013. [45] Allen released the album's artwork and track listing on 10 March 2014, the artwork features Allen sitting outside a stately home with Corgis, while the building is engraved with the Latin phrase divide et impera translated to "divide and rule". [46] The same day, Sheezus was made available for pre-order along with the song "Our Time". [47]
On 14 November 2013, Allen made her debut live performance of "Hard Out Here" in the YoYos pod at the Red Bull Revolutions in Sound event on the London Eye. [48] [49] During an interview with Graham Norton on The Graham Norton Show on 21 February 2014, Allen performed the album's second single, "Air Balloon". [45] On 24 May 2014, Allen performed "Sheezus", "Hard Out Here", "URL Badman" and "Our Time" as part of her set at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Glasgow. [50]
Allen played at Glastonbury Festival on 27 June 2014, where she also recorded a video for "As Long as I Got You". Moreover, to promote the album, Allen embarked on the Sheezus Tour, which took place in Europe, Australia and North America. [51]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 60/100 [52] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Cuepoint (Expert Witness) | A− [53] |
The Daily Telegraph | [54] |
The Guardian | [55] |
The Independent | [56] |
NME | 3/10 [57] |
Pitchfork | 5.4/10 [58] |
Rolling Stone | [17] |
Slant Magazine | [59] |
Spin | 5/10 [60] |
Sheezus received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 60 based on 29 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [52]
In his review for The Guardian , journalist Alexis Petridis said Allen seems timid lyrically and musically inconsistent on an album that is "far from terrible – indeed, in parts it's very sharp". [55] NME magazine's Laura Snapes was more critical and derided the lyrics as egotistical, clichéd, lacking conviction, and plagued by "empty grandstanding, trying to say something about female oppression, but not knowing quite what". [57] Stephen Thomas Erlewine, writing for AllMusic, felt only "Life for Me", "Insincerely Yours", and "URL Badman" showcase Allen's usually sharp songwriting, as "many of these songs falter on their specificity; she's traded incisive commentary for pedantic details paired with music that winds up diminished by her weariness." [2] Stephanie Benson of Spin believed Allen's message in her lyrics about marriage and womanhood are inconsistent with the party themes on other songs: "Her attempt at convincing us she's a loving wife and mother of two, a savvy feminist, and a satirical mastermind mostly comes off as disingenuous." [60]
In a positive review for the Chicago Tribune , Greg Kot argued that Sheezus is a modest but successful pop album that "connects because it's more conversational than confrontational, a personal statement that dabbles in pop rather than trying to embody the pop moment." [61] Andy Gill of The Independent found both the music and themes diverse, which he felt "clinches the album's success, confirming that this is an artist with taste and opinions of her own, not just a schedule and a fanbase to satisfy". [56] Robert Christgau was impressed by how melodic some of the songs are and Allen's take on marriage in her lyrics, writing in his review for Cuepoint : "Even when that bliss devolves into a painful argument, she can put it into song, and though the bite that was her premarital specialty has softened, give her credit—marital bliss is a theme few lyricists sharpen much at all." [53]
Sheezus was placed at number 47 on The Daily Telegraph 's list of 2014's best albums. [62] Christgau ranked it 32nd on his year-end list for The Barnes & Noble Review . [63]
Sheezus debuted atop the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 35,414 copies, becoming Allen's second consecutive number-one album. [64] As of June 2018, it had sold 113,054 copies in the United Kingdom. [65] In the United States, the album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, selling 17,000 copies in its first week. [66] In Japan, it sold 1,931 copies to enter the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart at number 26. [67] The album debuted at number 23 on the French Albums Chart with 2,300 copies sold in its first week. [68]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sheezus" | DJ Dahi | 3:54 | |
2. | "L8 CMMR" |
| Kurstin | 3:24 |
3. | "Air Balloon" |
| Shellback | 3:48 |
4. | "Our Time" |
| Kurstin | 4:19 |
5. | "Insincerely Yours" |
| Kurstin | 3:39 |
6. | "Take My Place" |
| Kurstin | 3:31 |
7. | "As Long as I Got You" |
| Kurstin | 3:23 |
8. | "Close Your Eyes" |
| Kurstin | 3:36 |
9. | "URL Badman" |
| Kurstin | 3:39 |
10. | "Silver Spoon" |
| Kurstin | 3:37 |
11. | "Life for Me" |
| Kurstin | 4:00 |
12. | "Hard Out Here" |
| Kurstin | 3:31 |
13. | "Interlude" |
| Fryars (Garrett) | 1:38 |
14. | "Somewhere Only We Know" (bonus track) | Paul Beard | 3:28 | |
Total length: | 49:40 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Wind Your Neck In" |
| Kurstin | 3:19 |
2. | "Who Do You Love?" |
| 3:26 | |
3. | "Miserable Without Your Love" |
| 3:23 | |
4. | "Holding On to Nothing" |
| Smith | 2:59 |
5. | "Somewhere Only We Know" |
| Beard | 3:28 |
Total length: | 60:59 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "Wind Your Neck In" |
| Kurstin | 3:19 |
16. | "Who Do You Love?" |
| 3:26 | |
17. | "Miserable Without Your Love" |
| 3:23 | |
18. | "Holding On to Nothing" |
| Smith | 2:59 |
19. | "Air Balloon" (Digital Farm Animals Remix) |
|
| 4:29 |
20. | "Air Balloon" (Taiki & Nulight Dub Remix) |
|
| 5:44 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
21. | "Bass Like Home" |
| Kid Harpoon | 4:00 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Hard Out Here" (music video) | 4:22 |
2. | "Air Balloon" (music video) | 4:02 |
3. | "Our Time" (music video) | 4:45 |
4. | "URL Badman" (music video) | 3:54 |
5. | "As Long as I Got You" (music video) | 4:09 |
6. | "Sheezus" (track by track) | 19:54 |
Notes
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Sheezus. [74]
Musicians
Technical
Artwork
Credits adapted from the liner notes of the deluxe edition of Sheezus. [75]
Musicians
Technical
