Why does everyone love Lily Allen? May I suggest that it’s simply because you would have to be completely heartless not to? So I’m here with a plea: in an era of hipsters and hype which turns into scathing backlash before you even know it, can we just agree to leave her alone?
Sure, there’s nothing truly substantial underlying these songs. And sure, she’s no different in kind from thousands of other artists that range from mediocre to terrible. But that doesn’t mean there are no meaningful differences. She has a panache that they lack. And she features any number of simple-but-catchy songs that remind us all that pop music doesn’t have to be mindless and boring. And that accent…she could be reading from a book on tort reform in the 19th century and it would still sound great. Beyond all that, she is completely adorable.
Now, don’t get me wrong. When it comes to pop-infused Brits, I’ll take Lolly from Johnny Boy anytime. But that doesn’t mean there’s no place for the Lily Allens of the world. When we as a civilization have moved beyond summertime pop that makes you feel good, I’m not sure I’ll want to live here anymore.
Now that she is a Big Deal, I don’t think the label is too excited about MP3 linking, so I won’t include anything here, though I will point out that someone who really wanted to get a couple songs could probably find somewhere to look.
And, here’s the video from “LDN,” my song by her. Both it, and the video, really make me wish I could spend some more time in London during the couple of months of the year when the weather is beautiful: