"Smile" is the debut single by British recording singer-songwriterLily Allen from her debut studio albumAlright, Still (2006). It was written by Allen, Iyiola Babalola and Darren Lewis, while samplingthe 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".
The song incorporates rocksteady music, while the lyric tackles her dealing with the betrayal of her boyfriend, while enjoying his misery. Most contemporary critics complimented the song, noticing the confidence it hides and the carnival-esque, yet melancholy, theme. On the other hand, some considered it was not one of the album's best tracks and it makes the singer a "theoretical pop princess". The single peaked inside the top 40 of the charts of some European countries and Australia, while staying on the summit of the UK Singles Chart for two consecutive weeks and ended the year as the country's 11th-most-successful song. It also charted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it was certified gold.
For promotion, "Smile" was re-recorded in Simlish and played on shows. The accompanying music video portrayed a revenge theme, with Allen hiring a posse to beat her ex-boyfriend. It was directed by Sophie Muller and, afterwards, banned on MTV due to obscene language. The song was performed live many times, including on talk shows, her 2007 concert tour and also during her 2009 concert tour, though Allen claimed to be "sick" of it.[2] In 2008, it won a Pop Award at the London Broadcast Music Incorporated Awards.[3]
Background
After meeting George Lamb on a holiday in Ibiza, Allen made him her manager.[4] Lamb later introduced the singer to production duo Future Cut, with whom she had written and produced demos, which were sent to various labels.[4] In 2005, Allen was signed to Regal Records, who gave her £25,000 to produce an album. The singer considered it to be a "small development idea", as they were also unable to provide much support for it due to their preoccupation with other releases.[5] Taking advice from Lady Sovereign, the singer created an account on MySpace and began posting demo songs in November 2005.[5] By March 2006, they attracted thousands of listeners, and 500 limited edition 7-inch vinyl singles of one of the demos, a song titled "LDN", were rush-released and sold for as much as £40.[5][6] Allen also produced two mixtapes to promote her work. As she accumulated tens of thousands of MySpace friends, The Observer Music Monthly took interest.[6] Few people outside of her label's A&R department had heard of Allen, so the label was slow in responding to publications who wanted to report about her.[5] Her label was not pleased with the sound of the demos, so they assigned the singer to "more mainstream producers and top-line writers".[5] After that, they finally approved some of her songs, being confident of their inclusion on the album. "Smile" was among the chosen ones, that Allen claimed she was happy with.[5] It was the first song she had ever written, claiming:
When I set out to do this I knew I wanted to make songs that sounded a) up to date and now and b) really organic. Because you can't get really good players without spending loads of money these days, the only other option is to sample. The first song I ever wrote was 'Smile'. We just went through about seven or eight sample lyrics, found a beat, put it all in... Then when it comes to writing lyrics I write... like a rapper would, I suppose, with absolutely no melody involved whatsoever, I'm just getting my flow sorted. Then I write the whole text of the song and then ad lib the melody into the microphone. It's not terribly clever![7]
"Smile" was released as a single in the United Kingdom on 3 July 2006.[8] The maxi single format contains two B-sides, "Absolutely Nothing" and "Cheryl Tweedy", which Allen struggled to get on the album but lost them in favour of "Take What You Take".[5] The latter is a satirical song about celebrity, finding the commercial promotion side of the celebrity machine uncomfortable, while mentioning Girls Aloud member Cheryl Tweedy, but argued she doesn't "have anything against her".[7]
Musically, "Smile" is a bubbly, mid-tempo tune with "a barroom piano lick", subdued horns and a reggae beat, singing in a light falsetto,[9] while the organ riff contains a sample of Jackie Mittoo playing keyboards on the 1960s rocksteady song "Free Soul" by the Soul Brothers, also written by Mittoo.[1][10] He and Clement Dodd received credit on the song as co-writers.[11] It was described to have a "cod-reggae groove that smoulders like a barbecue",[12] as a guitar and piano were used for the background music, following the notes Gm—F as its basic chord progression.[13] It is set in the time signature of common time, having a metronome of 96 beats per minute, and is played in the key of F major.[13] Lyrically, the song describes Allen's satisfaction in her former lover's suffering, being in a vengeful mood: "At worst / I feel bad for a while, / But then I just smile / I go ahead and smile," thus creating a contrast between "the peppy melody and brassy lyrics".[9] The inspiration for the song came from a real life experience, when Allen broke up with her then boyfriend, Lester Lloyd, resulting in a drug overdose and hospitalization for her depression.[14] The singer claimed "I started to get depressed and anyone who suffers from depression knows that it can soon get so bad that you can't get out of bed. It was then that I checked into the Priory. That was really tough as I was an emotional mess. [...] The lyrics are definitely bitter-sweet".[15] Allen said she later regretted the direct approach of her lyrics:
