In the five years between It's Not Me, It's You (2009) and Sheezus (2014), Lily Allen hasn't exactly been idle. Her private life was very noisy with a few personal dramas, followed shortly by a marriage and the arrival of two daughters. Enough excitement to renounce pop star life for a while. Because the blood was crawling where it couldn't go, the British twenties decided to make a third album.
And why should she not claim her crown right away? On the title and opening track of Sheezus, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Lorde and Katy Perry immediately get a swipe of the pan. Allen often converts her insecurity into arrogance on record. A role that suits her well, especially because there is always room for a wink in her lyrics. Humor and sarcasm reign supreme in her fine synth-pop songs. The production of steady hand Greg Kurstin is impeccable, but at the same time struggles to keep up with the level of Allen's lyrics - not to mention her emotional transfer full of harshness and doubt. Sheezus is not her strongest work. (JE)more
