Sheezus
Sheezus is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Lily Allen, released on 5 May 2014 through Parlophone Records.[1] The record marks Allen's return to music following a five-year break after her second album, during which she focused on family life and stepped away from the public eye.[2] It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling 44,000 copies in its first week and earning a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry for 60,000 units shipped.[3][4] Produced by collaborators including Greg Kurstin, DJ Dahi, and Fryars, the album blends electropop with hip hop elements across 12 tracks, featuring singles "Hard Out Here", "Air Balloon", and "Our Time".[5] "Hard Out Here", released as the lead single in November 2013, peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart and drew attention for its satirical take on celebrity culture and feminism, though its music video sparked debate over perceived racial stereotypes in the portrayal of backing dancers.[6][7] The title track "Sheezus" included name-drops of female contemporaries like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, interpreted by some as competitive jabs, contributing to online backlash.[8] Critically, Sheezus received mixed reviews, with praise for Allen's wit and personal lyrics but criticism for uneven songwriting and perceived reliance on formulaic pop structures.[9][10] Allen later reflected on the album as emblematic of a challenging personal period, including marital strains, and expressed dissatisfaction with its promotional singles as "disappointing pop rubbish" imposed by her label.[11][12] Despite commercial success in the UK, the project underperformed internationally relative to expectations, highlighting tensions between artistic intent and industry demands.[13]Background
Artistic Hiatus and Conception
Following the release of her second album, It's Not Me, It's You, in February 2009, Lily Allen announced an indefinite hiatus from music to prioritize her personal life and recovery from health challenges, including a miscarriage and surgery for a brain tumor.[14] This break extended over five years, during which she shifted focus to building a family, marrying builder Sam Cooper on June 11, 2011, at St. James the Great Church in Gloucestershire, England.[15] The couple welcomed their first daughter, Ethel Mary Cooper, on November 25, 2011, an event that Allen later described as transformative, moving her away from the rebellious, party-centric themes of her earlier work toward reflections on domestic stability and maturity.[16] By early 2013, shortly after the birth of their second daughter, Marnie Rose Cooper, on January 8, Allen experienced a renewed creative impulse, attributing it to the grounding effect of motherhood amid prior personal turbulence.[17] In October 2012 interviews, she expressed intentions to incorporate motherhood's "joys" into new songwriting, marking the initial conception of what became Sheezus, as family life provided emotional renewal after years of industry exhaustion.[18] This period solidified a causal shift: the demands of raising young children, including sleep deprivation and routine, distanced her from pop's performative excesses, fostering lyrics rooted in authentic, post-youth experiences rather than contrived rebellion.[19] Allen's return was also spurred by frustrations with evolving industry dynamics, including the dominance of social media platforms like Twitter, which she joined in 2012 and used to voice discontent over pop's superficiality and the pressure to maintain youthful relevance into her late twenties.[20] She cited feeling "out of touch" with digital-era demands, such as constant online engagement and algorithmic shifts favoring viral content over substantive artistry, as catalysts for reclaiming her voice through personal narrative.[21] These reflections, drawn from her firsthand accounts, underscored a deliberate pivot: motherhood's stability enabled critique of fame's illusions, unburdened by the need for industry approval.[19]Recording and Production
Studio Process
Recording for Sheezus commenced in June 2012, when Allen reunited with longtime producer Greg Kurstin in the studio following her self-imposed hiatus for motherhood.[22] Sessions progressed intermittently through 2013 and into early 2014, balancing intensive studio work with Allen's parental responsibilities after the births of her daughters Ethel in November 2011 and Marnie in January 2013.[21] Principal recording took place at RAK Studios in London and Echo Studio in Los Angeles, with additional elements like lap steel guitar captured at Poor Kevin's Studio in Woodland Hills, California.[23] The process emphasized iterative demoing and collaboration across these sites, starting with Kurstin in Los Angeles around mid-2013 for core tracks before finalizing in the UK. Mixing occurred primarily at Echo Studio under engineers including Șerban Ghenea.[5] Production integrated live instrumentation—such as guitars and organic percussion—with electronic production techniques, reflecting Kurstin's approach honed on Allen's prior albums.[21] Challenges arose in reconciling commercial pop structures demanded by the label with Allen's preference for rawer expressions, prompting revisions to avoid overly formulaic outputs; Allen later critiqued some results as "disappointing pop rubbish" influenced by external pressures.[24] Principal recording concluded by early 2014, enabling the album's May 2 release.[25]Key Collaborators