I'm now less inclined to do that, because everything that I do say gets repeated in a way that I haven't said it, or taken out of context and spun in some negative way — and it makes me really sad. I'm not, like, a negative person. I'm actually quite positive, but this industry has really made me feel angry and negative recently. I'm not enjoying it at the moment.[16]
Critical reception
"Smile" was met with mixed to positive reviews from music critics. According to Heather Phares of AllMusic, the song "has a silky verse melody that just barely conceals [the singer's] spite", while she keeps "her revenge sweet, the extra sting being given to it by the way she sounds like she's singing about how ice cream or puppies or being in love makes her smile".[17]Blender reporter Jon Dolan claims that Allen "deploys a sugary melody as a Trojan horse for a smackdown on a douche-bag ex-boyfriend",[18] as Rob Webb from Drowned in Sound called "Smile" an "infectious slice of bouncing, carnival reggae that punches hard with its opening line: 'When you first left me / I was wanting more / But you were fucking that girl next door / What you do that for?,'" and went on to say that the theme of the song is melancholy, "set against breezy beats", and while not being "an obvious TOTP contender on the surface, [it] is good but far from one of the LP's choice cuts".[19]Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone gave a rather negative review, claiming the singer "doesn't sound as if she's trying too hard", singing the song with a "breezy sha-la-la lilt that just made the song seem even nastier". Later, he called Allen a "theoretical pop princess, who just entered the breakup-song hall of fame".[20] Dom Passantino of Stylus Magazine suggested that "'Smile' gets burned off the lights by both Sean Paul and Abs when it comes to facsimiles of 'Uptown Top Ranking,' but neither of them could bring the quality of lyricism the singer does,"[21] while Slant Magazine reporter Sal Cinquemani was baffled as to why the song, which she "sings without a smirk of irony", is a UK chart-topper.[22]
The reviewer from NME considered that the song sashays along with sass, while still remaining charming, and said that though it doesn't mark Allen out as excellent dating material, as a soundtrack to the summer, "it’s a dead fackin’ cert".[12] Adrien Begrand of PopMatters called "Smile" just as good as "LDN", "its loose reggae arrangement augmented by the clever sample of Jackie Mittoo’s piano from the Soul Brothers’ 60s rocksteady tune "Free Soul", as Allen sings bitterly about her ex, with just a hint of vulnerability at first, before going to her friends for reassurance, and confronting the guy during the chorus with a mean-spirited confidence that has us cheering inside".[10] While John Murphy of MusicOMH praised the song and its "gently lilting reggae rhythm",[23] Priya Elan from NME considered that the Althea & Donna groove of "Smile" is what made fans "fall for her in the first place".[24] The former argued that "even people who profess to hate pop music will secretly be tapping a foot to it and claiming it is just downright perfect pop for lolling around during the lazy warm, guaranteed to cheer the listeners up, no matter how down they're feeling".[23] Other reviews came from The Guardian reporter Sophie Heawood, who didn't consider the song as Allen's greatest effort, but still thought she was far better than being called "the female Mike Skinner".[25]
In October 2011, NME placed it at number 104 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[26]
Commercial performance
"Smile" was released to the iTunes Store in the United Kingdom in the spring of 2006 and spent its first week at number 1 on the iTunes chart,[27] before entering the main UK Singles Chart at number thirteen, based on download sales alone.[28] The next week, on the issue of 15 July 2006, it rose to the summit of the chart, selling 39,501 copies,[29] knocking Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" off the top spot[28] and spending two consecutive weeks there.[30] It later descended to number four, being replaced by McFly's "Please, Please".[31] It was her very first single in her home country's main charts, following a top 40 entry with the limited release of "LDN" the same year.[32] It ended 2006 as UK's 11th best selling single of the year.[33] Allen was surprised at the success of it, stating: "Of course, I never thought the record would chart - I didn't even think I'd get a record contract".[15] She was named "one of the brightest hopes for domestic crossover rap" because of this single.[32] The song shared similar success in Ireland, where it debuted on the issue of 6 July 2006 and peaked inside the top ten at six, holding on the chart for nine weeks.[34] In mainland Europe, it broke the top 40 of most countries, but was not as successful as in the singer's home country.[35] Notable successes were ten on the Dutch Top 40, sixteen on the French Singles Chart and 21 on the Swiss Singles Chart.[35] Across the ocean, "Smile" reached 14 on the ARIA Charts and in New Zealand peaked inside the top ten at six.[35]
