Feminist Fuck – Yeah!?: Lily Allen’s new album, “It’s Not Me, It’s You”

As unexpected and illogical as it may seem, I am loving Lily Allen’s new album “It’s Not Me, It’s You” from the very warmest depths of my feminist heart. I listen to a wide variety of music, and though I appreciate pop for its ability to be catchy and its use of fun turns of phrase, it is rare that I ever consider it to be socially redeeming or empowering – and I consider “It’s Not Me, It’s You” just that.
Lily Allen is known for her innovation and creativity, as well as being contrary and contradictory. I didn’t have much of an impression of her before the release of her latest album – or much of an interest. I knew she was popular on celebrity blogs because of her lack of decorum (such as her disinterest in wearing underwear) and her vocal lack of respect for artists such as Girls Aloud and Katy Perry. She has been a media sensation and with all that publicity, and she has garnered a lot of criticism – both for the quality of her music and her physical person. Celeb gossip outlets were all abuzz when she blogged about her hatred of her body and lack of self-worth, writing, “I am not strong and have fallen victim to the evil machine… I have spent the past hour researching gastric bypass surgery, and laser lipo suction.” Never mind that she is far from fat – one can see that Lily Allen has lived the epitome of a woman’s experience, suffering intense personal scrutiny in the public sphere.
She has allegedly gotten a trainer, but if her album is anything to judge by, her feelings of self-worth seem to come from other means than external validation of her physical attributes. Everyone has their own take, and I know there are many different interpretations of her latest work, but all that aside, I think many songs are quite powerful and quite empowering. And even better, they’re popular – not only has her single release, “The Fear” become number one in the UK, but the whole album tops the charts.

“The Fear” shows she isn’t afraid to subvert the norm, put some perspective on her life, and offer something of substance to those that listen. The song is fun to listen to in terms of its sound, but the words are what I find so exciting, as she starts off running, pointing to the superficiality of the world she is now privilege;

I want to be rich and I want lots of money
I don’t care about clever I don’t care about funny
I want loads of clothes and f**k loads of diamonds
I heard people die while they are trying to find them

She continues from this point to more serious social double standards: she does not so much explain as she highlights through sarcasm and problematizes through highlighting in “22,” my favorite feminist-flavored song on the album;

When she was 22 the future looked bright
But she’s nearly 30 now and she’s out every night
I see that look in her face she’s got that look in her eye
She’s thinking how did I get here and wondering why
It’s sad but it’s true how society says
Her life is already over
There’s nothing to do and there’s nothing to say
Til the man of her dreams comes along picks her up and puts her over his shoulder…

Only a few reviews of her latest work seem to address the messages in her songs, and they often manage to misconstrue what I have come to appreciate so much – making the album seem exclusive towards men, rather than critical of a patriarchal system that harbors double standards that exclude women. I am not trying to claim that Lily Allen is a feminist, or that her new album is of a “post-feminist feminism” construct as some have, but if you look at the world with a feminist lens her new music is a pleasure to listen to on more than one level.