Greg Kurstin served as a primary producer on Sheezus, co-producing and co-writing multiple tracks including "L8 CMMR" and "Close Your Eyes," contributing keyboards and programming that shaped the album's polished electropop elements.[5][21] His longstanding collaboration with Allen, dating back to her earlier albums, emphasized meticulous arrangements blending synth-driven hooks with Allen's vocal delivery.[21] Shellback handled production on upbeat tracks like "Air Balloon," infusing a bright, radio-friendly pop sheen through layered instrumentation and dynamic builds that contrasted the album's more introspective cuts.[26] DJ Dahi produced the title track "Sheezus," incorporating guitar elements from Alex Burey and a bold, anthemic structure to underscore Allen's self-referential lyrics.[1] Additional contributors included Fraser T Smith and Fryars, who produced select tracks such as interludes and bonus material, adding electronic textures and minimalistic production to maintain the album's cohesive yet varied sound.[5] Paul Beard provided production support on several songs, focusing on vocal engineering.[27] Lily Allen co-wrote the majority of the tracks and took an active role in vocal production, ensuring her observational lyricism drove the final product without reliance on prominent guest features, which were absent from the standard edition to prioritize her solo artistic voice.[28][5]Composition
Musical Style and Influences
Sheezus primarily employs electropop and synth-pop frameworks, characterized by electronic instrumentation, layered synthesizers, and rhythmic hi-hats that evoke trap-influenced hip-hop edges without fully adopting rap structures.[29] This represents an evolution from the ska and reggae infusions of Allen's 2006 debut Alright, Still, shifting toward polished, hook-driven pop arrangements that prioritize accessibility over genre fusion.[30] Production techniques include deliberate autotune application in select tracks, such as the title song, deployed sparingly to mimic and satirize contemporary vocal processing trends rather than as a core aesthetic.[31] Tracks generally span 3 to 4 minutes, emphasizing verse-chorus dynamics with vibrant, mid-tempo electronic beats that sustain listener engagement through repetitive motifs and subtle textural builds. The album's title directly nods to Kanye West's 2013 release Yeezus, signaling an intentional homage to its provocative minimalism and cultural bravado, though Allen's sound diverges into lighter, melody-centric pop rather than industrial hip-hop experimentation.[32] [33] Broader influences trace to 1990s and early 2000s British pop acts, evident in the witty, singer-songwriter veneer overlaid on electronic backdrops, as seen in occasional nods to R&B-tinged pop grooves reminiscent of era-specific crossover hits.[34] This synthesis yields a cohesive yet eclectic palette, with some cuts retaining faint reggae echoes amid dominant synth layers, contrasting the rawer, acoustic-leaning elements of Allen's initial output.[35] Overall, the production favors empirical pop efficacy—clear hooks and dynamic shifts—over avant-garde risks, aligning with commercial electronic norms of the mid-2010s.Lyrics and Themes
Social Commentary on Fame and Industry
In the track "URL Badman," Lily Allen critiques the anonymity-enabled aggression of online trolls and rival artists, portraying them as keyboard warriors who thrive on performative outrage without accountability. The song directly references her 2013 Twitter feud with Azealia Banks, which escalated after Banks accused Allen of racism in the "Hard Out Here" video for allegedly mocking black female artists; Allen responds by likening such critics to "badmen" hiding behind screens, emphasizing how social media's structure incentivizes unfiltered hostility over substantive dialogue.[36][37] Allen has stated that this conflict directly inspired her songwriting, transforming personal animosity into creative output rather than succumbing to emotional paralysis, as evidenced by her admission that the beef "helped my songwriting."[36] The title track "Sheezus" offers a satirical take on the competitive hierarchies of celebrity culture, with Allen name-dropping contemporaries like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Lorde, Katy Perry, and Rihanna to assert her intent to claim dominance in a saturated pop landscape. Lyrics such as "Moses in the desert, but I led them to the promised land / Now the promised land is ours, you better understand" parody messianic self-aggrandizement common in rap and pop personas, nodding to the male-dominated bravado of genres like hip-hop while Allen adopts a female equivalent without framing it as systemic oppression.[32][8] This reflects broader industry dynamics where artists must continually reinvent and outmaneuver peers to maintain relevance, as Allen positions her comeback amid a proliferation of female pop stars post her 2009 hiatus.[38] Allen's lyrics underscore the music business's incentive structures, such as relentless tabloid scrutiny and inter-artist rivalries amplified by media, which she navigates through wit rather than withdrawal; in a 2014 interview, she expressed frustration with major label systems and the pressure of fame's visibility, yet channeled it into defiant commentary on her blog and songs.[19][21] These elements highlight causal realities like how public feuds boost visibility and material, as seen in her feud's role in album conception, countering narratives of undue sensitivity by demonstrating productive adaptation to industry antagonism.[36]Personal Life and Relationships
In the album Sheezus, Lily Allen incorporates lyrics drawn from her experiences of marriage and motherhood, presenting them as anchors amid career resurgence. Tracks such as "Close Your Eyes" explicitly reference intimate relations with her husband, Sam Cooper, emphasizing physical satisfaction and mutual enjoyment in a consensual adult partnership following the birth of their second daughter, Marnie Rose, on January 8, 2013.[39][21] Allen has described this phase as a shift toward domestic stability, crediting Cooper—whom she met in 2009 and married on June 11, 2011—for providing emotional support that contrasted her earlier instabilities, including past struggles with drugs and disordered eating.[40][19] These themes counter prevailing media narratives pressuring female artists to maintain pre-motherhood physiques and lifestyles, with Allen's accounts highlighting empirical adjustments to postpartum realities rather than idealized perpetual youth. In a 2014 interview, she noted how motherhood to daughters Ethel Mary (born November 25, 2011) and Marnie reshaped her priorities, fostering a sense of completion through family routines that informed the album's relational candor.[19][41] Songs like "As Long as I Got You" further evoke this bliss, portraying spousal partnership as a reliable bulwark against external chaos, without framing gender dynamics through prescriptive lenses.[42] Allen's 2013–2014 reflections underscore Cooper's disinterest in her celebrity as a grounding influence, enabling her to prioritize verified personal growth over performative rebellion.[21][43] This portrayal aligns with Allen's broader self-reported evolution from a "reformed party girl" to a figure stabilized by relational commitments, as evidenced in contemporaneous discussions where she linked familial support to her creative output.[41][44] The lyrics avoid moralizing, instead offering straightforward depictions of post-hiatus intimacy as a natural extension of marital bonds, grounded in her lived circumstances rather than abstracted ideologies.[45]Release and Promotion
Singles and Chart Performance
The lead single from Sheezus, "Hard Out Here", was released digitally on November 17, 2013, by Parlophone Records, following the premiere of its controversial music video on November 12.[46] It debuted at number nine on the UK Singles Chart, Allen's first top-ten entry since 2009, and remained in the top 100 for four weeks.[46] Internationally, the song topped the Austrian charts and reached the top ten in several European territories, though it saw limited airplay success in the United States, peaking at number 106 on extended Billboard metrics without entering the Hot 100.[47][48] "Air Balloon" served as the second single, premiering on BBC Radio 1 on January 13, 2014, and released on March 2. It peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart, charting for eight weeks, and reached number eight in Ireland.[49][50] The track's upbeat video and promotion aligned with the album's rollout, emphasizing playful escapism amid Allen's satirical themes. "Our Time" was issued digitally on March 10, 2014, as a promotional single tied to the Sheezus pre-order announcement, without a major commercial push or accompanying video at launch. It failed to enter the UK top 40 or achieve notable international charting, serving primarily to build album anticipation rather than drive standalone sales.[51] The title track "Sheezus" followed as a promotional release on April 22, 2014, leaking early and debuting via video, but similarly underperformed on charts.| Single | Release Date | UK Peak Position | Weeks on UK Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Hard Out Here" | November 17, 2013 | 9 | 4 |
| "Air Balloon" | March 2, 2014 | 7 | 8 |
| "Our Time" | March 10, 2014 | — | — |
Marketing and Tour
Sheezus was released on May 2, 2014, by Parlophone Records in both standard and deluxe editions, the latter including additional tracks to encourage varied consumer purchases amid shifting digital-physical sales dynamics.[28][52] A special edition exclusive to iTunes featured bonus content, aligning with industry efforts to leverage platform-specific incentives for streaming and downloads during the early 2010s transition to digital dominance. Promotion emphasized video releases tied to lead singles, building anticipation through visual narratives that sparked public discourse, though specific pre-order data remains undocumented in available reports. The campaign targeted mature audiences via established media channels, reflecting Allen's return after a hiatus focused on family.[53] The album supported the Sheezus Tour, commencing May 15, 2014, at New York's Highline Ballroom and extending through summer dates in the UK and Europe before North American legs into fall.[54] The itinerary encompassed approximately 97 performances in 2014, with setlists prioritizing tracks from Sheezus alongside prior hits to showcase new material.[55] Box office attendance specifics for individual shows are not publicly detailed, but the tour's breadth indicates sustained interest in live renditions post-release.[56]Commercial Performance
Album Sales and Certifications
Sheezus debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling 35,414 copies in its first week of release on 4 May 2014.[57] The album received a Silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 13 June 2014, indicating shipments of 60,000 units in the UK.[4] Total sales in the UK reached approximately 102,000 copies by the end of its initial chart run.[58] No certifications above Silver were awarded for Sheezus in the UK or other major markets such as the United States, Australia, or Canada, where equivalent thresholds typically require 100,000 to 500,000 units depending on the territory. The album's commercial performance occurred amid a broader decline in physical album sales, with global recorded music revenues contracting 3.9 percent in 2013 to $15 billion, as digital downloads grew but failed to fully offset losses in traditional formats.[59] In 2014, physical sales still comprised 51.4 percent of worldwide industry revenues, though digital channels—including downloads integrated into UK album sales figures—increasingly dominated consumption patterns.[60] This shift, coupled with competition from electronic dance music acts and early streaming adoption, contributed to constrained unit sales for pop releases like Sheezus relative to pre-digital era benchmarks.Regional Chart Success
Sheezus achieved top 10 peaks in several markets, including number 1 in the United Kingdom, where it spent 16 weeks on the Official Albums Chart.[61] In the United States, the album reached number 12 on the Billboard 200.[62] It ranked number 78 on the UK year-end albums chart for 2014, reflecting limited sustained presence beyond its debut week at the top.[61] The album's performance varied regionally, with stronger showings in English-speaking territories outside the US:| Country/Territory | Peak Position | Chart |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1 | Official Albums Chart[61] |
| Australia | 4 | ARIA Albums Chart |
| Ireland | 4 | IRMA Albums Chart[63] |
| New Zealand | 9 | Recorded Music NZ Albums Chart[64] |
| United States | 12 | Billboard 200[62] |