In North America, the song only managed to peak at 49 on the main Billboard chart in the U.S. on the issue of 24 February 2007 and spent 12 weeks on the chart.[36] On the same week, it climbed to 29 on the Hot Digital Songs and, later in May, reached 35 on the Pop Songs chart[37] and 20 on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks.[38] Despite its low position, "Smile" managed to slowly sell over 500,000 copies in paid digital download and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on 9 February 2009; it remained Allen's highest-charting single in the country until T-Pain's "5 O'Clock", which featured Allen, peaked at number 10 in 2011.[39] Nonetheless, "Smile" remains Allen's highest-charting song as a solo artist in the United States, one of three entries to chart there (alongside "Fuck You" and "The Fear"). It also peaked at 86 on the Canadian Singles Chart.[40]
Music video
Elliott Jordan, as the ex-boyfriend, gesticulating how he was beaten up, and Allen in the official music video for "Smile".
The song's music video was released on 3 July 2006.[41] Having been directed by Sophie Muller,[42] it contained a vengeance theme, similar to that of the song. It starts off with Allen sitting on the bed in her apartment, eating chocolate and cheese balls. Interleaved, shots of her and her ex-boyfriend spending time together appear as a memory.[41] He is played by Elliott Jordan.[43] As the bridge comes up, the scene changes to the singer standing on the corner of a street, talking to a man and paying him money. The man leaves and goes to some gangsters, giving them instructions and each a share of money. As Allen's former lover walks down the street talking on his mobile phone, one of the gangsters pushes him into an abandoned playground, where they are joined by a second gangster, and the pair give Allen's ex a beating.[41] Allen, witnessing the scene, smiles. She then meets with her bruised ex-boyfriend, and takes him to a coffee shop. There, he tried to explain to her how he was beaten by the muggers, not knowing that, meanwhile, they were breaking down his apartment door and destroying his furniture and possessions, including scratching his gramophone records.[41] The ex-boyfriend leaves the table for a while, enough time for Allen to put laxative pills in his coffee; upon returning, he drinks it and leaves the shop. After, he goes to his apartment, only to find it trashed and destroyed. Scavenging through what's left, he happily finds the record box, thinking they are intact, but he suddenly gets diarrhea as a result of the laxatives, but is unable to use his toilet, as it is clogged with his clothes.[41] He goes to Allen's apartment with his records, seeking consolation, unaware that she is laughing behind his back. As the video finishes, the scene changes to Allen walking down the street at night, smiling and singing the last chorus, while her ex-boyfriend, actually a disc jockey, is in a nightclub getting ready to play his music, but finds out that all his records have been scratched.[41]
After the video was banned on MTV in the United Kingdom, Allen commented regarding this in an inverview:
I got really offended when my single 'Smile' got banned [during after-school hours] from MTV in the U.K. because it had the word fuck in it. They said, 'We don't want kids to grow up too quickly.' But then you have Paris Hilton and the Pussycat Dolls taking their clothes off and gyrating up against womanizing, asshole men, and that's acceptable. You're thinking your kids are gonna grow up quicker because they heard the word fuck than from thinking they should be shoving their tits in people's faces?[44]
DJ Ron Slomowicz of About.com criticised the music video, saying it was "mean-spirited", it would "alienate any sort of club fan base she might discover", and that if a male "had his friends beating up his ex-girlfriend, trashing her living space, drugging her and destroying her possessions, he would be branded as violent" and would be shunned, thus questioning the singer's taste level as well as her suitability as a positive role model for young girls.[45]
Live performances and promotion
Allen performing during her 2009 concert tour
On the day the single was released, Allen appeared on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge with DJ Jo Whiley, performing an acoustic version of "Smile", and a cover of The Kooks' song, "Naïve".[46] At the Secret Garden Party, in September 2006, Allen made a rendition of the song and afterwards stated: "The festival was well good, particularly as Lester, my ex, who I wrote 'Smile' about, and subsequently sold his story to the papers, had a tent called 'the shit tent' positioned directly opposite the main stage. So he and his new girlfriend had no option but to watch me perform to a couple of thousand people singing 'Smile' back to me. Oh, it's the little things eh!"[47] "Smile" was performed live as part of the setlist of Allen's 2007 concert tour.[48] During the 2007 South By Southwest music festival, Allen said "I'm so sick of this song, but I'll play it for you, Austin" before singing it.[49] On 3 February 2007, the singer was invited as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live and played this single and "LDN".[50] In 2009, it was on the setlist of Allen's 2009 concert tour, as part of the encore.
Covers
Allen herself re-recorded the single in Simlish, the fictional language used in The Sims games, to help promotion.[51] The Simlish version was used in The Sims expansion pack The Sims 2: Seasons soundtrack, and Allen also had her own character in the game.[51] She declared: "Recording 'Smile' was a great experience for me. Sometimes revenge can be fun. But getting to sing it again [in Simlish] came very naturally and it was hilarious to practice! The silly language and whimsy of The Sims games are a perfect fit for the song. I was laughing the entire time!"[51] An animated music video was made for the Simlish version.[51]
In 2009, the season one episode "Mattress" of the Fox musical comedy/drama Glee, "Smile" was covered by the character Rachel, voiced by Lea Michele; the version was made available as an iTunes single download and was later included on the second volume of the season one soundtracks.[52]
After footballer Ashley Cole joined Chelsea F.C. in 2006, Arsenal F.C. fans created their own version of the song titled "Ashley Cole is a Chelsea batty boy".[53]
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".
"I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" is the debut single of Scottish singer-songwriter Sandi Thom, released in October 2005. The song was written by Thom and Tom Gilbert. Following a re-release in 2006, the song topped the singles charts of Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. However, critical reaction to the song was largely negative, especially regarding the lyrics.
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.
"LDN" is a song by English singer-songwriter Lily Allen. It was co-written by Future Cut, and features a Colombian porro from the country's Caribbean coast. The song was originally released on limited-edition 7-inch vinyl in the UK on 24 April 2006, accompanied by album track "Knock 'Em Out". It was reissued in September 2006 following the huge success of Allen's first mainstream single "Smile". The re-release peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart. "LDN" was ranked number 30 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Best Songs of 2007".
"Littlest Things" is a song by English singer-songwriter 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.
"Alfie" is a song by British singer-songwriter 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.
"Shame for You" is a song by British singer-songwriter Lily Allen from her debut studio album, Alright, Still. Written by Allen and Blair MacKichan, while sampling Jackie Mittoo's "Loving You" melody, the song was released as the A-Side to her fourth single, "Alfie", exclusively in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2007, by Regal Recordings.
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.
"Not Fair" is a song by British 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 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.
"Fuck You", originally titled "Guess Who Batman ", is a song by English singer-songwriter 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, homophobia, and war-mongering. 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.
"Just Be Good to Green" is a reworked cover of "Dub Be Good to Me" by British recording artist Professor Green from his debut studio album, Alive Till I'm Dead. Featuring pop singer Lily Allen, the song was released as the second single by Virgin Records in Australia on 25 June 2010, and in the UK on 11 July 2010.
"5 O'Clock" is a song by American singer T-Pain featuring American rapper Wiz Khalifa and British singer Lily Allen, which serves as the second official single from the former's fourth studio album, Revolver. It peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Allen's first top ten single in the United States.
"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.
"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.
Sheezus is the third studio album by English singer Lily Allen, released on 2 May 2014 by Parlophone. 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.
"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.
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.
References
1 2 Rogers, Jude (31 May 2012). "The best No 1 records: Lily Allen - Smile". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013. "To a summery, rocksteady sample of The Soul Brothers' Free Soul, here was a 21-year-old Londoner berating an ex-boyfriend...Smile shines because we've all been there, as the best pop songs often have."
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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