Lily Allen described her new album as “an act of desperation”.
The Smile singer unveiled her long-awaited fifth LP West End Girl last month, only a few days after she revealed the unexpected project. She explained that she never approached the record, which she created in just ten days after her marriage to David Harbour ended, as something meant to succeed commercially.
Lily admitted she was not even sure she would allow anyone to hear it.
She told CBS News: “When I was making it, I honestly was not thinking about it as a commercial endeavour. It really came from a place of desperation.”
“While I was writing, I did not know if it would ever be released until very close to the date it came out. I kept asking myself, ‘Do I actually want to show this to the world?’ But I was not asking that while I was writing it, because the process felt very much like… I do not love the word, but people talk about ‘catharsis’ or ‘therapy’ in relation to music so often.”
“It is strange to even think about whether, as an artist, you should be revealing what is happening in your mind as part of your work. It is unusual that this is where we are as people.”
The 40 year old singer previously said that West End Girl should not be viewed as a “cruel album”.
She told Interview magazine: “It is not a cruel album. I do not feel like I am being harsh. These were simply the emotions I was dealing with at that moment.”
Lily said her mindset has shifted completely since she wrote the project, and she no longer feels any desire for “revenge”.
She said: “I wrote this record over ten days in December, and I see the whole situation very differently now. Everyone experiences breakups and they are always unbelievably painful. But it is rare to write about it while you are actually in the middle of it.”
“That is part of what makes this album interesting. It captures each stage of what I was going through. At the time, I was really trying to figure everything out, and that worked creatively, but I do not feel lost or angry anymore. I do not need revenge.”
KATSEYE have officially begun a fresh chapter with the announcement of their forthcoming single, Pinky Up.
The K-pop girl group sparked curiosity online after sharing a string of mysterious posts that quickly had fans trying to piece together the clues.
The first teaser, posted on March 30, featured the Mona Lisa gently raising a hot cup of tea with her pinky finger lifted. The next video, uploaded the next day, showed an arcade claw machine labeled with the group’s name pulling a sword from a mix of sparkling plush toys and a single teacup. Making things even more intriguing, the caption stated: “We’re screaming from cloud nine!!”
Their third update finally revealed the song title along with its cover art. The image showed a figure kneeling on a rug next to a teacup and a toy cat, while the title appeared in bright hot pink text across the visual. The group also confirmed the release date as April 9.
Pinky Up will arrive just one day before KATSEYE appear at Coachella on April 10, which will mark their first time performing at the famous festival.
The single also marks their first comeback since HYBE and Geffen confirmed that member Manon Bannerman would be stepping away for a period of time to prioritize her “health and well being.”
In a message posted on Weverse, they shared: "Hello. After open and thoughtful conversations together, we are sharing that Manon will be taking a temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing."
The group expressed that they “fully support this decision,” and added: “KATSEYE remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us. We look forward to being together again when the time is right.”
While she is away, the group will continue promotions with Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung.
They closed their message by saying: “Thank you to our EYEKONS for your continued love, patience, and understanding.”