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Hungary (MAHASZ) [99] | Gold | 1,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [100] | Gold | 113,054 [65] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Edition | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 2 May 2014 |
|
| Warner | [101] [102] [103] [104] |
LP | Standard | [105] | |||
Germany |
| [106] [107] | |||
| Deluxe | [108] [109] | |||
France | 5 May 2014 |
| [110] [111] [112] [113] | ||
LP + CD | Standard | [114] | |||
United Kingdom |
|
| [70] [115] [116] [117] | ||
LP + CD | Standard | [118] [119] | |||
United States | 6 May 2014 | CD | Deluxe | Warner Bros. | [120] |
Digital download |
| [121] [122] | |||
Japan | 7 May 2014 | CD | Deluxe | Warner | [72] |
Digital download |
| [123] [124] | |||
Brazil | 21 May 2014 | CD | Standard | [125] | |
United States | 27 May 2014 | LP | Standard | Warner Bros. | [126] |
Japan | 21 January 2015 | CD + DVD | Japan tour limited edition | Warner | [73] |
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen is an English singer-songwriter and actress. Her musical career began in 2005 when she was signed to Regal Recordings and began publishing her vocal recordings on the social networking site Myspace. Their popularity resulted in airplay on BBC Radio 1. Her 2006 debut commercial single, "Smile" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart by July of that year and received double platinum certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Allen's debut studio album, Alright, Still (2006) explored ska and reggae. It was met with positive critical reception, peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart, and sold over 2.6 million copies worldwide. The album also yielded a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Music Album and spawned the follow up singles "LDN" and "Alfie".
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.
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 contributed to four songs which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100.
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.
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.
"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.
Hands is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Little Boots. It was released on 5 June 2009 by 679 Recordings and Atlantic Records to generally positive reviews. Many critics complimented its "well-crafted" pop songs and "diverse" production. Hands primarily features songs about love, relationships and heartbreak, and takes influence from a variety of music styles such as disco, 1980s synth-pop and Eurodance.
Electra Heart is the second studio album by Welsh singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis, released under the stage name Marina and the Diamonds. It was released on 27 April 2012 by 679 Artists and Atlantic Records. Diamandis collaborated with producers including Liam Howe, Greg Kurstin, Dr. Luke, Diplo and Stargate during its recording, and subsequently transitioned from the new wave musical styles seen throughout her debut studio album, The Family Jewels (2010). Their efforts resulted in a concept album consisting of electropop and dance-pop music, a distinct departure from her earlier projects. Lyrically, the album discusses topics of love and identity. Diamandis created the title character "Electra Heart" to represent female archetypes in popular American culture.
"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.
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Wrapped in Red is the sixth studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released on October 25, 2013, by RCA Records. The album is a follow-up to her first greatest hits album, Greatest Hits – Chapter One, and its companion extended play, The Smoakstack Sessions Vol. 2. Produced by Greg Kurstin, it is her first Christmas album and her only record to be solely released by RCA. Wrapped in Red consists of sixteen tracks, featuring five original songs co-penned with Kurstin and eleven cover versions of Christmas standards and carols, two of which are duets featuring singers Ronnie Dunn, Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood.
"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".
"Air Balloon" is a song by British singer-songwriter 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.
"L8 CMMR", or "latecomer", is a song by British recording artist Lily Allen from her third studio album, Sheezus (2014). It premiered online on 6 February 2014, the same day as the release of her previous single "Air Balloon" music video.
"Our Time" is a song by British singer-songwriter 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.
"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.
"URL Badman" is a song by English singer-songwriter Lily Allen, released on 13 July 2014 as the fourth single from her third studio album, Sheezus (2014). The B-side to the single, "Bass Like Home", is an unofficial World Cup song for England.
Sucker is the second studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released on 15 December 2014 by Asylum and Atlantic Records. The album was met with positive reviews from critics, praising its throwback style, and ended up being included on many year-end lists for best albums of 2014. Sucker spawned the singles "Boom Clap", "Break the Rules", "Doing It" and "Famous".
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No Shame is the fourth studio album by English singer Lily Allen. It was released on 8 June 2018 by Parlophone. Following the release of Sheezus (2014), Allen suffered from an identity crisis and did not connect with the music she had been creating. This was followed by a breakdown in Allen's marriage. Following Allen's divorce, she began working on new music which saw her writing about things that she had been affected by including the relationship with herself, her children, her ex-husband and substance abuse. Recording for the album began in Los Angeles in 2015 before Allen set up her own studio in London and continued recording through until 2018. The sessions featured contributions from producers such as Fryars and Mark Ronson, whilst the final track listing featured guest appearances from artists including Giggs, Burna Boy and Lady Chann.
...the electropop/R&B of "Sheezus"
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